Q. How often should I have my chimney cleaned?
A. The National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) recommends a yearly inspection and cleaning and repairs done as necessary. Free standing wood stoves or fire place inserts used to heat the home should be inspected and cleaned if needed every year. Regular open fireplaces need to be maintained and cleaned on a consistent basis as well. Usually a cleaning is needed for every cord of wood burned or at least 2-3 years.
Q. What is a chimney liner?
A. Currently, most masonry chimneys are built with terra-cotta clay tiles stacked and mortared inside the brick structure. These tiles serve as a gas-tight and heat-resistant insulator against the masonry structure. Without a liner, or with cracked and damaged liners, there would be heat transfer or actual seepage through the brick and mortar. A liner is a stainless steel tube inserted into a chimney to draft a furnace, woodstove or fireplace. The appliance will vent through that stainless pipe and use the existing chimney structure as an encasement. New liners are gas tight systems insulated for highest efficiency. This system can solve most drafting and safety issues of chimney fire damaged or older unlined chimney flues. For more info about chimney Liners at Chimney Safety Institute
Q. How often should my dryer vent be cleaned?
A. Most dryer vents should be cleaned at least every two years or so. This depends on the length of your vent, how many turns and how often the dryer is used every week. Dryers that have short vents and little usage may be able to go longer than normal before being cleaned.
Cleaning the dryer vent can help prevent the possibility of a fire in your house or dangerous carbon monoxide gas (in the case of a gas dryer) from entering your house and, can save you money on electricity or gas cost. A clean vent pipe allows the dryer to move the proper amount of air through the system taking the humidity out of the clothes, caused by the heating of burners or electric elements in your dryer thus allowing your clothes to dry quicker with less energy consumed. Take time to notice if your dryer is running longer with the same amount of clothes, it may be time to have the vent cleaned.
Q. Why does my chimney need a cover?
A. Have you ever heard of the inside of someone’s home being “trashed” by an errant bird or squirrel? Or dampers rusting out of fireplaces? Or the mortar in chimneys being slowly eaten away? The damage caused in any of these cases can be quite expensive to repair, as well as inconvenient. A chimney cap is an easy solution to these problems.
Q. What does the sweeping process include?
A. We start by laying tarps down to protect your floors and carpets. We then set up our dust control vacuum at the base of your chimney. Using brushes sized specifically for your chimney we clean your entire flue and firebox. We then clean your fireplace and begin the cleanup process. We take every precaution to make sure that no soot or ash escapes into your home. – Guaranteed