Installing a Chimney Cap

A cap not only looks good on top of your chimney, it also helps to keep out animals. Most caps feature a stainless steel screen with half-inch spaces to allow for air circulation. This presents a problem for homeowners who have previously dealt with bats. Some species have been known to squeeze through these spaces. In this case, you may have to go for a damper and cap combination.

Do not skip this upgrade! It pays to invest wisely. Although caps run the gamut when it comes to price, opting for stainless steel makes sense when you want to keep out multiple potential invaders such as birds, squirrels and raccoons. The latter are notorious for chewing through aluminum caps. If you decide to forego the cap, there is a good chance that before long your chimney will once again host assorted fauna.

Contact a local Los Angeles CA chimney service for more information on their services.

3 Add-ons to Consider When Building a Chimney

There is more to building a chimney than just the firebox and flue. Once you've made the decision to have a masonry fireplace built, you should consider including these three add-ons in your plans to help extend the life of your new investment.

Damper

You could be loosing up to 30% of your home's heat and air, wasting hundreds of dollars in energy costs, if you don't have a damper installed. A fireplace damper is a flap placed in the flue just above the firebox or inside the flue cap. It can be opened and closed manually. Having the damper closed when the fireplace isn't in use increases your home's energy efficiency. Before starting a fire, you should open it to prevent your home from filling with smoke. And once the fire is started, the damper setting can also be used to control the intensity of the fire by controlling the oxygen exposure.

Chimney Cap

The top of the flue is exposed when not protected. That's where a chimney cap comes in. It will prevent animals, rain and other elements from entering your home. A cap with the proper size mesh will also protect your roof from any burning embers that find their way up to the top of the flue. Be careful not to use mesh smaller than 3/4" because it could ice up in the winter and prevent smoke from escaping.

Fireback

A fireplace fireback is a metal plate placed at the back wall of your fireplace. It can extend the life of your fireplace by protecting rear bricks and mortar from normal wear or expensive damage due to intense heat and direct fire. Firebacks can act as a heat reflector and can provide 20-40% more heat to the room. 

These add-ons don't have to be installed during the initial chimney construction. If you have an existing fireplace, but are missing any of these key elements, contact your local chimney care provider to go over your options. 

Before building your chimney, you'll want to make sure that your roof is in good enough shape to handle the addition. Call your local roof inspector in Naples FL today! 

Use a Chimney Cap to Keep Pests Out

Wildlife is beautiful when you're watching it out in your yard. Colorful birds frolic near the feeder and squirrels and chipmunks are full of silly antics in the trees. But, every once in a while, these critters take a wrong turn and end up in your chimney.

Sometimes they get stuck in there and you have to figure out how to get them out, and other times they suddenly end up in your living room, and you have to capture them or chase them outside. While it may provide a little excitement, it's not how most people want to spend their time. You may end up needing to call in a Los Angeles CA chimney sweeping professional for help, but don't be fooled - this can become a problem anywhere, and not just on the west coast.

To avoid this issue, have a chimney cap installed by a professional who specializes in chimney repair in Long Island NY.

How Chimney Sweeps Keep Animals Out of Your Chimney

If you have woken up to the sound of chirps coming from your chimney, or the rustling of a raccoon busily nesting, you know it is time to call in the experts. Chimney sweeps help you keep animals out. (First, of course, you may want to call in animal control to humanely remove the bird, raccoon or other critter that has set up housekeeping there.)

There are many benefits of calling in a professional in this situation, such as the measures they will take to prevent this from happening again, but at the very least, your chimney will get a good cleaning. Chimney sweeps start out by inspecting, sweeping and cleaning your chimney. They remove the nesting materials the animals left behind. This process also removes feces, food scraps and other detritus.

Contact a local Los Angeles CA chimney sweep for more information or to schedule your next chimney cleaning.

The Dangers Of Not Getting Your Chimney Swept

If you own a fireplace, you may have never hired anyone to perform a chimneysweep in Los Angeles CA. Without proper maintenance of your chimney, to any harmful substances that have built up, increases the risk of a house-fire.

It is a major mistake to ignore this issue because a chimney sweep in Long Island NY can help keep you and your family safe from a dangerous fire. These experts will help to clear your chimney of all soot and debris.

Reduce Risks with Chimney Sweeping

Having your chimney inspected regularly could help to prevent serious problems down the road. The standard approach to chimney care is to contact a local Los Angeles CA chimney sweeping company to schedule a good, thorough chimney cleaning.

Regular and thorough inspections are usually done by an expert chimney sweep in Long Island NY. Having an inspection will help to reduce the risk of fire hazards and give a contractor a chance to take a good look at your chimney for any structural issues or potential entry points for critters!

Do You Need Chimney Repair? Three Signs to Watch For

Buying your first home with a fireplace is exciting, but it isn't without its responsibilities. It is important that you familiarize yourself with the common signs of chimney trouble to help you spot problems between annual inspections and sweeping. Here are a few key things to watch for.

• Bubbling or Wrinkled Wallpaper - If you have wallpaper on the inside wall where the chimney is, watch for any bubbling or wrinkles in the wallpaper. If you start seeing things like this, that is a sure sign that there is moisture seeping in. This is often caused by cracks or other damage in the chimney, so you'll want to address it quickly.
• Damaged Mortar - Mortar is essentially the glue that holds the chimney bricks together. If you see cracks and pieces missing from the mortar, it needs attention right away. Timely chimney repair can help you preserve the structural integrity of your chimney. Sometimes, those cracks are an indication that something is shifting, so you'll want to have the whole assembly inspected and patched right away.
• Cracked Flue Tile - If the flue tiles inside the chimney crack or crumble, that could be a sign of a damaged chimney liner. Since the liner is essential for providing a heat barrier, you need to have this type of problem addressed immediately. Don't light your fireplace or use the chimney until you've had this dealt with.

When you're new to having a fireplace and a chimney, the whole process can seem somewhat intimidating. Understanding these key signs of trouble may help you to identify potential problems before they become serious threats, even if you're not due for another inspection for months.

Contact local Los Angeles CA chimney sweeps for more information on chimney repairs.