Calling a professional for a chimney inspection will ensure that your home is safe
In many ways, your chimney is the heart of your home. Connected to the fireplace, it provides a warm place for family and friends to gather and relax. Keeping it inspected and maintained is essential for the function, as well as the safety of your chimney. Beyond the annual inspections, issues that require a professional to repair and maintain them may pop up throughout the life of your chimney. It’s a great idea to keep an eye out for these indicators that your chimney needs some TLC. Here are some signs that your chimney requires an inspection.
Fallen Debris Around Your Fireplace
Check your firebox periodically for accumulating soot and crumbling stone. Soot that accumulates and crumbling stone can indicate combustible creosote is building up in your chimney. You can clear this up with a routine chimney cleaning. In older homes, though, you may find that your chimney still has a terra cotta chimney liner. Pieces of this liner may break off and wind up in the firebox, indicating that the liner has broken. This factor is an indicator that there is an issue with your chimney that will require attention from a professional.
Changes Around the Wall
There are some issues that can cause the wall around your chimney to change, becoming dry and charred. Cracked masonry, a broken liner, or an improperly installed firebox can all create excessive heat inside your walls. Some ways to tell if there is a lot of heat inside your walls is by looking for signs that the plaster or drywall has overheated or softened, like bubbling or peeling paint, or warping causing wall hangings to fall.
Smoky Odor
If at any point, you can smell smoke outside the room your fireplace is in, or if you can smell a smokier odor than usual in any area of your home, it can be an indicator of a chimney fire. In these cases, extinguish the fire and call 9-1-1. Your fire department will use heat-sensing guns and thermal imagery to ensure your home is safe from further fire hazards.
Buckling Brick or Stone
The surest sign that your chimney needs repair is buckling or cracking masonry around your chimney and fireplace. Even small structural issues can cause more significant problems for your chimney, so it’s an excellent idea to call us as soon as you notice problems with your fireplace’s masonry.
Don’t Be in Despair If Your Chimney Needs Repair
Champion Chimneys, Inc. is a fully licensed, bonded and insured chimney service company that has been serving customers in Baltimore County, Howard County, and Anne Arundel County, Maryland since 2001. Our team is trained and certified by Certified Chimney Professionals, Inc. (CCP, Inc.). Courteous service is our trademark, and our crews arrive on time in uniform, driving fully equipped trucks. We specialize in all aspects of your chimney system. Whether you need chimney and flue cleaning service or a full chimney rebuild or inspection, contact us at 443-Chimney today and let us fix all your chimney problems. Also, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Pinterest.