In this blog entry, the professional Chicago chimney cleaning service experts here at Chimney Sweep Near Me will detail the essential aspects of wood burning fireplace maintenance in order to keep your wood burning fireplace working for as long as possible.
Cleaning Fireplaces
Fireplace cleaning is an essential step in chimney maintenance that we, the Chimney cleaning experts here at Chimney Sweep Near Me, regularly provide to our clients. Fireplaces see more general wear than any other aspect of your chimney, as it is the closest to the fire. Ash, creosote, and soot build up rapidly within fireplaces, which can degrade the appearance of brick or stone, and poses a serious fire hazard. Remove ash from your firebox once it cools down, and then use a stiff brush and a mixture of cleaning solution, bleach, and water to brush off soot and creosote.
Chimney Caps
Chimney caps prevent animals from entering your home through the chimney – animals like birds, bats, racoons, squirrels, or even stray cats. Chimney caps also prevent rain from entering into your chimney and degrading its interior. Brick and mortar are damaged by moisture – meaning that your chimney cap has to be properly secured and fully intact. A lack of a chimney cap will – almost guaranteed – lead to moisture inside your chimney and fireplace – affecting proper operation, damaging interior aesthetics, and even causing serious structural damage to your home.
Wood Choices
Make sure to only burn wood that’s OK to use in your fireplace. Many manufactured types of wood are treated with chemicals that can let off dangerous gas when burned. Softwoods also aren’t ideal for fireplaces, as they release more moisture than burn hardwoods like birch, maple, and oak – and ensure that all wood that you want to burn is both dry and seasoned for a minimum of 6 months for the best – and safest – fires.
Professional Chimney Cleaning
The best possible way to ensure the continued longevity of your chimney and/or fireplace is to receive professional cleaning services. Chimney Sweep Near Me provides residential and commercial clients of all types with incredibly high quality, effective, affordable and efficient fireplace cleaning and chimney cleaning services – with the utmost level of professionalism.