When you own a home with a fireplace, you take on the responsibilities of keeping up with the routine maintenance that is necessary to keep your chimney and fireplace system working safely and efficiently. National fire safety organizations like the Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) recommend having your chimney professionally swept and inspected at least once a year to make sure everything is running smoothly. As the superior professional chimney maintenance service provider in the Charleston area, Ashbusters has a team of CSIA-certified chimney sweeps who have the experience and training to do the job properly. You can count on us to place the safety of your family at the highest priority. We would like to tell you more about why late winter and early spring can be the best time to schedule our professionals to sweep and inspect your chimney each year.
The earlier creosote is removed from your chimney, the better
Every time that you have used your wood fireplace this winter, more creosote naturally develops and accumulates inside your chimney, and the larger the buildup becomes, the risk for safety hazards increases. While extremely large deposits of creosote can possibly block the flue, the greatest danger has to do with accidental fires. Creosote is so highly flammable that the CSIA has named it as a leading cause of chimney fires. To avoid this devastating possibility occurring in your home, Ashbusters will take care to ensure that we have removed every single bit of creosote from your chimney. This will not only keep your home safe from fire hazards, but having your chimney swept in the early spring prevents creosote deposits from causing unpleasant odor problems as the weather gets warmer.
Stop freeze and thaw cycle damage from deteriorating.
Whenever the weather drops below freezing for a couple of days, any moisture that is trapped inside the masonry materials of the chimney will freeze and expand. Here in the Charleston area, the temperature can soar to the 60 or 70 degree mark the next day. The force of the trapped moisture thawing back out can be strong enough to cause cracking and crumbling of the bricks and mortar joints, and if this damage is neglected over a rainy spring season, the structure of your chimney could be in serious jeopardy. As Ashbusters inspects your chimney, we will be on the lookout for freeze and thaw masonry deterioration and other exterior damage. If we find any problems, we will provide you with photographs and written explanations of the damage as well as a fair and honest estimate of the repairs needed to restore the integrity of the chimney structure.
Early spring is the perfect time to have your chimney professionally swept and inspected for the year. Contact us today at Ashbusters to schedule your appointment for your annual professional chimney maintenance services.