Our Company Blog

As the weather warms up each summer, Weststar Chimney Sweeps gets calls from our customers asking about unpleasant odors coming from their chimneys through the fireplaces. No one likes their home smelling badly, and you can trust our Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA)-certified sweeps to help solve your chimney odor problem. Since 1999, we have been working on the chimneys of the residents of the San Diego area, and we know what causes the majority of all chimney odors. This means we know where to look for the source of the odor so we can correct the problem to get your home smelling fresh and clean again. We would like to tell you more about the most common chimney odor sources and how we deal with them.

Both of these byproducts of combustion have stinky odors, and the heat and the humidity of the summer make creosote and soot smell even stronger. The best way to keep these odors at bay in the summer is to have your chimney professionally swept and inspected in the spring or summer. Our sweeps will be sure to remove all of the soot and creosote that has accumulated on the inner walls of your chimney, which will solve the odor issue and will reduce your risk of a chimney fire as the CSIA  names creosote as a leading cause of chimney fires due to the fact it is highly flammable.

If you notice a musty smell coming from your fireplace, you most likely have a chimney leak that has allowed water to get into your chimney and stand on the smoke shelf. To keep water from getting down into the chimney, you need a chimney cap professionally installed at the top. This cap will let water from rain run off its sides instead of going down the chimney. You will also be protected from leaves, dirt, and other debris from getting inside to cause a decomposing smell.

Sadly, a bird, squirrel, raccoon, or other wild animal can get into your chimney to nest, become trapped, and die inside the flue. You can imagine that this will cause a horrific rotting odor in your home. Protecting your chimney is the best way to keep one of these critters from even being able to get inside the chimney, and a chimney cap also serves to keep birds and animals from invading the flue. Weststar Chimney Sweeps offers a wide variety of chimney caps, and we can show you the caps that are the best in preventing animal invasions. Once we have installed the cap, you will not have to worry about dealing with a dead animal in your flue.

Keep your home smelling great this summer. Contact us at Weststar Chimney Sweeps today to schedule your annual chimney sweeping and inspection with us.