Safety

Fireplace Safety in Strasburg OH

Cleaning

Why should I clean my chimney?
Chimney inspections and cleaning help prevent costly and damaging chimney fires! Chimney cleaning is needed to remove creosote deposits and other debris from chimneys and vents. Creosote buildup in chimneys can lead to chimney fires or flue blockages. During a chimney fire, temperatures inside the chimney often exceed 2000 degrees and this can destroy your chimney and may set the house on fire. In the event of a flue blockage, which may be caused by creosote or other debris such as animal nesting, dangerous fumes can be forced into your home. Chimney cleaning is a vital service to protect the health and safety of your family and home. All chimneys, including the chimney for your furnace, should be inspected annually with cleaning performed as needed.
How do we clean your chimney?
Chimney - Fireplace Safety in Strasburg OH

Cleaning

Why should I clean my chimney?
Chimney inspections and cleaning help prevent costly and damaging chimney fires! Chimney cleaning is needed to remove creosote deposits and other debris from chimneys and vents. Creosote buildup in chimneys can lead to chimney fires or flue blockages. During a chimney fire, temperatures inside the chimney often exceed 2000 degrees and this can destroy your chimney and may set the house on fire. In the event of a flue blockage, which may be caused by creosote or other debris such as animal nesting, dangerous fumes can be forced into your home. Chimney cleaning is a vital service to protect the health and safety of your family and home. All chimneys, including the chimney for your furnace, should be inspected annually with cleaning performed as needed.
How do we clean your chimney?
Chimney - Fireplace Safety in Strasburg OH
Once we determine that your chimney needs to be cleaned, we lay a tarp in front of your appliance. Using a wire brush, we clean the chimney flue, smoke chamber/smoke shelf area in fireplaces and the stove pipe in wood burning stoves. While cleaning, we run a high-powered dust collector made specifically for chimney cleaning to control dust.
When should you schedule a chimney cleaning?
Feel free to call and schedule your cleaning appointment any time. However, the best time is in the Spring of the year or as soon as you are finished burning for the season. The humidity of Summer can cause an odor from the creosote, therefore you may want your chimney cleaned before then. Fall is the busiest time for booking cleaning appointments which are normally scheduled four to six weeks in advance. Winter appointments can be a challenge, as snow, ice and wind make it difficult to get onto your roof.

Repair & Repointing

Mortar Failure
Age, rain runoff and seasonal freeze/thaw cycles eventually cause the mortar between chimney bricks to crumble and fall out. Mortar joints that aren't tooled to a water-shedding, concave shape accelerate the problem, as does a step-tiered, corbeled chimney that causes roof runoff to splatter the brick.
A bigger problem is mortar that's loose or has shrunk, creating gaps between it and the brick. Cracked or damaged mortar allows water and cold air to infiltrate the chimney, where it can cause hazardous damage to the flue.
This requires repointing the brick - chipping out the old mortar and applying new material.
Solution - Call Doug's Chimney Sweep and make your repair appointment.

Repair & Repointing

Mortar Failure
Age, rain runoff and seasonal freeze/thaw cycles eventually cause the mortar between chimney bricks to crumble and fall out. Mortar joints that aren't tooled to a water-shedding, concave shape accelerate the problem, as does a step-tiered, corbeled chimney that causes roof runoff to splatter the brick.
A bigger problem is mortar that's loose or has shrunk, creating gaps between it and the brick. Cracked or damaged mortar allows water and cold air to infiltrate the chimney, where it can cause hazardous damage to the flue.
This requires repointing the brick - chipping out the old mortar and applying new material.
Solution - Call Doug's Chimney Sweep and make your repair appointment.
CROWNSEAL
Protect Your Chimney From the Top Down
The flexible solution for Chimney Crowns. Protect your chimney from the top down. Water damaged or cracked chimney crowns can lead to costly chimney repairs. Fight back with CrownSealtm, the flexible crown repair formulated to withstand the severe weather and thermal stress that cause cracks. Damaged crowns allow water to deteriorate your masonry and the chimney liner. Years of water intrusion and neglect can lead to extensive chimney repairs. When the crown fails, the entire chimney system is more susceptible to damage. Guaranteed to last with a 10 year Warranty. Permanently Flexible. Maintenance Free. Natural Concrete/ Mortar Appearance. Environmentally Friendly.

Relining

Your chimney, like most chimneys, probably appears to be in fine condition on the outside. But let's take a close look at what really counts in chimney operation... the inside.
Uninspected chimneys could be dangerous
When we look at the interior of this same chimney we can find a number of imperfect conditions. Pieces are missing from the original clay liner and there are cracks in the clay liner. (Old chimneys might not even have a liner.) Mortar and bricks are loose and falling. And there is excessive buildup of combustible creosote on the flue walls. These conditions are the result of a number of possible causes, including; flue fires, an improperly vented or misused stove, poor construction, excessive moisture, and more. With continued use of this chimney, any of these conditions could lead to loss of property or life.
It happened thousands of times last year - chimney defects resulted in home fire. It doesn't take much to start a home fire...a spark fitting through a crack in the chimney wall into the attic...a chimney ember igniting a creosote fire which then climbs the full height of the chimney �looking� for an opening in the chimney wall...or simply excessive heat reflected through chimney walls when a clay liner is missing. Fortunately, the problems of a deteriorating chimney can be corrected without completely rebuilding your chimney.

Relining

Your chimney, like most chimneys, probably appears to be in fine condition on the outside. But let's take a close look at what really counts in chimney operation... the inside.
Uninspected chimneys could be dangerous
When we look at the interior of this same chimney we can find a number of imperfect conditions. Pieces are missing from the original clay liner and there are cracks in the clay liner. (Old chimneys might not even have a liner.) Mortar and bricks are loose and falling. And there is excessive buildup of combustible creosote on the flue walls. These conditions are the result of a number of possible causes, including; flue fires, an improperly vented or misused stove, poor construction, excessive moisture, and more. With continued use of this chimney, any of these conditions could lead to loss of property or life.
It happened thousands of times last year - chimney defects resulted in home fire. It doesn't take much to start a home fire...a spark fitting through a crack in the chimney wall into the attic...a chimney ember igniting a creosote fire which then climbs the full height of the chimney �looking� for an opening in the chimney wall...or simply excessive heat reflected through chimney walls when a clay liner is missing. Fortunately, the problems of a deteriorating chimney can be corrected without completely rebuilding your chimney.
Chimney fires result from unlined chimneys
Doug's Chimney Sweep will restore or revitalize your chimney by putting a stainless steel liner plus insulation between your chimney flue and the defects in your chimney walls. This will add to the safety of your home and family. And it will increase the resale value of your home. HomeSaver's 4-ply stainless steel construction is unsurpassed in strength and protection. It has been tested and listed by Underwriters Laboratories to their highest heat test standard. And for wood burning applications, HomeSaver Chimney Relining Systems are warranted for as long as you own your home.* Doug's Chimney Sweep can reline virtually any chimney configuration you may have - from single, straight flues to multiple, connected flues with bends and size changes. Call me today for all the details.

Water Proofing

Water Damage Can Be Prevented.
All new and existing masonry chimneys are susceptible to water damage and even if repaired, chimneys will continue to deteriorate if they are not protected. ChimneySaver, which comes with a 10 Year Warranty, is the first water repellent specifically developed to protect chimneys from the severe weather conditions to which they are exposed.
ChimneySaver is a water repellent - not a water sealer. The difference could save you hundreds, or even thousands of dollars in repairs because sealers can actually damage masonry.
Protect Your Investment!
There are approximately 40 million masonry chimneys in North America and the most common problem with these structures is water penetration. Water causes over 1 billion dollars in damage annually in the form of staining, loss of insulation value, freeze-thaw damage, deterioration, and ultimately structural failure.
Superior Technology
ChimneySaver contains patented siloxanes small enough to penetrate most masonry pores up to 1/4" or more. These special siloxanes form strong bonds with the silica in masonry and concrete. Because of this bonding process, one application of ChimneySaver provides up to ten times the water repellent protection of typical sealers.
100% Breathable
Moisture from a variety of sources is always present in masonry and concrete. Sealers and silicone coatings form a water resistant surface film which traps water vapors. If these vapors cannot escape, they will contribute to spalling, scaling, deterioration, and freeze-thaw damage. ChimneySaver is 100% vapor permeable - a non film-forming water repellent that penetrates and lines masonry pores. ChimneySaver offers the best protection because it releases water vapors and effectively reduces water absorption.
Use On All Masonry Surfaces!
Not just for chimneys, ChimeySaver water repellent is the ideal choice for protecting all residential and commercial above-grade masonry. ChimneySaver is the best solution for a variety of exterior masonry applications including; patios, walkways, pools decks, and wall systems.
Call us today at 330-878-7152 for an estimate.
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