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Information About Keeping Your Chimney In Good Shape

by Wallace Gonzales

If you have a fireplace in your home, you want to be sure you have it taken care of properly. There are a lot of different things that can happen to your fireplace and chimney, so you want to stay on top of maintenance issues. Of course, you can only do this when you know what should be done. Also, it's important to learn warning signs of problems and have them fixed fast. Here is more on maintaining your fireplace and chimney, as well as information on repair issues: 

Annual chimney cleaning

It's important for you to have someone come out yearly to clean your chimney. You should have this done before you start using the fireplace. When you have your chimney cleaned on an annual basis it will help to prevent your house from catching on fire. That's because creosote will be removed, which is flammable. Also, having the chimney cleaned before you start using it will allow for anything that is in it to be found and removed, such as bird nests or other things. 

Annual chimney inspection

Along with having your chimney cleared each year, you should also have it inspected. The inspection will make sure that there are no problems going on with it that you are unaware of. If there are things that need to be fixed, then you want to have the problem corrected as soon as you can. When the inspection is being done, all areas will be inspected, including the cap and crown going all the way down to the damper located on the bottom. The inspection can find problems that are already concerning, as well as warning signs that there will be a certain type of problem in the near future. 

Possible chimney issues

Flashing can be damaged — There is flashing that goes around the chimney to seal the areas where the roof and the chimney meet. If the flashing is damaged, then this allows water to go down into the structure. Unfortunately, this can cause water damage to the home. As such, damaged flashing needs to be fixed or replaced. 

There can be liner problems — The chimney liner is important because it is what protects the chimney surface from the heat of the fires you have going in the fireplace. However, the liner can end up being damaged and needing to be either repaired or completely replaced. 

There can be leaks — It is possible for a chimney to have leaks. This can present problems over time that can become quite serious because the water will eat away at the mortar. Once the mortar is damaged, the fireplace won't be safe for you to use.

For more information, contact a chimney service

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