Fireplaces are a very important element in your home, since they provide you and the interiors with a warm and pleasant environment in the months when rain and snow prevail. Therefore and in order to guarantee the safety of your home when using it, it is imperative that it goes through a chimney service. Although you can carry out the cleaning work on your own, it is recommended that you hire the services of a contractor (in this case, Delta Chimneys) to do a more in-depth investigation and work, since there may be problems that are not so easy. to detect. Here we explain the signs that you can find on your own and that indicate that you need a chimney repair as soon as possible.
Smells Like a Wood Fire
If in the event you smell burned wood even though you haven’t used your fireplace, it is likely that your fireplace has a build-up of creosote. Because it is a highly flammable substance and can stick to the sides of the chimney each time you light your chimney to the point of becoming a potential fire hazard for your residential infrastructure, it is recommended that you do a deep cleaning every some time.
Your Fireplace Has Debris Other Than Wood
If your fireplace has evidence of clay in the lighting area where there should generally be only wood, it is a potential red flag. Take into account that clay tiles are part of chimney flue, because it is highly durable and inexpensive. If this clay begins to deteriorate and disintegrate, it is imperative that you DO NOT use your fireplace until it has been thoroughly reviewed by an expert and the respective repairs have been made.
However, there are cases where a repair is practically impossible due to the magnitude of the damage to the clay tiles and it is more feasible to have a chimney liner replacement instead; This is because it is more practical and faster to do and it is much less expensive. Here at Delta Chimneys we recommend that you fit stainless steel chimney liners with a lifetime warranty.
Starting Fires is a Struggle
If your fireplace has large traces of creosote, it can significantly affect the chimney draft to the point where the toxic combustion gases created by the fire enter the house and cause damage to the health of the occupants. Besides, having large traces of creosote can cause a slow or no ignition of the fireplace. In these types of cases, it is always good to request a fireplace inspection before the winter season.
The Chimney Has White Stains
You must take into account that your fireplace can suffer from leaks and moisture intrusion. However, detecting it in its early stage is not easy because it is in places hidden from the naked eye. If by chance your fireplace has a white stain on your wall, that means you have an excessive humidity problem that should be addressed immediately by an expert. This phenomenon is called efflorescence and it occurs as follows. First, the filtered water inside the masonry mixes with any soluble salt in the brick, and then the water begins to naturally transit through the masonry to the outside, causing moisture damage to the brickwork. However, this is nothing new that our chimney contractors here at Delta Chimneys repair Chicago have seen or repaired. If you require any regular or emergency assistance with your fireplace as soon as possible, do not hesitate to contact us!