Each year there are over 18,000 chimney fires causing loss to
life and property. The National Fire Protection Association recommends that all
chimneys be cleaned or inspected annually for safety. During a cleaning our
sweeps perform a level I inspection for any cracks or defects and provide you
with a written evaluation report of your chimney.
CREOSOTE is the by-product of incomplete combustion of any
fossil fuel such as wood, oil, or coal. When it builds up between 1/8 to
¼ inch it can ignite and cause a fire within the chimney. When this
happens it can cause severe damage to the chimney and the surrounding
structure. Some chimney fires create such an updraft that it has been described
as a jet airplane or a train going through your living room. If the creosote
catches fire on only one side of the flue, it may sound like the howling wind
outside, but can still cause severe chimney damage. The purpose of the chimney
is to exhaust smoke and by-products of combustion out of the house as well as
provide a draft for the fireplace or appliance, not to contain chimney fires
and their extreme temperatures.
SWEEPING includes the sweeping
of the cap, flue, smoke chamber, smoke shelf, damper, and firebox area. The
cleaning is all done with brushes on fiberglass poles. A runner is laid down up
to the fireplace as well as drop cloths so nothing is tracked on any carpeting
at all. The heart of the sweeping system is a SootSweeper chimney vacuum
running during the sweeping for proper dust control. While it is being swept
the chimney is inspected for any cracks or defects and you are given a written
evaluation report listing any areas of concern.
OUR SWEEPS The
most important credential to look for is to make sure the sweep coming out to
your home is Certified with the Chimney Safety Institute of America. Certified
Chimney Sweeps have passed a rigorous test that examines their knowledge of
codes, practices, and standards of the trade. All of our sweeps are Certified
with CSIA and take pride in the satisfaction of helping to keep homes safer and
more enjoyable. We have serviced over 34,000 chimneys from a prominent house in
Washington DC to homes like yours. We treat every home as a "castle" because
it's the home of the most important persons in the world, our customers. Visit
our scheduling page and help us to keep "Your Castle Safe." By using our
web site scheduler your appointment requests
take priority with our booking schedules.
