Why Some Chimneys Smell
There’s only a few things that can truly ruin your experience with a fireplace and one of them is unwelcome odors. Whether it’s when your fire is out, and you smell odors coming out of your fireplace, or when your fire is burning, it’s never a good thing. Odors in the fireplace and chimney actually always means there’s a problem, and we can help you figure out what.
Smoky Odors While In Use
When your fire is burning, you may experience smoky odors. This can be caused from emissions pushing into your living space. Even if you cannot see the smoke, the chimney is most likely not venting properly, pushing particles and gases into your living space and affecting your breathable air.
Solution: Schedule a chimney inspection to determine what is preventing your chimney from venting. It may be a malfunctioning damper, an obstruction, or that you’re using improperly seasoned firewood.
Smoky/BBQ Odors while Fire is Out
When your fireplace isn’t in use, it allows the air inside the chimney to move down into the house and out the fireplace. This is especially a problem during cold weather. Cold air will fall directly into your fireplace and bring its odors with it if there isn’t a door or damper preventing it. During the summer, humidity will mingle with the air in the chimney resulting in smokey odors as well. These odors mean the flue is dirty.
Solution: Schedule a chimney sweep to clean away soot and creosote that creates odors like a barbecue grill or dirty oven. A sweep will also help your system to work more efficiently, raise safety, and lower fire risk.
Mold and Mildew Odors
If your fireplace and chimney are stinking up your house like wet laundry or mildew, there is a serious problem inside. These odors are most likely caused from a chimney leak in an unseen portion of the system, and one that has occurred long enough to cause bacteria growth. Water can cause extensive damage to the masonry chimney and all the parts that help it to work properly.
Solution: Schedule an appointment with a certified professional who can diagnose and correct a chimney leak. Billy Sweet repairs and replaces all the components that prevent water intrusion, including caps, crowns, and flashing. We also offer waterproofing services to protect the masonry from water and extends the life of the chimney.
Whether your chimney odor problem is a new problem, or if you’ve been dealing with it for awhile, it’s not supposed to occur. Any occurrence like this is an indication of a problem, and a problem with the chimney can lead to damage to the home, damage to the chimney, and possibly heath emergencies. Don’t risk it. Don’t endure the frustration and headache of a smoky or stinky fireplace, when you can have the issue assessed and addressed in no time.
Call Billy Sweet Chimney Sweep at 617-469-4528 today or schedule services online.
Wood-Burning Tips
January is the coldest month of the year for our customers and for much of the US. Many homeowners buy a home with a fireplace or have a fire unit installed for the ambiance. Others buy them specifically for supplemental heat, depending on fires throughout winter for zone heating and to lower the cost of utilities. You can too, but it’s important to use your fire properly for best results.
Burn Proper Fuel
Your wood-burning fireplace or unit should only burn properly-seasoned firewood. That means the wood has been cut to length and stored for 3-6 months before being burned. This time allows for the water in the living tree to dry and burn more completely. Burning wet, fresh, or “green” wood will make it difficult to light a fire. The wood will burn incompletely and produce more creosote and soot which will drop efficiency, cause dangerous buildup, and cause odors. When you burn green firewood you will burn more than twice the amount of wood to reach a desired temperature, and you will spend more time and money on chimney maintenance to boot!
Signs Your Wood is Ready
Your wood is not ready to burn when cut, but you can store it until it’s seasoned. Many homeowners don’t have their own accessible wood supply to cut from, but you can still buy seasoned firewood. All you have to do is find a local supplier who sells seasoned firewood at a reasonable price. Check the wood before you burn it, and make sure you’re getting exactly what you’re paying for.
Signs your firewood is seasoned:
- The wood flesh is dull in color.
- The bark pulls away from the wood.
- Cracks form along the edges of the wood.
- Wood is light in weight compared to freshly cut.
- Two pieces produce a hollow sound when hit together.
Correct Use and Maintenance
Part of keeping your chimney and fireplace working properly and lasting a lifetime is using it correctly and maintaining it properly. You should schedule regular chimney sweeps and annual inspections to help determine needs and repairs for your system. Your professional can also notify you of too much residue in the system which may be caused by what type of wood you’re burning, how you’re using your damper, and your burning practices.
- Never let your fire smolder.
- Never light a fire in a cold chimney without priming first
- Never close your damper while a fire is burning.
- Never burn clothing, trash, or leaves in your fireplace.
- Follow all the instructions of your trusted chimney professionals, and schedule all necessary appointments and services.
Schedule with us.
Our technicians are certified, our business is licensed, and our craft is exceptional. It’s our priority to bring safety and warmth to our neighbors and customers, starting with you. Call 617-469-4528 or schedule online.
Why Hire a Company With Insurance
The worst thing that can happen when you’re looking to fix a problem is for something to go wrong. You wouldn’t leave your health up to an amateur, so don’t leave your chimney care up to anyone other than the certified and insured professionals, trained in chimney science. At Billy Sweet Chimney Sweep, our technicians are CSIA-certified, and our company is licensed and insured. That means if everything doesn’t go as planned, we have a plan!
The Billy Sweet Difference
At Billy Sweet Chimney Sweep we’ve provided chimney services to New England for over 30 years. We provide the highest level of customer service and care and we hold our technicians up to the highest standard as well. No matter the service, we maintain the cleanliness of the home as if it’s our own. We keep detailed documentation during the work process, and make sure the mess is contained with drop cloths, tarps, and a vacuuming system.
Routine Maintenance
If you reside in our service area, you can count on Billy Sweet for all your routine chimney services. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) chimney systems that are cleaned and inspected routinely are the safest and most efficient. Chimney sweeps and inspections are our specialty, and we do so without damaging your system. If something goes wrong and damage is incurred at our fault, we handle it through our insurance. You won’t be bothered by the cost, and we’ll get it handled quickly so it doesn’t disrupt your life. It’s vital that you choose a company with insurance so you aren’t stuck with a big bill or costly damages after services end up in repairs.
Repairs and Restorations
Billy Sweet repairs and restores chimneys in New England no matter the size, style, age, or stone type. Our masons can repair your brick. We can bring an old chimney up to code. We can restore a neglected system back to efficiency and beauty. Don’t leave your repairs and restorations up to amateurs, and don’t count on D-I-Y Youtube videos. When it comes to your chimney system, chimney science must be considered, fire safety codes adhered to, and efficiency should be a priority. Only trained and certified professionals can show your system the best care and insure the best outcome.
Worst-Case Scenarios
When you hire a neighborhood handyman or uninsured company, it’s likely that they don’t have the funding for insurance, or could not be insured due to lack of training or certifications. The worst-case scenario may happen, and the contractor would leave you with a costly repair, or make the repairs in-house, with a large bill for you. An untrained worker might damage the roof, brick, liner, crown, and more. Roof damage may be the most common problem when hiring an inexperienced chimney sweep, and may be the most expensive to repair. Don’t leave your chimney up to chance, leave it up to the professionals–trained, certified, licensed, and insured. Count on Billy Sweet Chimney Sweep.
Call our Boston location at 617-469-4528.
Call our North Shore location at 781-593-2333.
Call our Portland location at 207-773-7933.
Building Permits and Chimney Repairs
As cold weather sets in around New England, families are moving indoors. This is a big time for home improvements and renovations–especially after the holidays are over. Before you embark on projects around the house this winter, make sure you know the law in your area regarding building permits, licenses, and insurance. These things may not seem like a big deal when you’re just making minor changes, but your city authorities may see it differently!
Chimney Repairs and Permits
Chimney repairs are some of the most important that you might make to your home. The chimney keeps your home safe from carbon monoxide exposure, smoke inhalation, and unsafe fires throughout winter, and can save you money in utilities through summer. If you don’t hire a professional for repairs, constructions, renovations, and installations, you may end up paying more than you intend–in municipal fines and damage repairs.
Certified Professionals at Billy Sweet
Billy Sweet Chimney Sweep has been operating in and providing exceptional chimney services to New England for over 30 years, and we do this by certifying our sweeps. Our chimney sweeps are certified through the National Fireplace Institute (NFI) and the Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) which gives us the ability to obtain building permits for any chimney work you need or want done. Don’t DIY your way through chimney work, and don’t hire an amateur. Certifications are gold in this business because they take money, training, experience, and continued education. When you find a professional with certifications, you can count on expert services and professionalism every step of the way.
Common Chimney Work Requires Permits
You will not need a permit for certain types of chimney services. For instance, routine and preventative services such as chimney sweeps and annual inspections shouldn’t require a building permit. Many installations will not require a permit either, but any construction will. This means you can have a unit installed, but you cannot have a fireplace or chimney built without a building permit. You can have a part replaced, but if it requires access through masonry or removal of components, it will likely require a permit. Extensive masonry repairs will require a permit as well. The reason that permits are required by the powers that be are to keep the citizens safe. Improper installations, methods, and work can put not only your family, but the worker and your neighbors at risk.
Just like your homeowners insurance requires a certain standard of training and certification for home services and repairs, the municipal authorities do the same. Know that when you schedule with a certified and licensed professional who works within safety codes and standards, your safety will not be an issue.
Before planning out your projects for the new year, talk with a Billy Sweet Chimney Sweep, we have all the necessary permits and documentation to work in our service area and to provide the best services to our customers.
Call our Boston office at 617-469-4528.
Reach our North Shore office at 781-593-2333.
Portland residents can call 207-773-7933.