Keep Your Fire In Its Place This Winter
During the season of fuel and fires, ventilation and maintenance, it’s important to not cut corners. Cutting corners when it comes to your fireplace and chimney can result in serious damage to your home, costly services to your chimney system, and even injury and possible loss of life. In order for your chimney to work safely and efficiently all winter long and year after year, it must be maintained properly and used correctly. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and the Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) help to keep fire in its place by educating responsible homeowners to schedule routine chimney sweeps and annual chimney inspections. This ensures the safest and most efficient systems.
The Danger of Dirty Chimneys
When a fire burns in your fireplace it constantly produces soot and creosote and deposits them into the chimney flue. Soot is merely carbon, harmless unless it’s allowed to buildup and cause an obstruction. Creosote is produced when organic materials are burned and is made up mostly of tar, a sticky, flammable substance. It builds upon itself until a significant buildup occurs, slowing the flow of air through the flue. As efficiency drops, the buildup worsens and hot air begins to stall in the system. As temperatures increase, the creosote boils and the water evaporates leaving a concentrated, hardened mass when the creosote cools. This buildup called “glazed creosote” is highly flammable, obstructs airflow, and is difficult to remove. Because of this, creosote should be removed before it reaches 1/8 inch in thickness. A standard chimney sweep can remove creosote, but glazed creosote requires a special industrial solvent that transforms the creosote as it’s absorbed.
Creosote buildup is not the only danger of a dirty chimney. If your chimney isn’t cleaned on a regular basis the creosote and soot can hide liner damage, allowing the heat to transfer through the masonry and onto the other building materials of the home. This can create a serious fire hazard. Additionally, without a routine sweep, you might have accumulated any number of things in your flue or fireplace. Animals, sticks and leaves, and unburned wood are all things that we find in neglected chimney systems—all contributing to unwelcome odors and ventilation problems.
The Importance of Inspections
It’s so important to have your chimney inspected as well as cleaned that most chimney companies include a basic level one inspection with every cleaning! An inspection will ensure that the system is safe and efficient for another year of use. However, who completes the inspection is vital. Only a certified chimney sweep should inspect your chimney system. An amateur won’t know where to look and a homeowner won’t recognize the signs of a problem until it’s too late. Every chimney should undergo a CSIA inspection annually. This is a complete diagnostic assessment of the chimney from top to bottom. Billy Sweet Chimney Sweep offers level one, two, and three CSIA inspections for homeowners in and around Boston, North Shore, and Portland. Not only do we inspect every chimney that we sweep, but we sweep every chimney we inspect.
If your chimney system hasn’t changed or shown any problems in the last year, our technician will complete a level one inspection. This is an inspection of all the readily accessible portions of the system. The video scan is usually only available for a level two inspection, but we check every chimney with video surveillance. We use a Chim-Scan camera system and Wohler Vis2000-Pro for an inside look at the flue.
A level two inspection is necessary in the following conditions; if there have been changes made to the chimney system, if it’s presented problems, and before the sale or transfer of the property. It includes everything from a level one inspection as well as everything accessible through doors and passageways.
A level three inspection is only necessary when a serious hazard is suspected, but at this point, it is the only thing to get your system up and going again.
Common Chimney Dangers
Besides creosote buildup, there are numerous problems that can arise when a chimney isn’t properly cleaned and maintained. At Billy Sweet Chimney Sweep we diagnose winter damage most often—masonry damage that results in a serious drop in efficiency and rise in fire risk. Another common hazard that we see quite often is a damaged firebox. The firebox is the space that holds the fire. It endures the highest temperatures for the longest amounts of time but gets very little attention. Though many focus only on flue fires, the fire hazard associated with a damaged firebox may be the most serious. Prolonged heat exposure through damaged firebricks can cause structural damage as support beams become brittle with heat damage. A similar danger can arise when the liner is damaged and heat transfers through the masonry. Insulation in walls and attics can ignite as heat moves from the chimney into the home.
As with most residential fires, chimney and fireplace fires can be prevented. It is our goal to help our customers, friends, and neighbors in our service area to stay safer and warmer this winter by offering services that prevent fires.
Schedule your services now by calling 617-469-4528 or schedule an appointment online today.
Chimney Rebuilds, Renovations & Restorations
Whether you just bought a home or had one for some time now, you can never go wrong with making some home improvements. Upgrading and repairing your home can add value to the property and also bring you the best enjoyment out of your home. At Billy Sweet Chimney Sweep, we help homeowners add value to their homes every day by bringing hearths and chimneys back to life. We specialize in chimney rebuilds, renovations, and restorations. If you have an outdated, neglected, or unsafe chimney system in the Boston, North Shore, or Portland area, we can help.
Masonry and Stone Work
Our team is qualified and experienced, and they have the training and expertise to recreate any design with brick or stone. We only use quality products, and we can rebuild, renovate, and restore your chimney no matter the size or age. When it comes to masonry work, our team always add beauty and value to your property through our best work. Our work is never sloppy, and we offer FREE waterproofing on exterior masonry work.
Specializing in Historic Homes & Chimney Repairs
At Billy Sweet, we are blessed to live in an area filled with history, and many of the homes in our service area are historic ones with historic chimneys. While these systems may still work, many are not up to code and pose a threat to your own historical home as well as the surrounding homes. There is no way of telling how someone previous treated your chimney. Make sure you have your historic chimney inspected as soon as you take ownership of the home and have it restored to code compliance before use.
If you’re looking to rebuild, renovate, or restore your chimney, look no further than the team at Billy Sweet Chimney Sweep. We will begin by completing a comprehensive inspection with detailed digital imaging and recommend a course of action based on the video footage. No matter what the problem is, we have the training and experience to fix it. When restoring a chimney, we can address every aspect of the system. We will make sure your chimney is safe from top to bottom with specific detail to the cap, crown, and flashing to prevent future water damage.
We will also ensure a quality liner is in place to keep the fire, heat, and smoke from affecting the masonry and your home. We recommend stainless steel chimney liners, as they last a lifetime. We also recommend hip and ridge style chimney caps designed for high wind areas. Once the chimney is completely restored and ready for use, we can also waterproof it so that time and weather don’t damage your beautiful new masonry chimney.
Scheduling with Billy Sweet Chimney Sweep
Many homeowners may close out a poorly maintained chimney system instead of spending the money and time to restore it. This is a grave mistake! A damaged chimney can lead to serious water damage throughout the home—not just the chimney itself!
Your chimney is a beautiful fixture that adds value to your home. Home buyers want fireplaces for the ambiance and supplemental heat source. You can save money by addressing all your chimney repairs. Call Billy Sweet Chimney Sweep today at 617-469-4528 to find out more!
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.
Questions You Should Be Asking Your Chimney Sweep
Tis the season for chimney services. The fall rush is here, this is the time between October and January when chimney sweep companies are the most busy serving our customers. When it comes to finding a trusted chimney sweep, it can be an overwhelming decision. However, it does not have to be. If you are asking the right questions, your chimney will be in great hands. Here are some of the important questions to keep in mind when looking for the right chimney company for you.
Are they CSIA certified?
The first question you should ask is: Are you CSIA certified? Because if they aren’t, you need to keep searching. With help from CSIA, finding a certified sweep has never been easier. Why is CSIA so important? Well, only a CSIA certified sweep has the classroom training and field training to get the job done safely, according to code, and all at a competitive price.
Will a CSIA certified sweep charge more? Perhaps they will, but I can assure you that it will be well worth your money! Because a CSIA sweep will get the job done correctly, following local building code. They also have the credentials to back up the job, which also protect your interests. The CSIA signature on the work order or report is what your realtor, homeowners insurance, or lawyer will look for, and it’s what your city or state code requires.
Does the inspection include a video scan?
A level 2 inspection should include a video scan, this gives the chimney sweep and the homeowner a clear view of the hidden portions of the chimney. If your quote doesn’t include a video scan, you should keep looking. After a video scan, the homeowner receives a detailed report including footage and recommended repairs to restore the chimney back to safe and efficient condition. Much of the the wear-and-tear on the interior portions of the chimney can only be identified through a video scan.
Are the bids for the same job and same materials?
It’s important to find out the specific jobs and materials that are included in your bid. Some companies issue a bid for a new liner, but don’t include insulating it in the bid, this is an important step for safety and efficiency! Two bids may be hugely different in cost, but what you may not realize is that one company may be bidding for a stainless steel liner, and the other may be bidding for an aluminum liner. It’s important to know what you’re getting when you receive a bid that looks favorable. It may look easy on the bank account, but isn’t the best option for your home over time.
Look to Billy Sweet for the Sweetest Deal
Our loyal customers keep coming back year after year because we don’t just fix minor problems. We correct the problem at the source, and bring the chimney back up to code, preventing recurrence again. As a CSIA member, it’s our duty to notify homeowners of code violations and safety hazards. We take the safety of our customers seriously, and you can trust that we’ll complete diagnostics and repairs with the best work at the most realistic price! To schedule services with Billy Sweet, or or request a bid, call 617-469-4528 today!