Why Spring Time Is the Right Time for Chimney Maintenance
After the long winter, there are a few things you need to do for your chimney. Make sure to include it in your Spring home maintenance checklist.
It’s spring-cleaning time—and that extends to your chimney and home heating appliance. Maybe it goes without saying but it’s of utmost importance to keep all parts of your fireplace or stove and chimney in great working order—so as to prevent catastrophes like house fires, chimney fires, or carbon monoxide poisoning, in addition to water damage, masonry damage, and other expensive repairs.
Most of Northeastern Masonry & Chimney’s customers in and around the Hudson Valley region are surprised to hear that springtime is the right time for a professional sweeping by a C.S.I.A. certified technician, in addition to any other needed annual maintenance. This is because a spring cleaning gets you all prepared for the next burning season and allows you to take advantage of your technician’s full attention during our off season. You’ll also have plenty of time—prior to fall and winter—to address and resolve any issues that may be detected during an inspection.
A Quick and Easy Chimney Checklist
Northeastern Chimney’s checklist is designed to give you a good idea whether or not your chimney is in need of professional attention.
- Do you have a damper, either a top-sealing damper or throat damper? If so, is it in good condition?
- Do you have a chimney cap or chase cover?
- Do you see any evidence of water damage to your chimney flue, chimney masonry, firebox, or the walls and ceilings around your chimney?
- Have you heard twittering or scuttling sounds that lead you to believe animals are accessing your chimney?
- Is your chimney masonry showing signs of wear and tear? For instance, is the brick and mortar crumbling, spalling, or stained?
- Is your chimney stinky or leaking smoke into your home?
- Is any part of your chimney rusted?
- Has your chimney been cleaned in the last year?
Call Northeastern Chimney at (518) 767-9315 if any of the above applies to your chimney. We encourage you to take these problems seriously and contact a certified technician as soon as possible. We take great pride in restoring efficiency to our customers’ heating systems—in many cases saving them hundreds of dollars a year—in addition to ensuring them of a safe and clean fire, time after time.