Things To Consider Before Hiring A Chimney Sweep

by | Jul 28, 2014 | Chimney

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In the 1970s and 80s the cost of heating a typical home started to skyrocket and as a result many people turned to wood and coal to heat their homes as it proved to be considerably less expensive than oil, gas or electricity. Along with a renewed interest in heating with wood came a renewed interest in the wood burning stove. There is no doubt that homeowners were able to drive down the costs of heating their home when they turned to wood but, they also found themselves faced with problems that were 100 years old. Over time, when wood is burned, especially soft wood, there will be a build-up of creosote and soot as well as other by-products, this created a fire hazard which only can be eliminated by chimney cleaning in Worthington, OH. This phenomenon of a whole new generation turning to burning wood quickly spawned a whole new cottage industry, chimney sweeps.

Before you hire a chimney sweep there are a few things that you should ask yourself, first of all is the task of cleaning your chimney something that you can do yourself and save the cost of the service? A chimney sweep is someone who cleans the flue of the chimney, rarely will this person volunteer to clean the ashes from the hearth or fire box or clean and polish the outside of your wood burning stove. Although these tasks are dirty, these are things that can be done by the homeowner with a little time and a good shop-vac. If the cleaning task is strictly cosmetic then you will not have to call a professional.

Anything other than cosmetic cleaning will require a professional to do chimney cleaning in Worthington, OH. If the stove has been used for s few months, especially if pine or other oily wood was being burnt then you will need a chimney sweep to effectively remove the layer of creosote which has built up. Unlike soot, it takes more than a wire brush to remove creosote, a professional will use chemicals as well as brushes to break up and remove the creosote. If this material is not eliminated it can build up to the point where it will burn in the flue, possibly causing untold damage.

A chimney sweep is not unlike a person who prepares taxes; they have a busy season when they are hard to get. You may be wise to hire a chimney sweep in the spring rather than wait for the fall or early winter when he is in great demand.

With 26 years of experience in chimney cleaning in Worthington, OH, Business Name are at your service. Don’t wait until it’s too late and you have a chimney fire, hire the services of Business Name as soon as the winter heating season is over and be prepared. Visit website for more information.