Our Company Blog

How We Respond to Winter’s Wrath

If you live in Ohio, you know what it’s like to live in the winter! It gets cold, it gets snowy, and it gets icy! An Ohio winter isn’t for everyone, but if you’re one of the tough people that love nothing more than getting outside in the cold weather, then Ohio is the greatest place to be. We get through the winter in many different ways. Let’s look at a few ways we can respond to winter’s wrath!

There are basically two ways to get through an Ohio winter. You can embrace it or you can get through it. Let’s look at embracing it. If you’re one of those people that can’t wait to see the snow fall, that lives for cold temperatures so you can bundle up and go outside and play, then that’s exactly what you should do! Find a ski resort or hit some of Ohio’s cross country ski trails, then finish out your day by taking a hike to make sure your muscles stay warmed up. Or grab a sled or a tube and hit the hills. Whether it’s in your backyard or at a recreation center, there’s not much that makes you feel like a kid again like zooming down a hill, the cold wind in your face. Never mind the long trudge back up that hill, the thrill of speeding down makes it all worthwhile. Maybe you like ice fishing, sitting on the lake on a peaceful day, sipping on a cup of coffee while you wait for the fish to bite. No matter what the outdoor activity you prefer, as long as you are outdoors enjoying nature, it’s going to be a great day.

Maybe you aren’t as much of an embracer as an endurer. Well, winter is great for that, too. If when the weather gets cold, you snuggle in, then you know that nothing feels quite as good as looking out the window and seeing the snow fall, knowing that you are warm and safe in your house. Grab a book and enjoy a long read, turn on the tv and watch that movie you’ve been wanting to see, or do a marathon session of a series on Netflix. Maybe you can’t wait for the cold weather to hit so you have a reason to bake, using the oven to heat up your kitchen while filling the house with the sweet aroma of cookies or cake. Put the kids in their warm jammies and watch a kids’ movie on television. You’ll never feel as comfy and cozy as that feeling you get when you’re snug and warm inside while it’s cold outside.

Cuddle Up In Front of the Fireplace

No matter what type of person you are, embracer or endurer, there’s one thing everyone can agree on, and that’s that cuddling up in front of a beautiful, crackling fire is a great way to spend a winter’s evening. Now is the perfect time to enjoy your fireplace, but winter can also be very hard on a chimney and fireplace. The almost continual use can cause your chimney to become dirty, filled with soot and creosote, and that creosote, if it builds up too much, can catch a spark and cause a fire. Many chimney fires are undetected, which means there may be damage to your chimney liner. If your chimney liner is cracked or chipped, this means that the smoke isn’t able to make as smooth an exit out of your chimney and that your fire won’t burn as efficiently. It can also mean that dangerous gases that should be getting released through the chimney are instead leaking back into your home, causing illness for your family.

The outdoor elements can be very hard on your chimney, as well. Precipitation can get into the pores of the bricks and mortar that make up your chimney, and when the temperatures drop below freezing, that moisture freezes and expands, causing the pores to get bigger. As this happens, cracks can form. This also makes it difficult for smoke to leave your chimney in the manner in which it was intended. There’s another problem, as well. These cracks could also cause instability in the structure of your chimney.

Call Chim Cheroo Chimney Service Inc

If your chimney or fireplace is showing some negative effects from the harsh weather conditions that an Ohio winter can throw its way, then now is the perfect time to give Chim Cheroo Chimney Service a call. If we find your chimney or fireplace has been damaged, we can set you up on a repair schedule and start as soon as the weather allows. Our team of professional chimney servicemen are CSIA certified and highly qualified to take care of the problems discussed earlier in this article, but also any other problems that can happen when your chimney goes through a long, cold winter. Whether you have chimney problems or not, give us a call and let us come in and we’ll inspect and clean your chimney, look for any trouble spots, and get things fixed up so you have no worries going into the next burning season.

Chimney Health Hazards You Should Know About

Building a fire in the fireplace on a cold, snowy night can be such a comfortable, cozy thing to do. Just snuggling down, watching the snow fall outside the window is a wonderful experience after a long day at work. It’s important that you’re aware of some things that could make this cozy pastime a nightmare situation.

Creosote Buildup

First of all, when you use your fireplace on a frequent basis, the inside of your chimney can become coated with the by-products. These are left when the water vapors and other chemicals in smoke condense on it: creosote. Creosote is extremely flammable, so the danger lies in a stray ember or spark floating up the chimney and setting it on fire. A chimney fire is a scary event, but sometimes a chimney fire occurs without the homeowners even being aware of it. Even if you aren’t aware of it, a chimney fire is a threatening situation because it can cause structural damage to your chimney.

If you do have structural damage, you may be in danger of dangerous gases sneaking back into your home instead of being guided out the chimney. Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless gas that is produced when you burn a fire in your fireplace, and if left undetected, can cause serious health problems such as nausea, chest pain, shortness of breath, dizziness, headaches, or, in extreme situations, death.

Children and Your Fireplace

If you have young children, it’s important to make sure that they are never left unattended while there is a fire burning. Don’t leave flammable items such as stuffed animals or pillows laying around too close to the fire, especially if there are young children around. If you have an upraised hearth, this often gets overlooked as a possible hazard. Young children can fall and cut their head on this; there are padded liners available which can make this a safer situation.

Another important thing to do is to make sure that your fire extinguishers are in working order. You should keep a fire extinguisher close by your fireplace, and give it a visual check every month. Look for visual signs that it has been damaged, like dents or corrosion, and make sure that the indicator on the pressure gauge is in the operating zone. Fire extinguishers should be inspected professionally yearly.

Don’t Forget the Annual Inspection!

The most important thing you can do to keep your fire-burning experience a  safe one is to have your fireplace and chimney system inspected and cleaned on an annual basis. This should be done by a CSIA certified chimney sweep company like Chim Cheroo Chimney Service. They take pride in providing quality service; your satisfaction is of the utmost importance to them. Give them a call today so that your fire-burning nights are worry-free.