Schedule an Inspection with your CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep

Everyone is looking ahead to the chilly weather coming up. The days are shorter, the leaves are falling, and the wind has a cool edge to it. Along with the cold, changing weather, homeowners are starting to prep their fireplaces and stoves for another season of use. Experts strongly recommend having your chimney swept every year, but not everyone realizes that having your chimney inspected annually by a CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep is just as important.

We will perform a comprehensive inspection at the same time we come out to sweep your chimney. We will take a close look at all of the readily- accessible areas of your chimney and then provide you with a detailed account of any issues that are present. It may seem unimportant now, since your chimney has stood strong until now without problems, but unaddressed problems can cost you big.

One of the main concerns our CSIA Certified Chimney Sweeps look for is any water damage to your chimney. Water can enter through the top and exterior of your chimney, penetrate through your flue lining and begin saturating your masonry. It can also rust your damper assembly, making it impossible to properly vent the toxic gases and/or smoke created by the fire. Water may affect the inside of your home as well, if it is able to enter the chimney. You may even start to see water damage on your interior drywall or plaster walls and ceilings.

Another issue our CSIA Certified Chimney Sweeps catch is structural damage to your chimney. Masonry chimneys, specifically, can suffer cracks and even collapse if left exposed too long to the elements. Materials like brick, concrete and mortar all absorb water, and when the first freeze hits, the water inside the structure will cause the materials to expand and contract. This ultimately degrades the strength of the structure. Our CSIA Certified Chimney Sweeps and NFI-Certified Technicians will help point you in the right direction to repairing and preventing this type of structural damage.

Additionally, our inspection process checks for a number of seemingly small details that you may have never considered. We will check to see if your chimney cap is in good repair – and to see if you even have one. Chimney Caps keep rains and animals out of your chimney, which helps prevent inevitable damage and danger. We will also let you know if your chimney crown needs repair (the crown of the chimney exterior acts as another protection against water entering the chimney). We will also inspect the interior set up of your fireplace to make sure the damper is in good working order, and to make sure the structure and placement of the firebox is up to code. An outdated or improperly-constructed firebox could lead to unnecessary dangers like carbon monoxide poisoning and house fires.

If you live in the Wichita, Kansas area, contact Home Safe Hearth and Chimney Inc. for a professional consultation.