Staying Comfortable And Safe Through Vigilance – Signs You May Need Your Chimney Swept

When most people think of a chimney sweep, they might picture a person in the Victorian-era dress with a face smudged by coal and cheerful disposition singing as they hop among the rooftops. While the romanticism can be fun, it ignores the reality of the modern chimney sweep industry that remains relevant and essential to many homeowners.

If your home contains a working fireplace, then you’ll eventually require the services of a chimney sweep to remove any buildup and byproducts from your stack. If you don’t modernize your perception of having your chimney swept, you may be putting yourself in a precarious position that threatens a dangerous outcome.

A dirty chimney is one that traps fumes and gasses that might be colorless, odorless, and extremely dangerous. Below, you’ll find a guide to some signs that you might need a chimney sweep that can help you minimize that danger and guarantee that you can enjoy the warmth of your fireplace for years to come.

One of the strongest warning signs that your chimney needs to be cleaned is also one that might help keep you safe. For a fire to burn cleanly and thoroughly in your fireplace, there needs to be a strong flow of air. If air isn’t moving, the fire is likely to develop a lot of smoke before quickly extinguishing itself.

Airflow obstruction in a fireplace is often the result of soot and creosote buildup that can cause serious problems to occur. Thick soot on the inside of your fireplace stack may be combustible, and an attempt to light a fire could turn into a dangerous situation that you might not be able to control.
Even if a fire doesn’t erupt, the inability of oxygen to get in means that toxic byproducts can’t get out, leaving them trapped in your home where they might risk your health.

Your chimney stack can be a tempting location for a nest for a wide variety of wild animals. Birds, rodents, and other invading pests are likely to view your chimney as a warm spot that’s safe from predators. If you haven’t started a fire in your fireplace for an extended length of time, the nest might go undisturbed and become a permanent resting place.

Any sign that wild animals have access to your home is an unwelcome one. Often, you’ll hear chirping or scurry from inside the stack as both adult and baby animals make themselves a home. You might also find animal droppings in your fireplace, deposited there by the effects of gravity.

In the most unfortunate circumstances, you could be faced with an animal that dies inside your chimney and leaves you dealing with the unpleasant odors and resultant disease risks.

Not all of the byproducts of a fire in your fireplace will be odorless. In fact, the smell of a crackling fire is one of the characteristics that makes them so attractive to so many people, but those smells can become dangerous if they become too intense.

Over time, it’s not unusual for some smells to blend into the background of your environment. Things that are the same every day may slip below your notice. It’s vital, then, that any changes in the odors from your fireplace are noted and that you take the opportunity to conduct a full inspection.

The professionals at The Cinder Box have the experience and skills necessary to perform a thorough sweep and return your chimney to normal operations. Leaning on that experience can help keep you safe, comfortable, and content as you enjoy the warm glow of your fireplace.