While there are still a few chilly nights ahead of us, spring is certainly in the air. Warm weather comes with quite a few pleasures of its own, but soon we’ll have to say goodbye to roaring fires in the fireplace. Before we retire our fireplaces for the season, we should accomplish a few basic maintenance tasks. Here’s an overview of the spring maintenance your fireplace and chimney need.
Before we retire our fireplaces for the season, let’s do a little chimney maintenance.
Clean the Hearth
If you’re a heavy fireplace user, you probably have to clean out the hearth quite a bit. During the winter, you can generally get away with just using your fireplace tools to scoop out excess ash. But you should do a deeper clean as part of your spring maintenance.
Start out by scooping out ash and soot as you normally would, then apply a paste made from baking soda and a commercial dishwashing detergent. Scrub along until the heart looks clean as can be.
Chimney Inspection and Cleaning
Nearly anyone can clean out the hearth, but you’ll need some professional expertise for this next step. Many people like to schedule their annual chimney inspection in the fall, but the spring is actually a better time. Why put it off until later? There is generally less demand in the spring, so book an inspection as soon you can.
During your inspection, we will come out to your house and evaluate the state of your chimney. We will likely recommend chimney cleaning to reduce your risk of a chimney fire in the coming season. A chimney inspection should be a regular part of your spring maintenance!
Close Up the Doors and the Damper
After you’ve thoroughly cleaned the hearth and had your chimney inspection, it’s time for the final task of spring maintenance: closing up the doors and the damper. Closing the doors is simple enough, but how about the damper?
When most people speak of ‘closing the flue,’ they really mean that they’re closing the damper. There is generally a handle just above the hearth that you can turn to close the flue. You should do this at the end of the season for a number of reasons. One of the most significant is so that birds nesting in your chimney can’t make their way into your house.
With your spring maintenance completed, your chimney and fireplace will be ready to go when the first cold weather comes through.
Call the Experts at Champion Chimneys Today!
Champion Chimneys, Inc. is a fully licensed, bonded and insured chimney service company that has served 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.