In case your house has an open fireplace, chances are that you do already know the benefits of that. Indeed, a fireplace can transform the entire look and feel of the indoors by adding a rustic charm to your house. However, with that comes a big responsibility! That is, following a chimney inspection routine. In general, you should get your chimneys inspected and swept after every 3-4 months. This will not only allow your fireplace to work more efficiently, but will prevent many chimney related fire hazards.
All that you need to know about chimney inspection
Normally, chimneys always are susceptible to damage due to a number of elements. These elements may include bad weather, plants creeping in, animal nests, or the buildup of soot.
However, inspecting chimneys is not as simple as it sounds. In order to determine the condition of your chimney, your chimney inspector will have to perform a complete examination of your indoor fireplace. Keeping this in view, it is extremely important to stay prepared beforehand. This will reduce the risk of damage and will increase the likelihood of an efficient inspection.
Why is chimney inspection and repair so important?
As it is mentioned already, chimneys are susceptible to running into a number of problems. However, a total shut-down of the indoor fireplace is not even the biggest down-side of it. In fact, there are a number of serious risks associated with poor chimney care.
What are the risks?
When we hear about fire hazards in a house, all that we think of is the gas and kitchen stove. However, it is important to remember that indoor fireplaces are also a big fire hazard (in case they are not maintained and cleaned properly).
Did you know? Back in 2016 alone, there were more than 4000 house fires that were caused due to poor fireplace care. Even though this number has dropped since then due to increase awareness, the risks are still present.
The biggest risk of poor chimney care includes creosote buildup. Creosote buildup occurs when wood and other solid fuels are burnt. As a result of this, a thick brown material sticks to the flue sides and builds up until it turns into a thick layer.
If the creosote buildup continues for long enough, it may result in a spark which can turn into a fire. In worst cases, fires due to creosote buildups can even burn down entire properties.
How often should you get your chimneys inspected?
The only key to proper chimney inspection is to be regular and consistent. In general, you should not leave a chimney unchecked for more than 3 months. However, the exact time basically depends on the type of fireplace that you have. In the case of an oil or gas fireplace, an annual check-up would be enough.
However, in case you have a bituminous coal or wood fireplace, you will have to get the chimneys inspected 4 times in a year. This means, after every 3 months!
Another factor that which the inspection frequency depends upon is your usage. In case your fireplace usage is very high, we recommend an inspection and checkup after every two months. In case you just use it sparingly, then perhaps you could have a break of about 4-5 months in between every inspection.
Ending note
We cannot really stress enough on the importance of regular chimney inspection. In case you want more guidance about chimney sweeping, feel free to reach out to chimney cleaning services Columbia MD. An expert will guide you better than anyone else after taking a look at your chimney and determining its condition.
