Every homeowner knows they need to clean their chimney. Unfortunately, most of them don’t know when they should do it, which often leads to problems. How do you know when your chimney needs sweeping? Here are signs to look out for as given by chimney cleaning services providers:

There are odors coming from the fireplace.

Odors often come from creosote that has a campfire-like smell that you can easily smell. While the odor might smell good to the nose, it’s an indication of a buildup in your chimney, so when you notice the smell, move with haste and clean the chimney.

The fires are burning poorly.

Are you having a problem starting a fire in your fireplace? The chimney is most likely clogged, or the damper is malfunctioning. Contact a chimney repair to diagnose the problem and fix it if necessary.

You can see oily spots on the walls of the chimney.

Excessive creosote tends to form black, oily spots on the walls of the chimney, and when you allow it to accumulate too much, you hinder effective airflow. Due to the hindrance, fires burn colder and in irregular patterns, which often leads to problems.

There are animals inside the chimney.

Have you noticed animals in your chimney? This means you have gone for too long without cleaning the chimney. Animal and bird nests block airflow in the chimney, so the fireplace doesn’t function as well as it should. If there are bird or animal nests in your fireplace, you should get rid of them as soon as possible.

Soot is dropping into the fireplace.

If you got soot dropping back into the fireplace, your chimney needs a thorough sweeping. When you go for a long time without cleaning the chimney, soot tends to collect in the chimney in high amounts, and it can get dislodged by wind and other debris, making blockages worse or even damaging the fireplace.

Smoke fills the room.

When you light fire, there should be no smoke getting into the house. When smoke gets back into the house instead of going out, it means the chimney is clogged or blocked, and you need to address the issue as soon as possible.

How to clean the chimney

You can do the cleaning by yourself or hire a professional to help you out, which is often the best way out.

While some people recommend you clean the chimney using sweeping logs, you should avoid going this route as it often doesn’t give the best results. Instead, you should go up the chimney and clean it using sweeping brushes.

It’s always wise to hire a professional to help you do the cleaning, but if you have the skills, go ahead and do it yourself. You should note that chimney cleaning is messy, so you should protect yourself with the right protective devices.

Wear gloves, a dust mask, overall, and cover your furniture, so it doesn’t get a lot of dust.

Hiring the right professional for the job

As mentioned, it’s always wise to hire an expert to help you with the cleaning, but you shouldn’t hire just any contractor you come across. Take time to research and find the most ideal for your project.

As a rule of thumb, the chimney sweep services Columbia MD provider should be experienced enough. This means he/she should have done the work for a few years.

While the cleaning process seems simple, it can sometimes get complex, and things get out of control. To be safe and protect your property, hire an insured professional to do the work. This way you are sure you will be compensated in the event something goes wrong.