CHIMNEY CLEANING + INSPECTION
CHIMNEY CLEANING & INSPECTION SERVICES IN WESTCHESTER & PUTNAM COUNTIES
Overview
Robison is always looking for ways to keep you and your family healthy and safe. That is why we added chimney cleaning department to our suite of home comfort services. Without regular maintenance chimneys can become damaged, blocked, or clogged with flammable, restrictive, and corrosive materials. Removal of these materials protects your family from a chimney fire and allows the heating system to operate efficiently and safely. Organizations such as the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and the Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) recommend that chimney sweeping become a regular part of your home maintenance.
Annual Chimney Inspections
Chimney, fireplaces, and vents should be inspected at least once a year according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). Weather, animals, corrosion, and even lack of maintenance can compromise the safety and effectiveness of your heating system. A camera inspection gives visual documentation of the condition of your home’s chimney. The video or pictures can show problems such as flue liner cracks, blockages, water damage, or other compromising conditions. This inspection allows our technicians to recommend the proper course of action.
Inspection and cleaning of a furnace or boiler venting system is an important part of your heating system’s annual maintenance. Air-born chemicals and water vapor are the by-products of the oil or gas combustion from your furnace or boiler.
If not properly maintained, over time these chemicals and water vapor can damage the system, causing a blockage of the chimney and failure of component parts. Damaged or clogged chimneys can block toxic gases such as carbon monoxide from escaping out of your living space.
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Inside of the chimney is flue liner; this is a vertical “tube.” These liners can be made from fired clay, metal, or cast-in-place. The flue is the passageway within the liner for the smoke and toxic gases to exit the home. Over time, problems such as cracks, improper sizing, or poor-quality liners can affect the safety and efficiency of your chimney. The camera inspection will give our technicians a picture of the liner’s condition.
Benefits of relining include:
• Increased safety
• Improved drafts
• Increased life span of your chimney
• Improved fuel efficiency
• Increased structural integrity
• Easier maintenance
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The smoke chamber of your chimney is where the smoke and various gases mix and rise through the chimney in a controlled manner. Parging refers to the repairing of the smoke chamber. Parging uses a thin layer of insulating refractory mortar that is used to smooth out the sloped walls of the fire chamber and fix the damaged areas. Refractory mortar ensures that your chimney walls are functioning the way they should.
Why parge your smoke chamber:
• For the safety of the chimney
• To increase the structural integrity of the smoke chamber
• To improves draft and fireplace performance (which also lowers the amount of creosote build-up)
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Chimney caps are protective coverings that sit on top of your chimney. These caps help keep your chimney safe by keeping animals, weather, and debris out of the opening to your chimney. Chimney caps also allow the by-products of combustion such as smoke, heat, creosote, carbon monoxide, and other toxic gases to escape from inside your home.
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A chimney crown is a slab of concrete that tops the chimney, it has the sole purpose of preventing water from entering the chimney. If water enters the chimney, it can cause major issues, such as allowing intense heat to escape which in the end could cause a fire in the bordering materials.
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Chimney flashing serves as a weather stripping for your chimney, creating a waterproof seal to protect from water damage and penetration.
Signs you need a flashing repair:
• Leaking from the inside or outside of the chimney
• Sounds or evidence of leaking, for example: puddles
• Discoloration of bricks
• Rust stains
• Water stains (on interior ceiling or walls connecting the chimney)
• Visible gaps in the caulking around the flashing
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