Do you know when your chimney was last cleaned and inspected? Now is the time to schedule these two important services!
Hudson Valley Chimney provides CSIA-certified chimney sweeping and safety inspections for homeowners in Mahopac, NY, the town of Carmel, NY, and all of Putnam County, NY.
Here’s some helpful information about chimney sweeping and inspections.
What Happens During a Chimney Sweep?
The process of cleaning a chimney involves the use of special brushes, scrubbers, solvents, and commercial vacuums to accomplish two things:
- Remove flammable creosote that builds up every time you use your fireplace
- Remove tree debris, animal nests, and other material that can narrow the flue and send smoke and deadly carbon monoxide into your home
The Dangers of Creosote and Flue Obstructions
Most of the reported chimney fires in and around Mahopac, NY, each year are caused by ignited creosote. Whether it’s sticky, flaky, puffy, or solid, creosote should be properly cleaned out at least once a year.
If you operate your chimney without a chimney cap, the flue is open to all kinds of draft-blocking debris. Smoke backups from flue obstructions are no fun, but the invisible, odorless carbon monoxide carried in smoke is much worse.
Virtually every fire safety organization in the U.S., including the Chimney Safety Institute of America and the National Fire Protection Association, recommends annual chimney sweeping.
When we sweep your chimney, we also inspect it.
Mahopac, NY Chimney Inspections
Before starting a chimney sweeping job, we’ll perform a Level 1 chimney inspection to find out how much creosote and debris are in there. We also want to assess the condition of the chimney liner, which is in place to keep intense heat, flames, and dangerous combustion gases from escaping.
A Level 1 inspection also checks out all other readily accessible areas of your chimney and fireplace system.
Inspections Save Lives and Homes
Because homeowners often aren’t aware of early chimney damage, a problem can progress to a very dangerous state before anyone knows about it. A licensed inspection of your Mahopac, NY, chimney will allow us to spot damage in its initial stages before it gets out of hand and threatens the safety of your home and the people who live in it.
Our experienced chimney technicians can repair any problems we discover during an inspection:
- Chimney cap and chase top repair
- Chimney crown repair and rebuilding
- Chimney liner repair and relining
- Masonry repair – brick replacement and mortar tuck pointing
- Chimney flashing repair and installation
- Fireplace damper repair and replacement
Advanced Chimney Inspections
In addition to basic Level 1 inspections, we offer advanced Level 2 and Level 3 inspections. These special inspections are needed when:
- You’re selling your Mahopac, NY, home
- A weather event, chimney fire, or some other occurrence is thought to have damaged the chimney
- You’re adding a new appliance to vent through the chimney
- A new chimney liner is being installed
- There is major damage that requires the removal of parts of the chimney and materials of the home in order to investigate
Call Your New York Chimney Sweep and Inspection Experts
If it’s time for a chimney sweep and chimney inspection, Hudson Valley Chimney is standing by with licensed and certified chimney pros to do the job right. Learn more by giving us a call or reaching out through our contact form.
