While the chimney is your best friend during the cold months of the year, it can be a safety hazard when you don’t maintain it properly. To help you out, here are tips given by chimney repair professionals on how to keep your chimney healthy:
Cap the chimney
There is no way that your chimney will be safe if it doesn’t have a cap. The chimney cap is located at the top of the chimney, and it prevents rain, birds, leaves, raccoons, squirrels, and other materials from getting inside the chimney and obstructing it. When the animals and products get in the chimney, they obstruct it, and this can prevent the harmful carbon monoxide from exiting the chimney which can be fatal to you and your family.
It’s rare that your chimney won’t have a cap, but if it doesn’t, you should contact your local chimney contractor and install the cap. Most of the modern chimney caps are made from stainless steel, but there are some that are made from clay. These aren’t ideal as they tend to break within a short time.
Use the right fuel
With the advances in technology, chimneys are fueled by different materials. There are some fueled by wood, others by gas, and others by electricity. The biggest problem is with the wood-fueled chimneys. Some homeowners put up expensive chimneys, but they fail using the right fuel. For example, some use inferior quality wood. Use of these materials not only results in high inefficiency levels, but it also puts your chimney at the risk of clogging as soot tends to accumulate on the chimney walls.
To be on the safe side, use dry, seasoned wood as it will give you the most heat. It also will produce less smoke thus you won’t have to keep on hiring a chimney cleaning professional now and then. Use of the right fuel has also been found to be highly effective at preventing chimney fires.
Install a fireplace screen
If there are flying sparks coming from your chimney, you should install a screen that prevents them from landing on your furniture. The cool thing is that there are plenty of doors you can install. All you need to do is hire a reputable company to help you with the installation.
Conclusion
These are tips on how to keep your chimney safe. In addition to the above-mentioned tips, also remember to hire a chimney company at least once a year to undertake chimney inspection and fix any problems your chimney might be having.
