by Billy Sweet | Dec 8, 2016 | Chimney Maintenance
The holidays can be hectic with meal planning, decorating, shopping, travel plans and more clouding your mind. Therefore, it can be difficult to remember the practical, everyday things. Just as important as having your oil changed before that long trip to visit the in-laws, you should have your chimney swept. Do this before the busy holiday season, when the fireplace is often the focal point for many festivities.
Schedule Now and Avoid Conflicts
The holidays are fast approaching. However, you can avoid the headache of schedule conflicts by calling in advance. If you call now you can have your chimney swept before your holiday festivities. Doing this will most likely get an appointment time that better suits your schedule. Also, to prepare for your appointment we request that you discontinue use of the fireplace 24 hours in advance. This can mean a cold day if you wait until late December for your chimney sweep. Schedule now and take advantage of this mild Boston weather.
The Perks of a Clean Chimney While Entertaining
A dirty chimney comes with a whole host of issues, including decreased efficiency and increased risk of fire. There are other downsides as well. For instance, a dirty fireplace can become stinky, especially when moisture penetrates the masonry. This can be a problem if you entertain during the holidays and use your fireplace as a focal point, as many do. The hearth and mantel is also a popular holiday photo backdrop. A chimney sweep cleans all the parts of the chimney, hearth, and firebox. So, you can also avoid pictures with a dirty fireplace by having it cleaned now.
What to Expect
If you’ve already begun decorating for the holidays, it’s okay. When you schedule a chimney sweep with Billy Sweet Chimney Sweep you can count on a professional service every time. This means that we will get the job done in a timely manner. Plus, we will leave your home in the state we found it when we arrived. We request only that you discontinue use of the chimney 24 hours in advance. This keeps our chimney sweeps safe during the service call. In addition, we ask that you move furniture, objects, and decorations away from the fireplace opening.
In order to do the job quickly, it’s best if there is space for the sweep and his tools at your fireplace opening.
When You Choose Billy Sweet
By choosing the best chimney professionals in the Boston, North Shore, and Portland areas you get the best services at a competitive price. Billy Sweet puts customer safety first every time. That’s why we send a trained and certified technician on each call. You will get a thorough cleaning, a state-of-the-art chimney inspection. Also, any documentation required for insurance, real estate, and personal records. Our chimney experts are available to answer questions during the visit, and will report any concern immediately.
There is really no reason not to schedule your chimney sweep this holiday season. Not only will it be one more important thing off your list, but you also won’t have to worry about it coming into the new year. Plan ahead and take advantage of the benefits of a chimney sweep by scheduling your appointment today!
An expert technician is standing by.
by Billy Sweet | Aug 3, 2016 | Chimney Maintenance
One thing you do not want to experience while enjoying the ambiance of a wood-burning fireplace is a foul odor. It happens all too often and can mean serious problems. It can happen during burning season, or during the summer. No matter when the smell occurs, you should call a professional right away in order to find and fix the cause.
First, identify the smell. It’s important to identify the smell that is coming from your chimney or appliance, because then you can figure out the cause easily.
Musty or Mildew Smells
This most often means there is moisture in the chimney. This can be caused by a chimney leak of some kind. If could be that the flue liner is damaged, the masonry has been compromised, or the cap, or flashing is missing. A professional can make an assessment and decide a course of action.
Woodsy or Smokey Smells
A smokey smell means your chimney isn’t venting as it should. When a chimney works properly, there should not be smoke or a smokey smell in the house. The chimney should vent all byproducts with the exception of a small percentage of particulate matter and some vapors.
A smokey smell can also mean that you aren’t burning the proper wood in your fireplace or appliance. You should only burn properly seasoned wood, meaning it has been cut and set aside to dry for a given amount of months. Harder woods should dry longer than softer woods before being burned. When wood is burned “wet” or “green” it can cause a smoke problem in the home. It can also cause the fire to burn less hot, as well as burn incompletely, lowering the efficiency of the chimney.
Foul Smells
If you are experiencing a foul odor from your chimney, you might have an animal problem. It’s possible that an animal attempted to nest or hibernate inside the chimney, only to become stuck and die. If you have a dead animal in your chimney, not only will it cause a great stink, but it will also affect the efficiency of the chimney’s ventilation. Animals, even small ones, can cause an obstruction, essentially lowering efficiency as well as raising the risk of flue fire. When the chimney works less efficiently, the gases rise too slowly, and can cause fires, even igniting the obstruction itself.
Call a Professional
When it comes to your chimney and home heating appliance, it’s better to be safe than sorry. If you smell something in your chimney that wasn’t present before, you should call in a CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep. A CCS is able to assess quickly and plan accordingly. At Billy Sweet our chimney sweeps are experienced diagnosing and correcting chimney problems as simple as a draft problem that can cause a smokey smell, and as serious as a water leak, causing unseen damage. Let a professional worry about your chimney so you don’t have to.
Don’t let your stinky chimney become an expensive or dangerous problem. Call Bill Sweet Chimney Sweep today, or schedule an appointment online.
by Billy Sweet | Jul 6, 2016 | Chimney Maintenance
After a long winter of wood-burning you don’t want to worry about
your fireplace and chimney. You want to enjoy your summer, and avoid dealing with a stinky chimney.
Seasons and Your Chimney
During the burning season your chimney is working to heat the house. As organic material is burned, a byproduct is left in the chimney flue called creosote. Creosote builds up onto the lining of the chimney, is heated and cooled, and becomes a glazed substance known as level 3, or glazed creosote. Glazed creosote is highly flammable and can cause blockage, slowing the rise of hot vapors, which raises the risk of ignition and flue fire.
If this creosote isn’t removed after burning season, the risk of fire is no longer present during the summer. However, creosote is a very dense material which begins to have a foul odor if moisture reaches it. During the summer months, when humidity is high, homeowners may notice an odor coming from the chimney. This odor is most likely creosote buildup in the chimney.
Fall begins burning season once again, and no chimney should be used without a proper cleaning and inspection.
Recommended Chimney Sweeps and Inspections
The Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) recommends regular chimney sweeps, and annual chimney inspections. To ensure the safety of your family and property, you should hire a CSIA certified chimney sweep for your cleaning and inspection. It’s at this appointment that all creosote will be removed and the chimney is put into working condition for another burning season. If you decide to schedule a chimney sweep during the summer, it will help with the chimney odor as well.
The Chimney Safety Institute of America recommends some additional steps homeowners can take to decrease the odors from the chimney.
Install a Damper
A professional chimney sweep should be able to fit and install a damper to your chimney system to prevent the stinky air from falling into the fireplace or appliance.
Correct the Draft Problem
If air is being pulled down the chimney there may be a draft problem in the home. Another appliance may pull air from the chimney, or the house may be too tight, and need a vent elsewhere in the house. Try and crack a window in a different part of the house. If a draft is causing your stinky chimney, a damper could also correct the problem.
Household Hacks
Some homeowners have had luck with using household products to prevent a stinky chimney. Placing baking soda inside the appliance or fireplace is one common method used. Another method is to use kitty litter to collect the odors.
The best way to correct and prevent a stinky chimney is to keep up with the regular cleaning and maintenance of your chimney. And, if the smell persists, call a professional! At Billy Sweet we are quick to assess a problem. Our technicians are familiar with the area’s climate and seasons, and we know how to stop odors, even caused by natural humidity.
Call Billy Sweet Chimney Sweeps today and say goodbye to your stinky chimney this summer.
by Billy Sweet | Jun 22, 2016 | Chimney Maintenance
During the warm, vacation months of summer the last thing you might want to think about is your chimney. However, if you remember anything this
summer, it should be your chimney! Take this time to schedule those chimney appointments while the weather is warm, and your chimney is out of use.
Easy Scheduling
Late spring and summer is considered off-season for the chimney and fireplace industry. By scheduling during the off-season you’re more likely to get a time that is most convenient for you. You’re also more likely to not wait on your appointment, because during the off-season chimney sweep companies have less emergency calls. If you wait until fall to schedule your chimney appointments you risk missing a problem in your chimney system that must be fixed before use.
If you find a problem during burning season, you have to discontinue use of your chimney for 24 hours before a cleaning or inspection. This means a couple of cold nights for your family, and more if it needs repairs.
Don’t be Tempted to Skip Appointments
If you wait to schedule your chimney appointments and feel you don’t have the time to get it done, you might be tempted to skip them altogether. This is NOT recommended. The Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) recommends regular chimney sweeps and annual inspections to ensure the safety and functionality of the chimney system.
By skipping these appointments you risk missing a problem with your chimney, whether minor or major, that can compromise the safety and efficiency of the whole system. When you fail to have the chimney swept, the soot and creosote can even block the chimney flue, and since it’s a highly flammable substance, you are more likely to experience a flue fire.
If You Find a Problem
If you are inclined to schedule an appointment with a chimney sweep because your chimney’s efficiency began to decline at the end of burning season, you definitely don’t want to wait to make that call. If you noticed anything off about your system, it can point to a major problem. In most cases there is already extensive damage to the interior chimney system before the homeowner sees the first hint of a problem.
Summer is a great time to schedule your chimney sweep appointments, whether you notice a problem or not. Since it’s off-season it’s more convenient for your chimney sweep company and more convenient for you. You don’t have to stop burning in your fireplace, and you’ll be burn-ready for fall! Really there’s no better time to cross these things off your list.
Billy Sweet Chimney Sweep Services
When you’re ready to make this call, a Billy Sweet Chimney Sweep is standing by. Chimney sweeping is a process that should be done with a professional only to ensure safety of the home and family. Our experience and our professionalism speaks for itself, but if you’re not convinced we invite you to visit our reviews.
Call a Billy Sweet Chimney Sweep today, or schedule an appointment online.
by Billy Sweet | Jun 8, 2016 | Chimney Maintenance
Chimney caps are the most inexpensive way to prevent water penetration to the the chimney system. 
The chimney cap covers the flue opening to keep the weather out, and here in New England we get a fair share of weather. Although the chimney cap is sometimes called a rain cover, it is essential for winter weather as well.
Keep the Outside Out and the Inside In
—Weather
The average snowfall for one year is enough to wreak havoc on a chimney, especially in New England. The process of freezing, thawing, and expanding through one cycle of seasons causes extensive damage to the chimney system. The chimney cap prevents rain water and snow from entering the flue opening.
—Wildlife
Throughout the seasons various animals like to climb into chimneys and nest in the safety and warmth there. Throughout the year a chimney can become a habitat for small animals like squirrels, raccoons, and birds. Some animals, depending on the location, are protected, like the Chimney Swift. If a Chimney Swift nests in your chimney, it cannot be removed, and the chimney cannot be cleaned or used until the young birds have left the nest.
—Sparks
When a fire is burning particularly hot, it’s common for sparks and other byproducts to fly up through the flue. Without a chimney cap these sparks can ignite debris on the roof, or in a yard below or nearby.
When to Call a Professional
The Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) recommends regular chimney sweeps and annual inspections for safe and efficient use of fireplace and chimney systems. It’s at these appointments that a professional would notice a missing, incorrectly installed, or damaged chimney cap.
Other good times to make an appointment with a CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep® (CCS) are after the sale or transfer of a house, when fuel type is changed, or when changes are made to the system (including natural disasters and fire damage).
A Billy Sweet Chimney Sweep knows what is expected of chimneys in the Boston area. We pride ourselves on expert training and experience that puts our sweeps at the top of the industry for chimney maintenance. We offer waterproofing services and repairs to leaky chimneys, at fair rates and professional service.
Water Damage
Billy Sweet Chimney Sweeps make it our top priority to keep your fireplace system working and safe for your family, home, or business. When water is allowed to penetrate the chimney system it can affect everything, as the chimney is a system of many parts. Water damage can cause, rust, rot, deterioration, cracks, decay, stains, and more.
Call a Billy Sweet Chimney Sweep today or make an appointment online to check your chimney cap.
by Billy Sweet | May 25, 2016 | Chimney Draft Problems, Chimney Flashing, Chimney Inspection, Chimney Maintenance
Spring isn’t just an ideal time for spring cleaning. It’s also a great time to complete your chimney checklist to ensure the safety and efficiency of your chimney system. As the saying goes April showers bring May flowers, and if your spring showers have caused you some chimney worries, you might have a leak, and a leak is a big deal.
It is important to call a CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep® (CCS) as soon as you suspect a chimney leak. By the time a homeowner notices signs of a chimney leak, it’s likely that it’s caused substantial unseen damage.
Some Signs of a Chimney Leak
1. Water stained walls and ceiling
2. Clogged clean-out area
3. Rusted parts
4. Dripping in fireplace
5. Fowl smelling chimney and fireplace
6. Stained Chimney
By the time these problems are noticed by the homeowner, the damage has been done. According to the Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) water can cause much more extensive damage that can be detected by a professional during a cleaning or inspection.
Why Hire a Professional
A general contractor or roofer is not the right professional to make this diagnosis. Calling a certified chimney sweep insures homeowners that the job will be thorough, and damage will be detected and repaired in a timely and professional manner. When water penetrates your masonry chimney it causes damage such as: deteriorated firebox, decayed mortar, cracked or damaged flue lining, collapsed hearth support, tilting or collapsed chimney structure, and chimney settlement.
Not only will a professional chimney sweep inspect and diagnose your chimney problems, but should offer the homeowner a detailed report and repair plan.
At Billy Sweet Chimney Sweep, serving Boston, North Shore, and Portland area, we don’t only repair the damage, but trace the leak back to the source, and offer waterproofing services.
Waterproofing Your Chimney
Another reason to hire a professional chimney sweep is because prevention is cheaper than making repairs! At Billy Sweet Chimney Sweeps we apply a waterproof product on masonry chimneys that is created specially for chimneys to keep water out, but allows vapors to escape. We even offer FREE Waterproofing on exterior masonry repair.
Other Chimney Leak Prevention
While discussing your leaky chimney with a professional, don’t forget to mention these other preventative measures:
- chimney cap repair or replacement
- damper repair or replacement
- chimney crown inspection and repair
While planning your spring cleaning, do not neglect your chimney. Your annual chimney inspection is a great time to discuss waterproofing and leak prevention with a certified chimney sweep. A Billy Sweet Chimney Sweep is waiting for your call today.
