Winter is the time that you spend most of the time indoors by the fire. It’s also the time that you use your chimney the longest. To have a stress-free winter, you need to prepare the chimney for the season. Here are some of the things that you need to do:
Protect the chimney from leaking
Snow storms and rainfall are common during winter. To protect your home from water damage you need to ensure that no water gets through the chimney.
Hire a chimney cleaning professional to inspect the chimney and test whether it can leak. Even if it’s not leaking, protect it as you aren’t sure of the extent of the snow storms. Some of the ways of protecting the chimney include:
Installing crickets: A cricket is a compact diversion roof that protects the chimney from being deluged. It’s ideal for chimneys located on the low side of the roof, those on a steep roof and those that are 30 inches or more in width.
Installing these units requires specialized skills; therefore, ensure that they are installed by an experienced chimney professional.
Chimney cap: chimney caps prevent water from getting into the chimney. The cool thing with them is that they are cheap and come in different materials including steel, concrete, and aluminum.
Waterproofing the chimney: masonry chimneys are made from porous materials that have the ability of absorbing large amounts of water. When they absorb a lot of water, the water can get into the house causing damage. There are many chimney waterproofing materials in the market that you can use. You should agree with your chimney masonry repair professional on the best materials to go for.
Undertake Chimney cleaning
Another way of preparing your chimney for winter is by cleaning it. Even if you have not been using the chimney actively, clean it. This is to avoid fire and ensure that your family is safe.
You can clean the chimney on your own, but for professional services hire a chimney cleaning professional to do the work. The cool thing with hiring a cleaning contractor is that you have peace of mind that the work is perfectly done.
The chimney sweep not only cleans the chimney, he/she also inspects and repairs it making it ready for the cold season.
Conclusion
To have a great experience and avoid hiring emergency chimney service, prepare your chimney for winter. For ideal results, work with an experienced chimney company.
