Your home is probably the biggest expense that you will ever pay for in your lifetime so it pays to take care of it, like you would an only child. If this holds true for you, then you should know that it is important to have one part of your home regularly cleaned, inspected and repaired - and that would be your gas-burning or wood-burning chimney.

That’s right! According to the National Fire Protection and Association, you should have your gas-burning or wood-burning chimney regularly maintained because a neglected chimney can be the source of fires that would consume your home and render it a pile of ashes.

Here are some signs that you will need to have your gas-burning or wood-burning chimney inspected, cleaned and repaired, if needed.

Thick Build-Up of Black Soot

This is the most obvious sign that your gas-burning or wood-burning chimney has to be maintained, and sometimes the most neglected. If the soot deposited on the walls of your chimney has reached a thickness of around ⅛ inches, then you should arrange to have the soot removed, or “swept out” as it is commonly known. The soot has to be removed at least once a year because it gets in the way of the chimney being inspected for possible damage that requires repairs.

You also need to have that soot scraped away since an incomplete combustion process may leave behind creosote in the chimney, which can be flammable and trigger fires that can spread to combustible parts of your home, such as the attic. This would wipe out your home completely.

Generally, gas-burning chimneys are cleaner than wood-burning chimneys - but they are not maintenance-free. So take some time and check your gas-burning chimney for soot and other build-up, as well as other defects and problems.

Masonry Has White Staining Called Efflorescence

Professional chimney sweeps are aware of this problem called efflorescence, or “white staining” as it is commonly called. It means that there is too much moisture in the masonry which can cause a white residue to develop. This may culminate in the premature decline of the chimney itself. Moisture may develop when rainwater or snowmelt gets inside the chimney and collects around the masonry. The stain is easy to remove but it takes a professional repairman to fix the moisture problem of the chimney itself.

Birds Build Nests In Your Chimney

Left on its own, a wood-burning chimney may become home to animals such as birds who may find the cracks in between clay tiles ideal for building a nest in. This is not so bad, but it may become inconvenient to start burning wood in the fireplace if you suddenly discover that birds are flourishing within the chimney itself. If you are an animal lover, you may need to have the nest removed so you can resume using your wood-burning chimney. This also holds true if animals got trapped in your chimney and died there.

Even if the chimney for a gas-burning fireplace tends to be smaller, some birds may still prefer to build a home there. So you will still need to inspect a gas-burning chimney too.

Chimney Can Accumulate Debris and Water

Since the top of the chimney is left open to let smoke vent out, it stands to reason that some chimneys may slowly become the repository of debris such as twigs and branches from nearby trees, which can be a hassle to clean up. If the chimney has no protection over the smoke opening, rainwater or snow can also enter the chimney and you would have to spend a lot of time mopping up the water and getting the chimney to dry out enough to start burning wood or gas again in the fireplace.

Fireplace Has Bits and Pieces of Chimney Tiles

If your house has wood-burning fireplaces, you would do well to inspect each one of them. If you find that there are shards of chimney tiles that have come loose and fallen onto the fireplace, that is definitely a sign that you should have your chimney maintained. It may mean that your chimney has been damaged somewhat so it could be dangerous to light fires there. So aside from cleaning away the shards, you would have to seek chimney repair professionals to inspect and repair your chimney for you. The danger with having shards falling from the chimney is they can obstruct the chimney somewhat if they accumulate in the fireplace or within the chimney itself.

Gas-Burning Chimney Damper Is Rusted or Corroded

Even though a gas-burning fireplace is cleaner to use than a wood-burning fireplace, the chimney damper itself of the gas-burning fireplace can become defective. So you need to have this inspected carefully also. 

Conclusion

If it is the dry or summer season in your location, you may want to have your chimney inspected and even repaired while there are no rains or snow to impede access to the chimney. Though it can be rather expensive, it is good that you can hire a chimney sweep professional to do the inspection for you. Nowadays, they have technology such as video cameras that can help them look more closely inside chimneys to check for obstructions or defects. A licensed chimney sweep professional will know how to go up on your roof to check the rain cap of your chimney and look inside the chimney itself in a safe manner. Even if you have been using chimneys all your life, there is nothing like getting a professional to do this job for you.

However, refrain from hiring alleged chimney sweeps who suddenly ring your doorbell to ask if they can inspect your chimney for you because this is the modus operandi of many criminals who simply want to gain access to the house when your guard is down. It is best to stick to hiring professionals whom you can find online or through the phone book, if you really need to have your chimney inspected, cleaned and repaired.