Are There Still Chimney Sweeps?

Many of us think of chimney sweeps and our minds go back to Mary Poppins, where the cheerful chimney sweeps were dancing around and enjoying themselves on the roof.  Even though those soot covered professionals don’t climb around on our roofs anymore, there are a lot of people who still do the job of chimney sweeping. 

What is a Chimney Sweep?

A chimney sweep is, simply, the guy or gal that comes and cleans out your chimney. There are lots of different things that get stuck in your chimney during the wintertime, so it’s important to clean it out on a regular basis. The cleaning process is a complicated, and often dangerous one and, unless you’re trained to do it, it’s better off just to call a professional in to come and take care of it for you. This actually costs a lot less to do it because the Chicago chimney cleaning already have all of the tools that they need in order to take care of the cleaning process. 

What Do Chimney Sweeps Do?

When a chimney sweep comes to your house, they’re going to do a few things in order to make sure that your chimney is completely cleared out of everything. The chimney sweep will come to the house to open up two different vents: the soot hatch and the sweeping hatch. As you likely know, soot is produced in the chimney when things are burning. The soot builds up after awhile, and as it builds up, it can cause dangers to you and your family. If you don’t clean it, there could end up being a fire or another unwanted issue going on with your chimney. When they open these two hatches, they’re going to use their brooms and other special tools to sweep and scrape out all of the soot that has gotten stuck in there. 

The process is pretty quick, taking about 10 to 20 minutes. Many times, you can get an inspection done at the same time, just to make sure that your chimney is still intact and that there aren’t any cracks or other issues that may come up for you. 

Chicago chimney sweeps play a pretty important role in helping us to keep our homes safe, especially if we are depending on our fireplace or woodstove to be our primary source of heat during those chilly winter nights. If you haven’t gotten your chimney cleaned in awhile, make sure that you call one soon so that they can get you set up and ready to go. 

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What Are the Most Common Chimney Issues?

Did you know that you’re supposed to get your chimney inspected every 4 years? There are a lot of things that can go wrong with your chimney – in this quick blog, we’re going to take a peek at the three most common chimney issues that chimney sweeps and other professionals find during their inspections. 

Residue

This is the reason that you’re supposed to get your chimney cleaned on a regular basis. As you burn wood, or whatever other fuel that you’re using in your fireplace, it produces soot. Some of the soot goes up and out of the chimney in the form of smoke, but a lot of it gets stuck on the inside of the chimney. This residue can build up over time, and if it doesn’t get taken care of, it can be a major fire hazard. You are supposed to get your chimney cleaned out every four (4) years according to the law, but most people do it every year or every other year to be safe. 

Clogging and Obstruction

There are things that can get stuck in your chimney other than soot. Sometimes, an unfortunate animal will end up in your chimney and end up blocking the way. A storm may come and a variety of different things could end up getting stuck in there, making it hard for the air and smoke to go through the chimney. Trash could end up in there too. If you can imagine it, then it can probably end up getting stuck in your chimney. If you notice that something seems to be a bit odd with how the air is flowing through, then you will want to get it taken care of as soon as possible.  

Cracks in the Brickwork

As time goes on, your chimney is going to age as your house ages. The ground is going to shift from time to time, or there are going to be storms that make things a little different. No matter how it happens, the brickwork in your chimney is going to get cracked or broken, or bricks may fall out. Either way, this could be hazardous for your chimney. It could fall apart, or you could end up having one of the above problems happen a lot more easily. If you notice that the bricks are not as they should be, contact a repair person as soon as you can and get it dealt with before the problem gets worse. 

These aren’t the only problems that can come up, but they are definitely the ones that you and your Chicago chimney sweeps  professionals will want to watch out for throughout the winter and during the times of year that you’re getting maintenance performed on your chimney. By keeping these at bay, you can make sure that your family and friends are safe when they’re in your home.  

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Ventless gas fireplace

Looking at Ventless Gas Fireplaces

It’s time to replace your fireplace and you want to see what’s out there when it comes to fireplaces. You should consider looking at a ventless gas fireplace instead of putting an entirely new system in. 

What is a Ventless Gas Fireplace? 

A ventless gas fireplace is exactly what it sounds like: a fireplace, which you install in your home, that doesn’t require the use of vents. You don’t need a flue in order to get rid of the extra smoke or whatever else may be going through the system while the fuel is combusting. 

 It is a free standing device that uses some sort of fuel that doesn’t create smoke, in order to heat up an area. They’re more like a radiator or a space heater than a fireplace, but they still go through the process of combustion, which is why they are considered to be a fireplace. As long as you have access to some sort of pipe where you can pump the fuel source in, you are going to be able to put the ventless gas fireplace wherever you want it. 

How Does a Ventless Gas Fireplace Compare to Other Fireplaces? 

There are some pros and cons that you want to consider when you want to purchase a direct vent gas fireplace:

Pros:

 

-          They’re easier to install than traditional fireplaces.

-          Because there’s no air going through the system, backdrafts are uncommon.

-          They can be fueled by natural gas, by propane, or by gel, both of which are inexpensive and energy efficient.

-          There are also electric ones available, and they don’t use a lot of electricity to run.

-          They cost a lot less than installing a traditional fireplace.

-          Like most fireplaces, they can help you to save money on your heating bills during the cold months in wintertime.

-          They are regulated very well by the government, which means that they are up to the best of safety standards that are out there.

-          They give you that “fireplace feel” without all of the hassle surrounding the maintenance of a fireplace.

Cons:

-          Some people believe that they are a bit more dangerous than traditional fireplaces, mainly because of how restricted it is. Basically, it’s a fire in a little box, and we expect it to keep us safe. 

-          There are some people that think that they look tacky, especially when compared to traditional fireplaces. There are some nice designs out there nowadays that can prevent this issue, however.

-          Older models used to have some health problems associated with them. With the new changes to how these are made, however, that’s no longer true for the newer models. 

The choice is up to you. There are lots of things that people love and embrace when it comes to the ventless gas fireplace, whereas other people are still a little nervous about them and have decided not to use them in their homes. Whichever way you go, make sure that you do your research and talk to a qualified professional before you make a final decision on your purchase. It’s a big purchase, so you want to be absolutely certain about what you’re going to do with it. 

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Gas fireplace conversion

Upgrading Your Fireplace

If you have a fireplace that you haven’t used in awhile, you may be considering your options with it. Some people decide to make it into a show area where they can put knick knacks and the like. Other people will just fill it in and make it like the other walls in their home. But, what if you still want a nice taste of having a fireplace without all of the maintenance and such? Consider a gas fireplace conversion.

Why would you consider switching it to a gas fireplace? First off, they’re a lot easier to take care of than a wood one. With a wood fireplace, you have to worry about all the different things that come with burning wood. You have to clean up the ashes, you have to mess with the soot, and you have to do a million other things in order to make sure that the fireplace stays clean. While there’s still a bit of soot when you’re using a gas fireplace, it’s nothing compared with what you would deal with while using a wood burning fireplace.

Another reason that a lot of people have gotten a gas fireplace conversion is because it’s a lot easier than trying to do other things with the area. For example, it could cost a good chunk of change to put a wall in there to try and cover the whole area up, and you would end up having to rip half of your house apart in order to make sure that the whole thing was taken out properly, with no risks of other issues. Closing up the chimney is another thing entirely, so you may want to take that into consideration as well.

Fireplaces are really easy to get fixed nowadays. There are so many different things on the internet that show you how to design your fireplace, and on top of that, the only restriction you’ve got is your mind. Yes, you’ll want to work with a professional to get a gas fireplace conversion done properly, but honestly, it’s a pretty simple thing and it’s not going to cost you a lot of money to complete it in the long run. All that being said, you’ve got lots of choices; don’t feel restricted, and just enjoy what you’ve got going on.

If you’re doing a gas fireplace conversion, the other thing that you need to think about is the fact that you’re going to have a nice warm fireplace in whatever room it’s located in. The warmth of a fireplace really can’t be compared to anything else, so making sure that you’ve got that available to give you some comfort is pretty nice. On top of that, it looks very attractive to have a fireplace in your living room. Your guests will be really impressed with it and you will be the talk of the town when it comes to the way that your home is designed. It’s also great if the power goes out – a gas fireplace doesn’t need much to run, so you’ll be pretty good to go when all is said and done in the long run. You never have to be afraid of getting cold during a power outage again!

So, are you going to consider a gas fireplace inserts? Or are you going to try one of the other many ideas that people have when they’re looking to upgrade their fireplace area? Either way, you’ll have a pretty cool result from everything that you’re looking to put together and do. Get creative and enjoy what you’ve got with your fireplace area.

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