How to Get Your Chimney to Work

As the weather cools, there is more to ready than your winter wardrobe and vehicle’s weatherization. Your home needs to also be prepped for the cold days ahead. This can include checking and sealing pipes, inspecting roof tiles for damage and preparing the chimney for warm and cozy mornings by the fire. During the dead of winter is a highly inconvenient time to need a chimney repairman, and the repair is apt to be much more costly if needed at the peak of demand.

While most chimney care should be done by a professional, the following are a few tips to help prepare you for that first fire of the season.

Preventative Care

The best way to keep your chimney working properly is to do proper preventative care on a year basis, or as needed if earlier. Education on how chimneys work and what can create problems is helpful. Remember never to burn your garbage or recyclables, as the byproducts from burning can create toxic fumes and unsafe buildup inside the flue. The flue is the interior tube of the chimney where the smoke exits the building. Also check the roof to be sure there is nothing blocking the flue’s exit, such as an excess of leaves or pine needles.

Regular Cleaning and Maintenance

In addition to properly using your chimney, you must also routinely have it cleaned. Though many homeowners wait years between cleanings, this can be a dangerous proposition. A chimney fire, as a result of gunk buildup inside the flue, will NOT burn off the gunk. It can catch your roof on fire and bring your house down in no time flat. Unless you are a trained chimney sweep, you should hire a professional to clean your flue each year before using. When cleaned, the professional can also check for damages, blockages or any other issues that may need to be fixed prior to lighting that first fire.

When Things Go Wrong

With regular care and cleaning, you should have rarely run into a problem using your chimney. However, if things should go wrong you need to know what to do. If smoke backs up into your home when burning wood, you may need to check for blockages inside the flue. There is also a possibility of a blockage at the chimney cap, on the roof. Even small birds can get stuck up there if the chimney is not blocked off with chicken wire or something similar. If you should experience a chimney fire, extinguish the wood fire immediately and have your flue professionally cleaned and inspected before lighting another fire. And should a brick come loose on the exterior of the chimney, you can use common brick mortar and tools to fill in the gaps and secure the bricks.

About the Author:
Joe Cline writes articles for Austin Texas Realtor. Other articles written by the author related to Cedar Park real estate and Austin real estate can be found on the net.