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Our Company Blog
by Mike O'Mara | Jul 18, 2013 | Uncategorized
Autumn is finally here. The scenery changes its colors, leafs are flying everywhere, and of course, winter is closer than ever. Being autumn the transition from summer into winter, the weather gets colder.
Although we all miss the sunny summer days, cold days also have their magical moments. They are perfect for staying home with your loved ones for a family evening, or for snuggling with a blanket, a good book and hot cup of apple cider. Of course, it gets even better if you do any these in front of your cozy and warm fireplace.
But, wait. Your fireplace is ready for the season, right? If not, call Weststar Chimney Sweeps right now, and have your chimney inspected and cleaned. Not everyone may have the good fortune of enjoying the warmth of a fireplace on these cold days, but if you do, make sure your chimney is ready and safe for your entire family to enjoy!
And just in case you need it, here’s a nice video to get you in the mood of the season.
by Mike O'Mara | Jul 18, 2013 | Uncategorized
What is a Chim-Scan? It is a closed circuit video camera system designed to view the interior of your chimney. The Chim-Scan allows us to identify problems or damage in your chimney that we would not be able to detect in visual inspections, thus preventing serious complications later on.
The Chim-Scan is the best solution to determine the integrity of the flue liner. If you would like to have your chimney professionally inspected, using the best and latest technology available, call Weststar Chimney Sweeps today!
by Mike O'Mara | Jul 18, 2013 | Uncategorized
We all love the feeling of a warm home, and the smell and crackling noise of firewood burning. But, we also love to be and feel safe. So in the spirit of keeping both of this loves together, let’s go over some tips that will help you stay warm and safe this coming season.
First of all, it’s very important to have your chimney inspected and cleaned every year by a qualified professional chimney service technician. By doing this you help reduce the risk of fire and carbon monoxide poisoning.
Keep an eye out for the exterior of your chimney. Make sure you have a chimney cap installed, in order to keep debris, animals and nests out of the chimney. If you don’t have one, get one now! Also make sure no tree branches and leaves are close to the top of the chimney.
When you burn firewood, make sure you choose the right type. Only use wood that has been split for at least 6 months to one year, and stored in a covered and elevated location. Also important, never use flammable liquids to start a fire. Instead use small pieces of wood and twigs or use a commercial firelighter.
By the way, do you have a fireplace screen? Well, you should! This will catch flying sparks that could burn holes in the carpet or flooring, or even worse, ignite a fire! You should also have smoke and carbon monoxide detectors throughout the house, and of course, remember to check the batteries at least once a year.
Finally, remember to never leave a fire unattended, especially if you have children and pets in the house.
So in order to be safe and warm, get your chimney inspected by a CSIA Professional. Give Weststar Chimney Sweeps a call today.
by Mike O'Mara | Jul 18, 2013 | Uncategorized
With winter just around the corner, this is the perfect time to get your chimney inspected to make sure it’s ready for the entire season. It may seem like a simple task, but there are many things that need to be professionally checked.
Cleaning and sweeping the chimney is just the beginning. There are many other things that need to be inspected to make sure your chimney is functional and safe. The Flue has to be checked to make sure it’s not cracked or spalled. Another important thing to check for is Creosote accumulation, which can decrease the diameter of the flue, lowering the flow and causing smoke problems. Creosote is also highly combustible, and could cause a chimney fire.
Bird nests and other things blocking your chimney, are an important thing to check for. If that is the case, then they have to be removed, and a protective damper and cap have to be installed.
This and other elements of your chimney have to be inspected by a CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep Professional. So don’t let another minutes pass by. Contact Weststar Chimney Sweeps, and we’ll help you make sure that your chimney is ready and safe for the whole family to enjoy.
by Mike O'Mara | Jul 18, 2013 | Uncategorized
Due to modern homes being built air tight and weather-proofing sealing up the usual air infiltration routes, this is making smoke problems quite a common issue.
A fireplace in use has the tendency to exhausts household air until a negative pressure situation exists. If your home is moderately air tight, the easiest route for makeup air to enter the home is often your unused fireplace chimney.
Eliminate Your Smoke Problem And Potential For Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
While air is drawn down the unused flue, it will pick up smoke that is exiting nearby from a fireplace in use and will deliver the smoke to your living area. The best solution to your smoke problems is to provide makeup air into your house so that the negative pressure problem cease to exists. This will eliminate not only your smoke problem, but also the potential for carbon monoxide poisoning due to carbon monoxide being drawn back down the furnace chimney.
by Mike O'Mara | Jul 18, 2013 | Uncategorized
Factory built, or prefabricated fireplaces, are relative newcomers to the fireplace scene, commonly available only for the last 30 years or so. Unlike traditional site-built masonry fireplaces, most factory built fireplaces are made of metal, and come from the factory as complete units with a firebox, a specific chimney system, and all miscellaneous parts. With proper installation and maintenance, they can give years of service, but there are some special considerations owners of these systems should be aware of:
1) The factory-built fireplace and chimney are a complete system, engineered to work safely and efficiently together. Both units(fireplace and chimney), undergo testing together, then are listed specifically for use with each other. To insure a safe system, you MUST use the exact chimney specified, along with the specified rain cap, flashing package, and all other system components.
2) Most factory built fireplaces are tested and listed as decorative heating appliances and will not withstand the abuse often heaped on their masonry counterparts. Although they are tested to U.L. standards, severe overfiring and chimney fires will often badly damage these units. Regular yearly maintenance, cleaning at generally 1/8″ buildup, and careful monitoring can assure a safe enjoyable system.
3) Many prefab chimneys, especially older units with an imitation brick housing above the roof, seem to be a preferred nesting site for birds in many areas. It is not unusual for chimney sweeps to take literally buckets of nesting material from these chimneys. This nesting can catch fire directly, or it can block critical air passageways between layers of metal chimney pipe, allowing the chimney to overheat. Both scenarios routinely cause house fires. Most after market chimney covers do not correctly address the problem, and can often make the situations worse. A careful screening of all potential nesting areas with the proper sized screening may be in order.
4) Finally, prefab fireplace systems eventually just plain wear out. Models go out of production and manufacturers go out of business. A factory-built unit will reach the end of is useful life when repair of the unit is no longer possible, particularly if the components that are necessary to maintain the listing are no longer available. Keep a close eye on an aging unit, and be prepared to send ole faithful to the great recycling plant in the sky before she fails completely.
