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Well sometimes people do get creative. A fellow sweep sent photo of a rain cap on chimney - made out of a pot cover and forks. Creative maybe .. but not the right cap for the job. On the other hand, better perhaps than no rain cap at all? Do you have a rain cap on chimney, do you know why it is there? What about a spark arrestor and why is it there? When was your chimney last cleaned? Did you call a Certified Chimney Sweep? Just asking - as there are reasons why a Certified Chimney Sweep can almost always provide better, more consistent results as they are trained to know what they are looking for and what they are looking at.

Fact: A Chimney Inspection is a Must When Buying or Selling A Home Would you buy or sell a home that hasn’t been properly inspected for potential problems like mold formation or a leaky roof? I am hoping your answer is no. Before signing the dotted line and sealing the deal, I would hope you would also consider getting the fireplace and chimney inspected by a professional Certified Chimney Sweep to avoid possible hidden flaws and costly repairs. Why a Chimney Sweep, well we will get to that later. Although chimney and fireplace inspections often can slide under the radar, it really is an important step in the buying and selling process. Realistically you do want to rule out the possibility of chimney or fireplace problems. And fact is that almost half of home buyers are willing to pay more to get a home with a fireplace! But Just What Is Involved in a Chimney And Fireplace Inspection When Buying A New Home? During a proper chimney and fireplace inspection, also often called a “WETT Inspection” in our area, the inspector will take a look at fuel-burning fireplaces, stoves, fireplace inserts and chimney with the goal of detecting any problems with the system. It should be noted that as per the NFPA-211 there are 3 types of Inspections. The Level 1, 2 and 3. The Level 1 is the most basic inspection, does not check the actual inside of the fireplace or wood-stove, does not check the inside of chimney and often the inspector will not even go onto the roof or measure the chimney height. The Level 1 offers no detection of flue blockage or even the real integrity of the stove pipes. As per the NFPA-211 if you are buying or selling a property with a fireplace, a Level 2 chimney inspection is mandatory. Now some inspectors who are only certified to perform Level 1 inspections will attempt to tell you otherwise, and insurance companies may actually accept a Level 1 inspection. However, the NFPA-211 states a Level 2 for good reason. Fact is if you do not know the history of the system, there are too many unknowns and lighting up a fire is putting you and your family at risk. A Level 2 Chimney inspection is more involved than a Level 1 inspection, requiring a visual inspection of the inside and outside of the fireplace/chimney. The Level 1 is only focusing on parts which are readily accessible and visible on the outside. A Level 2 inspections will also require access to attics and basements. A proper Level 2 inspection will also come with a proper report, generally half a dozen pages in length. If you get a simple one page report, well frankly, you got less than you deserve. Ask if the inspection will be Level 1 or Level 2, and how extensive the report will be as well as approximately how many pages long it might be. If you are buying a new home, protect yourself and find somebody who is able to perform a Level 2 inspection! It matters not who they are as much as they are qualified to do the job and will do it right.

More Than A Sweep - Why inspections are a vital part of annual chimney services. Some people do not do any cleaning or maintenance of their wood burning system at all! Well, not a good thing but that is another blog topic. Most who are aware of the importance of safety will hire a Certified Chimney Sweep to perform proper annual cleaning. But so many forget about inspections! It is true that a proper annual chimney sweep is critical to reducing your home’s fire and carbon monoxide safety risks, the inspection that accompanies it is a vital part that also lowers your home fire risk and helps protect your home from structural damage,carbon monoxide poisoning as well as maintaining the optimal performance of your chimney. It should be noted that not all individuals who perform Chimney Sweeping will have proper Chimney Cameras to perform a proper inspection. However, most full time Certified Chimney Sweeps likely do have a proper camera. But why do chimney inspections matter? Fact is that even without a fire, your chimney will suffer extreme conditions, including the heat from your fireplace fires and the acidic byproducts of from gas, oil and wood. The conditions can cause masonry chimneys and flue tiles to crack and crumble and the stainless steel liners to corrode and fail. It is also possible that you have had a chimney fire! Yes over 80% of all chimney fires go unnoticed. Chimney fires can cause additional strain on the liners, clay or stainless steel, causing stainless steel to separate at the seams and clay to crack. The regular wear to your chimney as well as any undetected chimney fire will potentially cause serious compromise in the ability of your chimney to contain the heat and smoke in a safe manner. What is a chimney inspection? Well now that we have mentioned some of the reasons you may wish to have an inspection, lets review what inspections are possible. There are really three levels of inspection available based on the National Fire Protection Association’s NFPA-211. Any Certified Chimney Sweep should provide a Level I inspection as part of your annual chimney sweeping. During a Level I inspection, the Chimney Sweep will ensure your chimney is visually intact on the outside and is free of obstructions. The Level II inspection is recommended after a new appliance is installed, when a home is being sold or when a malfunction of the fireplace,appliance and chimney occurs. A Level II inspection includes a Level I inspection, plus an inspection of accessible adjoining attic or crawl spaces and digital inspection of the chimney flue interior with a Chimney Camera. A Level III inspection may be recommended if there remain suspicious hazard potential within concealed parts of the chimney flue during a Level I or Level II Inspection. A Level III inspection is an in depth inspection that involves removal and possibly destruction of parts of the chimney, drywall or other areas as needed to fully inspect all aspects of the chimney. There are only a few WETT Certified Chimney Sweeps who are able to perform Level 1, 2 and 3 inspections. Even if you do not need a Level 3 inspection, it is always wise to hire somebody who is able to perform this level of inspection to ensure you get the best.

I’ve previously written about this topic, however it is important to refresh so new readers understand this clearly. First of all there are a lot of chimney scams that go on and it is important to know how to find a good Chimney Sweep. First of all - Chimney Sweeping is NOT a show up and do job same day industry. No, and I repeat that, NO credible Certified Chimney Sweep will EVER go door to door. Certified Chimney Sweeps don’t just show up unannounced, without an appointment, and are ready to begin work. Chimney Sweep is Not a Door-to-Door Same-Day Service! Some of the most successful fraudulent chimney sweeps simply show up unannounced to inform you that your chimney is in disrepair and it has to be fixed. Right now. They may even have the proper equipment to repair problems on hand, but don’t trust them before you do your research. Secondly DO NOT hire ANY Chimney Sweep who is NOT Certified! Any and all Chimney Sweep professionals will be Certified. In Ontario the first to look for is WETT Certified Chimney Sweep or WETT Certified Advanced Chimney Sweep. The second you may see is the Certified Chimney Sweep with CSIA (Chimney Safety Institute of America). This last one is actually an American Credential but some of the top sweeps, who already have the WETT credential are also working towards or have their American one. A professional Chimney Sweep may contact you, if you have been a past customer, but don't expect cold calls. Certified Chimney Sweeps will also carry their proof of certification with them at all times. Well I do admit the odd time I have forgotten it, but that is rare as I keep it with my drivers license (so when I forget it I also have forgotten my drivers license!) Please do not trust your chimney, fireplace, or wood stove to somebody who you do not know is properly certified to do the work. The next important step is to find somebody who does it full time! Yes there are many part time chimney sweeps, usually easy to find as they are general contractors, roofers or even some times landscapers or tree cutters who add chimney sweeping into their forte to keep them busy in slow periods. Be sure to GO LOCAL! I always DO ALL my business with local merchants .. I am proud of that and it helps the local economy. Because of my training, background, dedication and appreciation for my craft customers come back time and time again. Some of the homeowners I have known for years, and others only for a short time. I treat them all the same - and each and every system is cleaned as if it were my own! I truly appreciate my repeat customers, and I prove it by offering chimney sweep to repeat customers at discounted prices. What about prices? What should a Chimney Sweep cost? Well first of all know that it is much more than simply cleaning the chimney. The whole system, all pipes, firebox, heat exchangers or whatever the system has is carefully disassembled and cleaned properly. Sometimes a full cleaning takes 2 or even 3 hours to perform with two people onsite! If it takes longer, does it cost more? NO! I am not out to maximize money.. I work on flat rate pricing as do some other sweeps across central and southern Ontario. As for pricing, look at other sweeps across London, Haliburton, Kingston areas.. and you will find my pricing is the same as the rest of them.. perhaps slightly higher than some but not much. I will say if you find somebody that does it for less... beware... are they Certified... do they do it full time... are they insured? Be safe.. get peace of mind! Have it done right.

Spring is on the way! Yes the days are getting warmer, and we are likely past most of the really cold days. But, spring is still a few weeks away, and people are still operating their wood burning systems. The wood burning still generates creosote and needs cleaning. True, many have burned years and years with no attention, and because of that many think they are safe! It only takes 2 mm of creosote to sustain a chimney fire - that is a scientific fact. The Ontario Fire Code mandates a cleaning if deposits of creosote are 3 mm or greater - another fact! Yes creosote can cause chimney fires and chimney fires can kill! When was your chimney last cleaned? No, hot fires or chimney logs do NOT remove creosote (in fact there are other blogs on this on our website explaining what chimney logs and hot fires actually do for creosote). Look for a WETT Certified Chimney Sweep to help you out! Do you also own a smoke alarm, a carbon monoxide alarm and a fire extinguisher? All important things in any home, and even more so if you burn solid fuels. As I mentioned earlier, spring is in the air, and although you are still burning wood, there is no better time to clean the chimney than spring and summer! Now changing topics, maybe with the cold weather you are running out of firewood! While we do not sell firewood, we do know several local suppliers and can recommend fire wood suppliers to you.