National Chimney Service provides trained chimney sweeping for our customers throughout Fairfield County, CT, including Stamford CT, Norwalk CT, Fairfield CT, Greenwich CT, Bridgeport CT, and other local communities. Here’s why your chimney should be cleaned once a year.
Creosote in Fairfield County Chimneys
Creosote is a substance that forms during the combustion of wood logs. Carried in smoke, creosote builds up inside the flue and clings to the chimney liner as a sticky, flakey, puffy or solid substance that needs to be removed.
No matter its form, creosote is highly flammable and is the primary cause of chimney fires in Fairfield County every year. Proper chimney sweeping is the best and safest way to deal with creosote buildups.
Depending on the type and amount of creosote we find, tools we’ll use to remove it might include:
Chimney sweep rods
Stainless steel and flat-wire chimney cleaning brushes
Chimney sweeping whips
Cable deglazer whips
Chain whips
Hand scrubbers
Industrial vacuums
Cleaning solvents
How often Is Chimney Cleaning Necessary?
The answer to this will depend, in part, on how often you use your fireplace. For the average home in Fairfield County, CT, we recommend annual cleaning service.
It doesn’t take long for creosote to build up, and the more of it that’s in your flue, the greater the chance for a destructive chimney fire. After a few visits from our chimney sweeps, we’ll be able to recommend the ideal cleaning schedule based on your specific needs.
You can have a Chimney Fire and not Know It
Not all chimney fires are elaborate, obvious events. Many fires are relatively small and start and extinguish on their own. Just because you’ve never had a “blazing 4-alarm” chimney fire doesn’t mean you haven’t had a chimney fire.
Even small fires can cause damage to clay, stainless steel and poured-in-place chimney liners. Once the liner is compromised, fire can begin to affect the interior chimney masonry. In the worst-case scenario, a small chimney fire can spread to vulnerable materials of your home such as wall boards, insulation, flooring and beams.
Chimney Cleaning & Inspection in Fairfield County
We always suggest that our customers pair chimney sweeping with chimney inspection. Our inspectors have years of hands-on training spotting signs of damage throughout our customers’ chimney systems.
Hire Professionals, never Novices, for Chimney Cleaning
No matter who you hire to clean your chimney, make sure it’s a licensed professional with proven experience in the chimney service industry. You never want to hire a “handyman” or other novices to work on your chimney. These untrained individuals can easily do much more harm than good.
If you live in Fairfield County, Connecticut, and it’s time to have your chimney professionally cleaned and inspected, call the experts at National Chimney Service. To reach us all year long, call (203) 614-9765 in Stanford, Greenwich, Bridgeport, and all other towns in Fairfield County CT .