Why Regular Chimney Sweeping and Cleaning are Important

You probably keep most things in your home clean for aesthetic reasons, and while a clean chimney is a more attractive chimney, your chimney mostly needs to be cleaned for safety reasons. Simply put, a dirty chimney can cause a house fire. This occurs when creosote builds up on the sides of your chimney. Creosote is a highly-flammable byproduct of wood that’s not been completely burned. When wood is burned, not all the smoke escapes from the chimney. Some cools down and becomes solid, which creates creosote. Sweeping the chimney removes this flammable residue. This residue is not only a fire hazard, but it can corrode flue tiles and cause unpleasant odors in your living space. Dirty chimneys also make you and your family vulnerable to carbon monoxide poisoning. We understand that there are so many things to add to your “to do” list, but for your safety, annual cleaning should be made a priority. Call us today to make an appointment with one of Hudson Chimney’s certified chimney sweeps.

What Happens During a Chimney Sweep?

When a Hudson Chimney technician comes to your house to sweep your chimney, you can expect the process to take an average of one to two hours. We ask that you stop using your fireplace or gas stove 24 hours before we arrive. That way we can work with an appliance that’s completely cool.

For almost all chimneys, the sweeping process goes like this:

• First we tarp the area in front of your fireplace so that your carpet and floor are kept clean. We also set up a high-speed dust collector so soot won’t enter your living space.
• Then we sweep the inside of your fireplace, from the firebox floor to the top of the flue, using brushes on rods, hand brushes, and a vacuum.
• We clean and adjust your chimney’s damper, checking to make sure the damper is assembled and installed correctly.
• We inspect the exterior of your chimney, paying close attention to the mortar, brickwork, and crown.
• We document our findings with photos or video footage, and then make sure that you receive a written evaluation of your chimney.

Hudson Chimney makes the chimney sweep process quick and painless, doing our job thoroughly and cleaning from the bottom of the chimney all the way to the very tip-top. Our certified chimney sweeps will ensure that you are not in danger of carbon monoxide poisoning and will remedy all problems, including: damaged or deteriorating flue liners, soot buildup, debris clogging the passageway and animal or bird nests obstructing chimney flues.

How Does Cleaning My Chimney Protect Me from Carbon Monoxide Poisoning?

Chimneys date back centuries, but have you noticed that there are far more cases of carbon monoxide poisoning now than there used to be? This is because houses today are more airtight, which is great for energy savings but not for airflow in and out of your house. The Chimney Safety Institute of America reports that when today’s furnaces and boilers are starved of the oxygen needed to burn fuels completely, carbon monoxide—which is a colorless, odorless, tasteless gas—can be produced. Furthermore, some houses are so airtight that exhaust fans in the kitchen and bathroom actually pull toxic gases into your home. When homeowners pair a new high-efficiency gas or oil furnace with an existing chimney flue, things can get especially dangerous, as they may be unknowingly inviting combustible products into their living spaces. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the National Fire Protection Association, and the American Lung Association all say that chimney maintenance can help prevent carbon monoxide from entering your home and sickening or killing those inside.

Call Hudson Chimney today to schedule your chimney sweep or inspection. We have over 35 years of serving the Greater Jacksonville Area!

Having your chimney and fireplace inspected is the first best step you can take toward better home safety. With our state-of-the-art video scans, Hudson Chimney can determine exactly what needs to be done, so contact us today.