Is This Your First Year In A House With A Chimney? 3 Tips To Keep It Clean And Avoid A House Fire
Your first year in a new house is full of new discoveries, such as finding that you enjoy having a fireplace to add warmth and beauty to your home. However, there is also a downside to enjoying those flickering flames. Over time, chimneys build up a combination of soot and other substances that are not only unsightly, but they can also lead to a higher risk for house fires. Substances such as creosote are highly flammable, and they can accumulate to the point that they start a fire that extends beyond the fireplace. To prevent property damage in your new home, just follow these tips to make sure that your house's chimney is properly cleaned on a regular basis.
Be Wary of Home Cleaning Strategies
You can do things to help keep your house's chimney clean, such as sweeping out the ashes once the fire has completely cooled down. You should also only burn approved materials in the fireplace to prevent build up of substances that do not burn completely. While these are great self-care strategies, you want to avoid other home remedies for cleaning out the chimney. Many of these remedies are dangerous such as ones telling you to intentionally light the creosote on fire, which can ignite sparks that rage out of your control. When in doubt, consult with a chimney cleaning professional before you try someone else's recommendations.
Work With a Reputable Cleaning Service
You also want to be careful when you arrange for chimney cleaning services. Unfortunately, there are nefarious scammers who claim to know how to clean chimneys, yet they do a shoddy job or do not clean at all. Always start by checking the company or cleaner's background to make sure that they are experienced. If possible, check for references or testimonials online that can vouch for their integrity.
Ask for a Recommended Schedule
There is no generic schedule for chimney cleaning. Your recommended schedule will depend upon things such as the type of wood that you burn and how often you use the fireplace. Your chimney sweeper should be able to tell you how often you need it cleaned by inspecting the fireplace for build up and asking a few questions about your use of it. Once you have a schedule, be sure to stick to it, and arrange for cleaning services between your scheduled visits if you use the fireplace more often.
Contact a chimney cleaning service for more help.
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