by Mark Hudson | Sep 30, 2014 | CSIA Certified
When looking for a chimney sweep to entrust with the task of cleaning and inspecting your chimney, you may wonder how you are supposed to distinguish a good chimney sweep from a bad one. After all, you want to hire a professional who knows what he or she is doing and who can help you to protect your home from the dangers that owning a chimney can present. The Chimney Safety Institute of America is a non-profit organization that reviews and certifies chimney sweep companies in order to provide homeowners with a standard for their chimney needs.
To be CSIA certified, a chimney technician must attend a review session and pass an exam covering Successful Chimney Sweeping (2011), National Fire Protection Agency 211 (2013), and the 2006 International Residential Code. Anyone applying for certification must also sign the CSIA code of ethics and pay an annual fee. In order to remain certified, this process must be repeated by the technician every three years.
These procedures for certification create a method for homeowners to determine if a chimney sweep is qualified to clean and inspect a chimney in a professional and informed manner. Chimneys and appliances can cause fires and carbon monoxide leaks if not properly maintained. Therefore, making sure your chimney sweep knows what he or she is doing in addition to being dedicated to helping you detect and fix potential problems is of the utmost importance.
It is significant to note that the CSIA not only seeks to educate and evaluate technicians, but also to provide an ethical code for professionals to follow. When technicians sign this code, they pledge to conduct business in an honest and fair manner, as well as to remain knowledgeable and up to date on all chimney standards and procedures. They also agree to do their best to educate you, the consumer, and to act in a professional and respectful manner.
Hudson Chimney is certified by the CSIA, so you can be sure that you will be in good hands. The technicians at Hudson Chimney have been servicing the Jacksonville, Florida Area for over thirty years, ensuring their clients clean, safe, and warm homes with efficient heating systems. You can trust the professionals at Hudson Chimney to be knowledgeable in their skills and to provide you and your appliances with service of the highest quality.
If you have any questions about CSIA certification or policies, or if you have any questions about chimneys and appliances as a homeowner, be sure to check out CSIA.org for more information. Their website is an informative and reliable resource of educational material for your benefit.
Also, if your chimney has not been serviced this year yet, schedule an appointment with a technician at Hudson Chimney as soon as possible. The fall and winter are busy for any chimney servicing company, and the sooner you call, the more likely your home will be prepared for the colder winter months. The professionals at Hudson Chimney will make sure your chimney is prepared!
by Mark Hudson | Aug 25, 2014 | chimney maintenance
There are a lot of risks involved with having a chimney. Chimney fires, carbon monoxide poisoning, and expensive repairs are some of the more worrisome problems. However, you can protect your home, your health, and your wallet easily with early preventative maintenance. Hudson Chimney can inspect and clean your chimney, make sure it is properly installed, and make and carry out recommendations that will keep your home safe and maintained.
One easy way to prevent chimney fires and ventilation problems is to have your chimney cleaned professionally. The Chimney Safety Institute of America recommends that you have your chimney swept annually. Whenever you use your chimney, a substance called creosote builds up. Creosote is both highly flammable and blocks smoke and gasses from leaving your home. Furthermore, creosote can build up into glazed creosote, which has to be removed by a professional with chemicals to avoid ruining your chimney. The professionals at Hudson Chimney would be more than happy to inspect your chimney for creosote buildup and clean it to provide you with a safer home.
Water that enters your chimney can also cause extensive water damage, including mold growth, insulation damage, and even the destruction of your chimney. In order to prevent water from entering your home through your chimney, you should have Hudson Chimney install a cap or damper (every chimney should have one of the two). A cover will not only prevent water from entering and damaging your home, but it will also prevent animals and other debris from getting inside your chimney. Keeping your chimney clear of animals and debris is important for proper ventilation and keeping toxins out of your home.
Water can also seep through the brick or mortar of your chimney, however. This can also cause water damage to your home as well as cause cracks to form and be enlarged, shortening the life span of your chimney. Therefore, it is important to have Hudson Chimney apply a repellent to your chimney stack. A repellent will prevent water from seeping into the materials of your chimney while still allowing it to breathe, which enables water produced in your chimney to leave it.
You should have Hudson Chimney inspect your chimney to make sure that it is also installed correctly. Sometimes an appliance can have a flue that is too big or too small for it, causing draft problems. With a flue that is too small, ventilation will not occur properly, allowing toxins to enter your home. With a flue that is too big, on the other hand, creosote will quickly build up, causing a fire hazard and also preventing proper drafting.
If you are worried about the potential disasters your chimney can cause, you will find how easy it is for you to protect yourself and your home by calling Hudson Chimney. They will make sure that your chimney is working safely and efficiently and put your mind at ease.
by Mark Hudson | Aug 15, 2014 | chimney repairs, leaky chimney, masonry repairs, water damage, waterproofing
Fixing a leaking chimney quickly can prevent thousands of dollars worth of damage. Leaky chimneys can lead to mold growth, water stains, drywall distortion, and insulation damage. Most importantly, small leaks that may seem insignificant will eventually become bigger leaks that create more damage to your home and that will cost more to repair.
Calling a professional to fix your leaky chimney is not only safer than making the attempt to fix it yourself, but it also ensures that the best – and the correct – repairs are made. The professionals at Hudson Chimney can locate the source or sources of the leaks and fix them accordingly. They will work to not only repair any damages, but to also prevent further damage.
Calling chimney professionals such as those at Hudson Chimney rather than roofing professionals is also important if you think your chimney is what is leaking. Professionals at Hudson Chimney have the expertise and tools necessary to find and fix a chimney leak, while roofing professionals have the expertise and tools to fix roofs. Signs that your chimney and not your roof is leaking include water-stains around your chimney, cracking in your flu lining, a collapsing chimney, and the staining of your chimney or the mortar.
There are several possible problems if your chimney is leaking, all of which Hudson Chimney is CSI-certified to repair:
- If the leak is coming from your chimney crown, Hudson Chimney can repair it with a crown coating material. It is important to fix small cracks because water can seep into the cracks, freeze and expand, and thus make the cracks bigger. If the chimney crown has bigger cracks, Hudson Chimney can replace the crown.
- If there is damage to the chimney flashing, or the metal sheeting that protects the gaps between your chimney and the roof, only a professional should attempt to fix it. Hudson Chimney offers this service to not only prevent further leaking, but to ensure the lifespan of your chimney.
- There might be damage to shingles surrounding your chimney. Professionals at Hudson Chimney can replace the shingles for you to stop the leaking.
- The erosion of mortar joints can easily lead to holes and thus leaks. Professionals at Hudson Chimney have been working for over thirty years to fix such problems and worse.
Once any cracks in bricks or mortar have been fixed, the professionals at Hudson Chimney can apply ChimneySaver’s Water Repellent to prevent water from seeping into the chimney. Bricks and mortar absorb water, which can cause leaking. Water repellent allows for the brick or mortar to keep water out while still letting the materials breathe. Therefore, it is important to use a water repellent and not a sealer, which will trap moisture created inside the chimney in the bricks or mortar and cause further damage. ChimneySaver’s Water Repellent does the job by blocking 99.9 percent of water from penetrating the bricks or mortar of your chimney while still being 100 percent vapor permeable, or letting your chimney breathe. Professionals at Hudson Chimney can also install chimney caps or chimney pans to prevent water from entering your chimney.
Repair your leaky chimney, and you will save yourself time and money as well as ensure your chimney’s longevity.
