One of the great things about spring is that it smells so good! It feels wonderful to open the windows and let the sweet springtime breezes blow through the house, getting rid of the stale odors of winter. If you are still noticing a bad smell near your chimney, its time to have it swept. When you call the Chimney Doctors of Colorado, we’ll find the source of the odor and make sure to get rid of it!
Culprit #1: Creosote Buildup
As you use your fireplace every winter, the byproduct is smoke. But what’s in that smoke? Mainly it’s moisture which is being burned out of the wood you’re burning, with lots of chemicals that are released through combustion mixed in. Most of the smoke is directed out of the chimney, but some of ends up condensing onto the cooler part of the interior of your chimney, especially closer to the top. As it condenses, it forms a layer of gunk called creosote. This builds on top of itself the more you use your fireplace, and that’s dangerous because it’s highly flammable. If it doesn’t get cleaned out, you could be facing a dramatic chimney fire, or even a not-so-dramatic fire that will cause damage to your chimney. Although this is the worst problem associated with creosote buildup, there are others, and one of those is odor.
Creosote smells, there’s no doubt about it. But when you mix creosote buildup with the warm spring air, then you really have a smell. Creosote has a strong smoky smell at best, and at worst, it smells like fresh tar. That smell flows down the chimney and actually permeates your furniture, your carpet or rugs, and even your curtains. To get rid of that smell, give us a call and we’ll get all the creosote out, and along with the creosote, the odor.
Culprit #2: Animals
Another thing that can cause odors in your home is animals. Your chimney is a critter magnet because it’s warm, dark, and out of the way of wind, bad weather, and predators. It’s a perfect place to have babies and raise them until they’re ready to be out on their own. The problem is, those animals leave droppings and fur or feathers, or in the worst case scenario, they can die and rot in your chimney. All of that leaves a bad odor, and that means you need us to come in and get rid of that odor. While we’re at it, we’ll check your chimney cap and make sure it’s in good shape to keep those animals out of your chimney.
To get rid of all those chimney odors, and to take care of all your other chimney needs, give Chimney Doctors of Colorado a call today!