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You Can Control the Health of Your Chimney

poughkeepsie ny chimney maintenance and repairLosing your home and belongings to a house fire is devastating. Investing in the health of your chimney is one of the best ways to prevent a house fire. Every year, thousands of house fires occur that could have easily been avoided if the homeowners had taken care of their chimneys.

You can protect the safety of your home and loved ones by taking a few simple steps to keep your chimney system healthy.

Here are 3 ways to prevent a house fire and carbon monoxide poisoning.

1 – Have Your Chimney Cleaned & Inspected Annually

Both the Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) and National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) recommend an annual cleaning and inspection of your chimney by a CSIA certified chimney sweep. Making sure to follow this recommendation is the best thing that you can do to protect your home.

During a chimney inspection, a certified chimney technician can discover hidden dangers such as broken flue tiles or a warped flue liner that are creating pathways for carbon monoxide and flames to enter your home. The earlier these problems are caught and resolved, the safer your home will be. Our CSIA trained and certified chimney technicians at Hudson Valley Chimney use state-of-the-art video equipment to inspect every inch of the chimney so that no possible risks are overlooked.

Another way that an annual inspection and cleaning protects your home is by removing deposits of creosote. Creosote is a highly flammable substance that builds up in the chimney when you burn fuels like wood and pellets. If a stray spark ignites creosote, it can cause an extremely hot chimney fire that can spread to the rest of your home. This sticky substance can be difficult to remove without professional grade products and supplies. Having it professionally removed significantly reduces the risk of a house fire.

2 – Take Preventative Action to Care for Your Chimney 

Small investments in the health of your chimney before a problem arises can play a big role in protecting your home. When it comes to preventative care, a chimney cap and flue liner are the smartest investments.

If your chimney is obstructed by an animal nest or lawn debris, carbon monoxide wont be able to vent outside and will instead leak into your home. This toxic gas can cause sever illness and death. A hot ember could also ignite obstructions in your chimney causing a house fire. This is why a chimney cap is a smart investment. A chimney cap protects the health of the chimney system by keeping out lawn debris (leaves, sticks, etc.), animals, and moisture. Keeping moisture out prevents structural damage that can also leave your home at risk.

If your home was built before the 1950s, there is a chance that the chimney is not lined. Many chimneys were built without flue liners, or chimney liners, until the 1950s. The reason why chimney liners are now required by the NFPA is because they significantly decrease the risks associated with using a fireplace. A chimney liner creates a seamless passageway for combustion byproducts to vent outside. This stops toxic gases like carbon monoxide from seeping out of the masonry and prevents hot embers in the smoke from slipping through a crack and igniting combustible material around the chimney (such as insulation and dry wall).

Along with these two investments, it is wise to take care of small repairs as they arise. A cracked chimney crown or damaged bricks may seem like minor problems but, if they are not fixed, they can turn into costly repairs in the future.

3 – Use Seasoned Wood & Build Smart Fires 

chimney repairs near beacon nyMaking sure that you only use seasoned wood and build smart fires is a very simple way that you can improve the safety of your fireplace every time you use it. Wood that has dried out for 6 to 12 months, or seasoned, burns hotter and more completely than fresher wood. Since it burns more efficiently, it produces less creosote. Since creosote buildup is the leading cause of chimney fires, reducing the creosote in your chimney decreases the risk that your chimney will have a fire.

A smart fire is one that is well stacked and not overloaded. Making sure not to overload the firebox will also decrease the risk that it will get out of control.

By following these 3 simple steps, you can reduce the dangers of using your fireplace.

If you would like to learn more about fireplace safety or schedule a cleaning and inspection, give us a call! We serve residents throughout the Hudson Valley area. Our reputation for providing quality service and taking the time to help you understand your chimney system better has made us one of the top recommended chimney services in the area.  

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