HOW OFTEN SHOULD MY CHIMNEY BE SWEPT?

Many American homeowners think their chimneys only need to be swept and inspected if they burn wood in their fireplaces or wood stoves. But almost all heating appliances, whether they burn gas, oil, wood or coal, rely on the chimney to safely carry toxic gases produced by the heating system of the house.  National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) recommends all chimneys be inspected and swept as necessary annually.  This is to include oil and gas flues. An inspection of your chimney once a year can prevent some very costly repairs in the future.  Be sure to hire a certified and reputable chimney professional to provide you with this service.  Visit www.csia.org for a list of certified chimney professionals in your area.

 WHY DO I NEED A CHIMNEY CAP?

 Chimney caps provide you with many purposes.  One is to keep all of those pesky critters outside your home where they belong.  Chimney caps are designed to pitch the water which would normally settle in your flue or on the crown (top of your chimney) away from the chimney.  Water entering your chimney can cause severe deterioration to your chimney which can cause costly repairs. Also chimney caps work as a spark arrestor on solid fuel burning appliances preventing sparks from landing on combustible material such as roofs.  North Scituate Chimney Sweeps Inc. Can provide you with chimney caps for any size chimney see our page of chimney caps for a reference. (Link chimney caps)  Remember a chimney without a cap is like having a hole in your roof!

DO I NEED TO LINE MY CHIMNEY IF I INSTALL A WOODSTOVE?

 Prior to installing any appliance into your chimney you shall have the chimney inspected to the standard of NFPA - 211under chimney inspections..  There are many requirements that need to be met to install a solid fuel burning appliance into your chimney.  Consult with your nearest certified chimney professional as this is not for the homeowner.  Certified chimney sweeps are trained in all areas of these applications and will get the proper permit if necessary in your area to be sure your home is covered under your insurance policy.  Every year we see a wide variety of installs that are potential hazards that were installed by untrained tradesman or home owners which if they where not corrected could be a major hazard to there family and others in the dwelling.