Many homebuyers list a good fireplace as a desired option, which adds thousands of dollars of value to a home. Maintaining your chimney is not only important for your safety, but it also makes a lot of financial sense. Neglecting chimney and fireplace repairs can really cost you when it comes to selling your home. A damaged chimney can deteriorate quickly — those cracked and missing bricks could lead to the collapse of the entire chimney structure. This type of damage is a huge red flag to homebuyers, which could cause your house to be on the market for much longer than you had hoped. Over our years of working on the chimneys of residents of the Charleston, SC area, we have seen how good chimney maintenance has protected the values of our customers’ homes. We would like to share with you a few maintenance tips that will keep your chimney in great shape.
Schedule a professional chimney sweeping and inspection at least once a year.
Recommended by national fire safety organizations including the Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) and the National Fire Protection 
Association (NFPA), an annual chimney sweeping and inspection is essential in keeping your fireplace and chimney working safely and efficiently. The CSIA-certified chimney sweeps at Ashbusters will reduce your risk of a chimney fire by removing all of the accumulated creosote from your chimney, and will make sure your chimney has no blockages or other damage that could cause your chimney to be unsafe to use.
Protect your chimney from water penetration.
Water can cause so much expensive and extensive chimney damage that the CSIA calls it the biggest enemy of masonry chimneys. Ashbusters offers several water penetration preventive services, including chimney cap sales and installations, flashing repair and construction, and waterproofing. Before we protect your chimney from water penetration, we will inspect it to be sure you have no existing water leaks. If you do, we can make the necessary repairs and then install the preventive measures.
Keep birds, squirrels, raccoons, and other wild animals out of your chimney.
If you do not have a chimney cap that is equipped with mesh metal sides installed on the top of your chimney, wild animals can easily get inside the flue to nest. These creatures bring insects, diseases, and other annoyances into your home, and there is always the possibility that one could become trapped and die within your chimney. Even if all of the birds or animals are able to leave your chimney, they leave behind their nests, which are made from extremely flammable materials and create fire hazards. Ashbusters can help you select the perfect chimney cap and install it to protect your chimney from invasions of birds, squirrels, raccoons, and other wild animals.
Protect the value of your home. Contact us at Ashbusters to schedule an appointment for your chimney maintenance needs.