The chimney is an important part of your fireplace system. However, it can often be the case that a homeowner will have a poor understanding as to the needs of this part of their fireplace, and this can lead to them making mistakes.
Myth: Chimney Cleaning Services Are Only Needed For Wood-Burning Fireplaces
There is an assumption among some homeowners that it is only necessary to clean a chimney if the fireplace is a wood-burning one. While wood-burning fireplaces can produce large amounts of ash and soot, it is also important to note that gas-burning fireplaces will also need to have their chimneys or flues cleaned at regular intervals. Failing to do this work could allow residue from the gas to start to accumulate on the walls. If this occurs, there is a chance that the airflow through the chimney could be restricted or even blocked.
Myth: Chimney Cleaning Services Will Make A Mess In Your Home
Chimney cleaning services are highly experienced with managing the mess that can be created by this work. As the interior of the chimney is scrubbed, soot and ash may start to fall into the fireplace. To prevent this from creating a major mess, these services may place a barrier that will intercept these materials as they are falling. Furthermore, they will have vacuums and other tools that can allow them to quickly remove soot and ash that has fallen into the fireplace so that you will not have to worry about this cleanup. Considering that the ash could be extremely fine and any residues may be extremely sticky, this benefit can be extremely useful.
Myth: Chimney Cleaning Work Will Always Include A Structural Assessment Of It
It is important to have the chimney assessed by a professional at regular intervals. This will allow for structural issues with the chimney or the liner to be found and corrected. While some chimney cleaning services are also able to provide clients with structural integrity assessments, this is not always offered. Rather, you will need to either arrange for this assessment to be done by the cleaning service ahead of time or plan to hire a separate contractor to complete this assessment. While it is easy to assume that problems with the chimney will always be extremely noticeable, this is not actually the case as cracks in the liner could allow smoke and heat to escape into the home where it may not be noticed until extensive damage has occurred to the house.
For more information about chimney sweeping, contact a local professional.
