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The total number of American homes being built with fireplaces in them has been on the decline in recent years. Only about 40% of houses built today come with fireplaces included.
There are, however, quite a few existing homes that have fireplaces. And these fireplaces need to have fully-functioning chimneys that can carry the smoke from fires away from homes.
If you have a fireplace with a chimney, you need to get into the habit of hiring a chimney sweep to perform chimney cleaning. You also need to do fireplace repair and chimney repair on a regular basis.
Today, we’re going to provide you with seven chimney repair tips for homeowners that should make it possible for you to keep your chimney in excellent shape. Take a look at them below and begin using them to your advantage right away.
1. Inspect Every Aspect of Your Chimney From Time to Time
When is the last time that you stepped outside and took a look up at your home’s chimney? If you can’t remember, that probably means it’s been too long since you’ve done it.
The easiest way to tell if you need to have chimney repair done is by inspecting your chimney from top to bottom. You’ll be able to see if there are any bricks and/or mortar that are starting to fall apart on you.
In a perfect world, you won’t see anything that concerns you while you’re inspecting your chimney. But just in case, it’s always a good idea to perform a visual inspection so that you can attack problems with your chimney sooner rather than later.
2. Replace Any Parts of Your Chimney That Look Worn Down
While you’re inspecting your chimney, you should look at more than just the bricks and mortar that make it up. You should also evaluate the different parts of your chimney and plan to replace any aspects of it that might be wearing down on you.
For example, if the pipe insulation shield for your chimney isn’t in good shape, you’ll want to go ahead and replace that. You’re going to be putting a big strain on the different parts of your chimney any time you build a fire, so they should all be in great condition.
3. Make Sure There Is Always a Cap on Your Chimney
There is supposed to be a cap on top of your chimney that stops animals, water, and debris from getting into it. But that cap might fall off at some point and stop doing its job.
If you ever notice that the cap for your chimney is missing, you should set out to replace it as soon as you can. Otherwise, you’re going to have things building up inside your chimney and possibly making it dangerous for you to build a fire.
4. See If Your Chimney Is Allowing Water to Get Into Your Home
If you don’t have a cap on your chimney, it might allow water to gain access to your home. You might also have water coming into your home if the flashing that surrounds your chimney is no good.
It’s why you should keep a close eye out for any water that might be getting into your home through or because of your chimney. This water is inevitably going to do damage to your home if you don’t stop it in its tracks.
5. Test Out the Damper for Your Chimney
In order to use your fireplace, you’re going to need to open up the damper that sits at the bottom of your chimney. It’s going to help to send the smoke from a fire up as opposed to forcing it back into your home.
You should test out your chimney’s damper every now and then to make sure it’s easy to open and close. If you ever notice that it’s more difficult to open and close it than usual, you’ll want to have chimney repair done to make it simpler to use.
6. Hire a Chimney Cleaning Company to Help You Out
Generally speaking, you should try to have your chimney cleaned at least once every year and possibly more often than that if you’re using it almost every day during the winter. You want to have a clean chimney for your fireplace to rely on.
You shouldn’t ever attempt to do chimney cleaning on your own, though. Instead, you should bring a chimney sweep on board to get the job done. They’ll be able to clean your chimney for you and perform other important chimney maintenance.
7. Clean Around Your Fireplace and Chimney After Using It
As we just alluded to, you don’t want to clean your whole chimney on your own. But you should try to clean around your fireplace and chimney when you’re finished using it.
By doing this, you can stop the inside of your chimney from getting all gunked up. You can also make your fireplace look a whole lot more presentable than it would be otherwise.
Begin Putting These Chimney Repair Tips to Good Use Now
Having a fireplace and a chimney can be great for many homeowners. You’ll like being able to start a fire to heat up some of your home rather than running your heat all the time.
But you will need to tackle chimney repair every so often to keep your fireplace working like it’s supposed to. Use the chimney repair tips found here to keep your fireplace in the best condition possible.
Get your hands on more useful home improvement tips and tricks by browsing through more of our blog articles.
