You need driving forces behind plenty of things you have to get done. Why do you have your car serviced? Because you want it to keep running for as long possible. Why do you go on a second or third date? To try to find that right person to settle down with. Why do you start an exercise program? To get your heart and body in good shape so you feel better and can keep doing things you love to do. These are pretty easy reasons to come up with. But is it so easy to come up with reasons why you should have your chimney inspected and cleaned annually? It might seem like a lot of expense and bother to have someone come into your house every year just to have them tell you that, once again, your chimney is looking fine. The thing is, if you don’t, you might not be getting that same news when you finally do have it inspected, or worse yet, you might have a chimney fire or excessive carbon monoxide build-up in your home.
Creosote Build-up
First off, your chimney sweep will be looking for how much creosote you have in your chimney. Creosote is that nasty blackish or brownish build-up that happens when you build a fire in your fireplace. Although you can control the amount of creosote in some ways, like by burning well-cured wood rather than ‘wet’ wood, there’s no way to avoid creosote completely. This substance is highly flammable, and a build-up of more than one-eighth of an inch is thick enough to be a danger. If this build-up catches a spark or ember, you could quickly have a blazing chimney fire burning out of control, but even if it doesn’t get to the point of being out of control, a small chimney fire can cause serious structural damage to your chimney, and, if left undetected, you might be looking at an excessive carbon monoxide build-up.
Carbon Monoxide Build-up
When you burn a wood fire in your fireplace, a by-product is creosote. Another by-product is carbon monoxide. This colorless, odorless gas is especially dangerous because it is also life threatening. At it’s least harmful, it can cause health issues such as nausea, headaches, vomiting, or other flu-like symptoms; at worst, it can cause death. Carbon monoxide detectors can be a relatively inexpensive, yet life-saving appliance, but it’s better yet to stop it at its source. When your chimney is working correctly, it will direct these carbon monoxide fumes right into the great outdoors. If your chimney has had structural damage due to an undetected chimney fire, that gas might be funneled right back into your home. This is a problem you must avoid, and a great reason to have your chimney inspected annually.
Call Chimney Doctors of Colorado Today
These are two great reasons to schedule your chimney inspection and cleaning soon. You don’t want to spend your summer worrying about what dangers lurk in your chimney. Avoid that stress by calling us today and set up an appointment to have your chimney inspected and cleaned soon!