Post-winter Chimney Maintenance

Inspection and maintenance of your chimney prior to winter is critical to the upkeep of your chimney as well as the safety over your home throughout the winter and before the snow arrives. With the fireplace in use over the cold months, the interior of your chimney may have build-up of toxic creosote-a result of improper cleaning or negligence. As we head into the Spring and Summer months, we implore you to once again examine the key areas of the chimney. While we recommend the professionals to complete the inspection, an experienced homeowner may be able to handle the following tasks.

Masonry

The chimney's exterior mainly consists of bricks and mortar. Make sure to adequately look for cracks or any spots where the masonry is missing. If not properly sealed, water could leak into the interior and lead to serious damage. The same goes for the flashing, a sealing component where the roof meets the top of the chimney.

Cap

The cap is designed to allow smoke to leave and keep animals out. If there is an opening certain creatures such as raccoons, squirrels and birds will enter and possibly nest. They just know that this is a warm spot to reside. If this is the case, you may need more than a chimney expert. You will require animal control experts.

Fireplace

Since the fireplace has likely been used throughout the winter, perhaps even five times a week, the Spring is really the ideal time to conduct a full sweep and cleaning. As mentioned elsewhere on our site, creosote will build and become toxic. If you don’t want to stick an object in the flue to measures the thickness of creosote, an easier way to judge is by smell. When it gets warmer, a musty, smoky odor will especially be noticeable.

Taking care of all this may seem like a lot of extra work, but it’s worth it for sound piece of mind. Plus your fireplace will be clean and ready for the following winter.