When the air starts to cool down and the leaves start to change color, the neighbors start burning leaves and high school stadium lights start shining on Friday nights, then it’s time to start thinkingfireplace burning wood about making sure that your fireplace is ready for the days of fire-burning that are just around the corner. Are you prepared for the upcoming burning season? There are several things that you need to check to make sure that your fireplace is clean and safe before you start burning again.

What To Look For

Have you noticed a peculiar odor coming from your fireplace? How about some grit and grime floating down your chimney? Well, it may be that you have a build-up of creosote on the interior of your chimney, and that’s not a good situation. When you burn wood in a fireplace, moisture that is left in the wood escapes, and along with it chemicals. This is why it’s so important to make sure that your wood has been cured for at least six months after cutting it, and longer is better. So, when this moisture hits the cool interior of the fireplace, it condenses and forms a grimy buildup, which is creosote. It smells and it’s dirty, but even worse, it’s highly flammable and can easily catch a spark and cause a chimney fire. This is true at even an eighth of an inch of creosote buildup.

Another thing to keep an eye out for is cracks in your mortar. If you notice that the ceiling surrounding your fireplace or the wallpaper or wallboard is looking soft or weak or discolored, it could very well be that your chimney is leaking. This could be caused by a variety of things, and one of those things is weak or cracked mortar. Those cracks can let moisture in, and that’s a problem because it can cause instability in your chimney structure.

Speaking of leaks, there are other places that might be leaking as well. You’ll want to make sure that your flashing is secured and that your chimney cap is in good shape, with no rust or loose spots that might let leaks or animals in. You’ll also want to make sure that the bricks in your chimney are secure and in place.

Does it seem as though there are a lot of things that you need to make sure are secure before you use your fireplace for the season? Do you feel like you aren’t knowledgeable or skilled enough to make sure that your fireplace is ready for a fire? It’s probably true. You probably aren’t. So who should you call? Call Chim Cheroo Chimney Service Inc.

Why Chim Cheroo Chimney Service Inc

When you call Chim Cheroo Chimney Service, you are getting professionals who are Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) certified and have over thirty years of experience in taking care of the chimneys in Mansfield and North Central Ohio. We’re the experts to call for all your chimney care needs!