Lets discuss the common questions people ask a chimney sweep. Many people find themselves enjoying time spent around the fireplace and they don’t think too much about the upkeep. In fact, even if you own a chimney, you may not know a whole lot about it and how to care for it beyond cleaning out the ashes before starting a new fire. Whether you’re moving into a home with a fireplace or you’re finally restoring the one in your home that has been closed up, here are some common questions people ask a Houston chimney sweep to help you begin learning more.
How Often Do I Need to Have My Chimney Swept?
How often you’ll need to hire a chimney sweep can vary depending on how often you use your fireplace. However, regardless of the number of times you’ve had a fire, it’s best to get your chimney inspected once a year so that the experts can guide you. A chimney sweep will remove any blockages and soot from areas like the smoke chamber so that you can have safe fires during the year. It doesn’t take much buildup to create a fire, and the cleaner you chimney stays, the stronger your defenses will be against a home fire.
Why Is a Chimney Cap Important?
If you’ve ever wondered why professionals recommend that you have a custom chimney cap, there are quite a few reasons. For starters, they help keep water out of the liner, as well as debris such as sticks, and wildlife like birds and squirrels. They can also help catch any loose sparks that make their way through the chimney and out the top. If these catch a pile of dry leaves or wood, it can quickly ignite and cause a dangerous situation.
When’s the Best Time to Hire a Chimney Sweep?
Don’t wait to get your chimney swept the day you feel that chill in the air and want to light a fire. You can get it done any time of year, and many people will prefer to have the service performed during the end of the summer because they’ll want to ensure that their fireplace is ready in the fall, while others will get it done as soon as the burning seasons ends. Chimney sweeps are available all year, so you don’t have to put off making that call to wait for the right time as long as you have an inspection once a year.
What Other Services Do You Provide?
When you hire a chimney sweep, you should take the time to learn what other services they can provide. Often, they’ll be able to perform small home repairs, wildlife removal, and other handyman projects that you need to be handled. This can save you a lot of time because instead of having to call multiple businesses, you can get everything done with one quote and one company. Even if they don’t perform the service they’ll often be familiar with the community and be able to guide you in the right direction.
Get Chimney Informed
Listen to Chad Murray’s Podcast, The Outside the Business Box Podcast, about the chimney industry. Chad has also become a Business coach to help other chimney sweeps and services businesses.