The Importance Of A Chimney Sweep

For those that use their chimney only on the rare occasion, consider the following facts:

• Regardless if the fireplace has been used, a chimney sweep checks for structural damage due to age and settling of the home as well as damage to brick & mortar due to rain, animals, debris and fire; This is the importance of having your chimney evaluated annually!
• A fire is burned for heat & comfort as well as for ambiance. Sometimes we lose track of the actual amount of fires which have been burned.
• If you are among the "casual burners" who seldom have a fire, it is very necessary as well as important to keep a record of how often a fire is burned and the type of fire; was it a small fire or raging hot?
• The average person burns 1 cord of wood or approximately 15 fires per burning season during a normal winter season.

If the "seldom user" burns only 2 fires in a season, and has not had their chimney cleaned in a 5 year period, this accumulated risk becomes a total of 10 fires burned per week; an estimated full year's burning season.

Please keep a list of fires burned so as not to put your family at risk for a chimney fire and/or structural damage to your chimney. Many a customer will say:

"I clean it myself" or "I had a friend clean it"

"I do not think it's necessary" or "I will call you when I think it's necessary"

"I have only had 3 fires this year, so I do not think it needs to be cleaned!"

Little do they know that there is a LOT more to chimney sweeping than removing ashes.

A chimney sweep is trained to look for stress cracks in the flue liners, the 3 stages of creosote & signs of a chimney fire, broken mortar joints, weakened areas within the brick, footing, smoke chamber, and firebox, water damage and the general overall safety of the chimney itself.

• A chimney sweep is trained in National Gas & Fire Codes, according to NFPA-211 to provide their customers with the best care, safety & prevention methods available.
• A chimney is a heat source in times of power outage; do not be caught without it from neglect!

My husband has owned our Chimney Sweep business in SC for the past 27 years. In this trade we have both seen just about anything & everything you can imagine in the way of builders, troubled and distressed chimneys, the devastation wrought by the horrors of fire and those saved only by the Grace of God. Please do not put your family, your home, and possibly your neighbor's home, in jeopardy by neglecting one of the most important assets in your home; please be sure to have your chimney evaluated and/or cleaned by a certified chimney sweep, annually! Please look for my next article on the topic of the types of fireplace systems.

Pamela Honea is a mother of two, a sweep's apprentice and the wife of a chimney sweep. Among her many creative abilities of woodworking, she and her husband Joe enjoy writing articles and creating websites about their business http://www.Fireplaceandchimneysupplies.com and http://www.garagedoordr.blogspot.com and videos and blogs about their German Shepherd Dogs Mia and Bella http://www.germanshepherddogsdig-pamela.blogspot.com