Avoid These Three Chimney-Neglect Penalties

Chimneys, like other appliances and systems in your home, need regular maintenance to run properly and operate safely. Horizon Chimney Services of Franklin, MA, cleans and repairs many chimneys throughout Norfolk County, MA, and we regularly see the results of neglecting regular chimney maintenance.

We’d like to tell you about three serious “neglect penalties” a homeowner can face when a chimney is ignored. We’ll also outline the basic services that can keep all this from happening.

Penalty 1: Chimney fires

Built-up creosote inside a chimney flue is highly flammable and accounts for most of the reported chimney fires each year in Massachusetts and across the rest of the country.

Creosote forms when smoke from a wood fire condenses in the chimney flue. It can be flaky, puffy, sticky, or solid and should be professionally removed at least once a year.

Penalty 2: Smoke and carbon monoxide backups

Chimney flues should be sized to draft the particular fireplaces they’re connected to. A right-sized flue narrowed by excess creosote and outside debris will lead to sluggish drafting and can send smoke and deadly carbon monoxide into the home.

Running a chimney without a proper chimney cap is an open invitation to obstructive leaves, twigs, and other debris. Curious small animals can also get inside, and some of them build draft-hindering nests.

Debris should be cleaned out, and then a protective chimney cap should be installed.

Penalty 3: Denied insurance claims

Insurance companies usually won’t settle a claim for chimney damage if the damage is “expected” due to a lack of regular maintenance. By contrast, most providers will pay for “unexpected” damage, such as from a lightning strike or an earthquake.

Some homeowners pay big money out of their own pockets to fix chimney problems they could have prevented with timely maintenance work. This doesn’t have to happen to you.

How to avoid these neglect penalties

There are three primary ways.

Schedule annual chimney inspections

A basic chimney safety inspection performed by a licensed chimney inspector will cover all the visible and accessible areas of your chimney:

• Chimney cap/chase top
• Concrete chimney crown
• Chimney flue and flue liner
• Masonry bricks and mortar
• Chimney flashing
• Fireplace damper

An experienced chimney technician can spot early signs of problems in these and other areas and recommend the correct way to fix them. (Most inspectors also do repair work.)

Schedule annual chimney sweeping

Chimney sweeping uses industry-grade hand tools, power tools, solvents, and vacuums to remove creosote and debris from chimney flues. Most fire safety organizations in the U.S. recommend that chimneys be cleaned once a year and more frequently when they’re heavily used.

Report anything that seems “unusual”

A third way to help avoid chimney-neglect penalties is to contact your chimney company immediately if you notice anything “unusual,” including:

• Smoke backing up
• Fires that won’t stay lit
• Weird sounds in the chimney
• White, brown, green, or black masonry stains
• Cracked bricks or crumbling mortar
• Signs of leaks near the fireplace and chimney
• A chimney fire

The maintenance your chimney needs

Horizon Chimney Services is here to help with licensed chimney inspections, chimney sweeping, and a full menu of professional chimney repairs in the Franklin, MA, area. Learn more by giving us a call or using our contact form.