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That question really depends on how often you burn, what you burn and how you burn. Even if a chimney is seldom used birds, squirrels, raccoons and other critters may have been using your chimney making it unsafe to use without clearing out the accumulated debris from nesting activity or the structure could have deteriorated to the point where the chimney is unsafe to use. The National Fire Protection Association says, “Chimneys, fireplaces, and vents shall be inspected at least once a year for soundness, freedom from deposits, and correct clearances. Cleaning, maintenance, and repairs shall be done if necessary.”

That depends on the size and condition of the flue and fireplace. The standard chimney sweep and safety inspection takes approximately 45 minutes to an hour to clean and evaluate.

Chimney Masters cleaning process leaves your home soot and dust free. We put down drop cloths, cover the fireplace and use a high powered vacuum to keep any mess contained to our equipment. We brush the firebox build-up, and our vacuum catches all the freed creosote and debris. Your chimney is cleaned from the top of the chimney down to the fireplace and then from the fireplace on up above the damper, smoke chamber, smoke shelf, lintel area and flue. We guarantee no mess to your home. Our chimney cleaning service include a full visual inspection of the fireplace, firebox, chimney, damper and liner.

Usually repairs are scheduled on a subsequent appointment to the initial chimney sweep and chimney inspection. However, we often can install caps on the day of a chimney cleaning.

Smoking problems are a major complaint among many home owners. Many things (from not opening the damper to a poorly designed chimney) will cause smoke to enter the living quarters. In some cases, heavy creosote accumulation in the flue can reduce the flue size enough to cause smoking. A good chimney cleaning will correct this smoking problem.

Creosote is the cause of most chimney fires. Anytime a fireplace is used, creosote is deposited in the chimney lining or flue. Creosote is actually just one of the components in the stuff (aside from the ash) that’s left over when wood is burned. It accumulates in the stovepipe and chimney flue as a liquid, and later condenses into a solid. It can ignite into a roaring chimney fire. The more creosote, the greater the chance of a fire.

The chimney liner is design to safely expel hot flue gases to the exterior atmosphere. NFPA states that chimney’s MUST have a liner that is able to contain the materials of combustion. There are a few reasons why you may need a new liner; if your chimney currently has no liner, if it was installed improperly or if it is deteriorating or defective in some way. If the liner is too small, the gases will back into the home and cause smoking issues. If the liner is sized too large, the smoke will travel slowly up the chimney and large amounts of creosote will form on the liner. When Sweeping a chimney we also conduct a Level One Inspection, this sometimes leads to finding possible hazards within the chimney, like broken or flue tiles.

Chimney caps are vital for several reasons. It is needed and is essential for your chimney as it will keep moisture, animals and debris from getting in your chimney. A chimney cap keeps sparks from escaping from your chimney, a dangerous situation that could cause fire on your roof. A chimney cap keeps elements from outdoors from getting into your chimney. Keeping moisture from your chimney is another job the chimney cap will do. Rain and snow will enter the chimney if there is no cap on it.