Posts from October 18th, 2021
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Check Your Chimney Before That First Fall Fire
It's your first fall in your new home, and what better way to celebrate that autumn spirit than with a nice fire in the fireplace? But don't start piling logs on just yet. Before you go lighting that first fall fire, it's important to check your chimney and make sure it's in good working order. How do you check it? How do you know if it's OK? What are you looking for? Our real estate agents share what you need to know.
Visual Inspection
The first step in checking your chimney is fairly simple: Shine a flashlight upward into your chimney, so you can see its condition. Are there any loose bricks in the chimney? Get them repaired before lighting a fire.
Next, do you see any white streaks on the walls of the chimney? Don't operate your fireplace until they're cleaned. Those white streaks are called creosote. It's a pesticide used to preserve wood from things like termites, fungus, and other pests. If your fireplace wood has been treated with creosote, it can build up in your chimney over time the more you use it.