Essential Tips for Maintaining Your Fireplace and Chimney

One of the perks of having a fireplace is spending time with the family in front of a warm crackling fire during the chilly evenings of winter. This time spent with your family and friends around a cozy fire is a tradition that can be cherished year after year, as long as you keep your chimney in tip-top shape.

A poorly maintained chimney is a major fire risk, and it is the leading cause of residential fires. In America, more than 25,000 chimney fires are responsible for over $125 million in property damage. About one-third of Americans use fireplaces in their home, but it is estimated that less than 20% of Americans realize the importance of regular chimney maintenance. When it comes to your fireplace, you’ll have a chimney that needs a complete sweep, and it is your responsibility to maintain your chimney.

Here are a few essential tips for taking care of your chimney

Clean the fireplace

Even if you burn seasoned wood; you still have to clean your chimney. For ideal results, chimney cleaning in St Louis should be done once a year.

Call a chimney sweep company

A chimney sweep company will inspect your fireplace and chimney to detect the presence of creosote and blockages. If creosote is not removed, it can lead to chimney fires. An annual inspection before the first fire of the season is good for your chimney.

Keep the area cleaner

Ensure the furniture is set a minimum of 36 inches away from the fireplace to avoid sparks igniting upholstery.

Close the damper

A damper is a hinged flap that is located above the fireplace which controls the amount of air to pass through the chimney. It is good to have them open during a fire, but make sure to close it when the flame is out to prevent heat loss and cold air.

Invest in the chimney cap

It is helpful to invest in a chimney cap to prevent animals from climbing in, building nests, and keeping smoke from leaving the fireplace.

Don’t follow DIY

Although it is in you to want to take care of the chimney repair in St Louis and maintenance tasks on your own, let the professionals handle the chimney cleaning job. This is essential because a certified chimney sweep company will know how to clean your chimney and fix the repairs. Whether it is chimney cleaning or duct cleaning in St Louis MO, hand over those duties to the professionals.

The author is a certified chimney sweep and duct cleaning professional. He provides safe, efficient, and affordable chimney cleaning services to ensure your chimney and fireplace is in perfect condition and ready to use. For scheduling chimney cleaning in St Louis, visit https://madhattersl.com/ now.

With over 40 years of experience, The Mad Hatter has been offering air duct cleaning & chimney sweep services at affordable prices. We have serviced over 80,000 satisfied clients in the greater St. Louis area.