Our Company Blog

Schedule Your Chimney Sweeping Appointment Now!

With summer temperatures at their peak, your fireplace and chimney are probably the furthest thing from your mind. But fall will be here before you know it, which is why you should schedule your chimney sweeping now! Thinking ahead and having your chimney swept this summer brings many benefits.

Beat the fall rush.

Chimney sweeping is a fall tradition. Each year, that is when most homeowners call their sweeps and schedule their appointments. When you wait to schedule your chimney sweeping during our busiest time of the year, you risk having a long wait time to see a chimney sweep. When you call to schedule your appointment now, you will be first in line for your annual chimney sweeping and inspection!

Identify repairs early.

Perhaps one of the biggest benefits to having your chimney swept and inspected early is that it allows you to identify any needed repairs or maintenance early. If your summer inspection turns up problems with your chimney, you have plenty of time to have those problems addressed before you are ready to use your fireplace.

Prevent foul odors.

Summer’s heat and humidity can cause unpleasant odors in your chimney. Creosote, the sticky substance that builds up on your chimney walls each time you burn a fire, can cause an acrid, burning smell when it mixes with moisture and heats up. Having creosote cleared away from your chimney can get rid of any unpleasant fireplace smells filling your home this summer.

Stop damage.

The creosote that builds up in your chimney also can damage your fireplace and chimney. It is corrosive in nature and can wear away chimney liners and fireplace components. Sweeping it away instead of letting it sit in the chimney all summer can help to prevent some of that damage. Additionally, if you have minor leaks in your chimney that developed over the past winter, having them identified and repaired now can prevent further water damage. It seems like summer would be easy on a chimney, but heavy rainstorms can wreak havoc on your home and chimney if chimney leaks go unchecked.

Don’t miss out on fall fires!

Most homeowners have busy schedules, and remembering to schedule an appointment, and finding time for that appointment, can be difficult. If you wait too long to schedule your chimney sweeping, fall could be here before you chimney is ready. As you probably know, you should never light a fire before you chimney has been swept, inspected and approved for the coming winter.

If you are ready to beat the fall rush and have your chimney swept, inspected and repaired before fall sets in, call Your Chimney Sweep to schedule your annual chimney sweeping and inspection today!

Tips for Properly Storing Firewood

While the first fire of the fall is months away, if you cut and prepare your own firewood, you are likely hard at work readying fuel for next winter’s fires. You also likely know that there’s a lot more to preparing firewood than cutting down trees. There are several steps you should take to properly season and store your firewood to create the best firewood for your fireplace or woodstove.

Cut and split your firewood to the right size.

One advantage to cutting your own firewood is that you can cut it to the proper length for your fireplace or woodstove. Ideally, firewood should be three inches shorter than the width of your firebox. Once it is cut to length, logs should be split to a width of 6 inches or less.

Stack wood in a single layer, where it is exposed to light and wind.

Wood needs to be properly seasoned before it is fit for a fireplace. That means the moisture content of the wood should be less than 20 percent. To achieve that, wood needs to be exposed to wind and sun to evaporate the moisture out. Stack the wood loosely in a single layer. Wood should be left uncovered while it is seasoning.

Season firewood for at least one season.

It takes at least one season of drying for wood to be seasoned and ready for the fireplace. You will be able to tell if wood is seasoned if it is lighter, dull gray in color, slightly cracked and if it makes a hollow thumping noise when struck together.

Save enough space.

While seasoning firewood can be stacked nearly anywhere in the yard or field, you will need to have space to store your properly seasoned firewood for the winter. A wood-burning home uses three cords of wood or more each winter, which takes up a lot of space.

Store seasoned firewood off the ground and covered.

Seasoned firewood should be stacked off the ground, and it should be covered to prevent it from absorbing additional moisture. A covered woodshed or porch is ideal, but wood can be stacked outside on a wood stacker or atop a base of pallets and then covered securely with tarps. Never store firewood against your house or in your house, as that can introduce bugs and other pests to your home. Make sure wood stays dry to prevent the growth of mold, which can go airborne when burned, posing a health hazard.

Properly seasoned and stored firewood is crucial for keeping your fireplace or woodstove burning efficiently and cleanly. Without it, you won’t realize the maximum heat output from your fireplace, and you will cause flammable creosote to build up quickly in your fireplace. You will be able to tell if your firewood has been properly seasoned and stored when you burn it — Dry wood will let off the pleasant crackling sound associated with a traditional fireplace fire, while wet firewood will hiss and steam.