Every homeowner understands that maintaining a home and keeping it in good condition takes a lot of work, and there are a significant number of steps that go into this process. If your home has a fireplace, then one of those necessary tasks is to get an annual chimney inspection. Our team at Swept Away Chimney has been providing chimney inspections for many years, and we are here to explain more about why they are so important to the overall safety of your home.
- They Prevent Fires. One reason that chimney inspections are a necessary part of home maintenance is that they keep you safe from house fires. As you burn firewood in your hearth, the smoke deposits particles of burnt matter onto the walls of the chimney, creating a layer of sooty residue known as creosote. Creosote is highly flammable, and if there’s enough of it built up in your chimney, a stray spark can cause a serious fire that is hot enough to spread to the rest of the house. Our inspectors will check the level of buildup in your chimney and clean out the creosote in order to keep you and your loved ones safe.
- They Identify Blockages. Another reason why chimney inspections are so important is that they alert you to any blockages in your flue that would otherwise cause smoke to flow back into your living space. Animals such as birds, squirrels, and raccoons have been known to build nests in chimneys, and our team will check for any such obstructions and remove them.
- They Diagnose Damage. A third reason why chimney inspections matter is that they alert you to any damage to the structure or critical parts, such as the chimney crown. Our team will thoroughly examine all the critical parts of your chimney to make sure that everything is in good condition, and if it isn’t, we can provide the necessary repair services to fix the problem.