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Old Smokey's Fireplace & Chimney's Blog

Stay Warm, Make Sure Your Fireplace is Burn-Ready!

Getting ready to burn starts in your mind. No kidding. Getting ready to burn means that you have surrendered to the reality that winter is here or about to be here. It involves no longer resolutely clinging to the notion that warm days will endure, that Indian Summer is more than a passing phenomenon. It means no more fantasizing that summer or even autumn weather will somehow persist, whether it’s from climate change or who-knows-what. All it takes to get you psychologically into winter is one significant, honest-to-goodness snowstorm. Boom! A balmy day in November turns into a snow-shoveling adventure.

Stay warm - Make sure your fireplace is burn-ready - Fore Wayne IN - Old Smokeys Fireplace & ChimneyAnd now you are burn-ready!

But what about the practical, tangible things you need to do get ready to burn? (Incidentally, whether your burning involves seasoned firewood, pellets, natural gas, or propane as fuel, precautions are still in order.)

First, and most obviously, prep your fireplace and chimney system professionally. That’s what any home expert is apt to tell you. Professional guidance — and common sense — dictates that you’ll want to make sure everything is in working order. This is important for the sake of safety, health, and efficiency.

Have one of Old Smokey’s trained and certified technicians check it all out.

Let us dirty our hands so you and your loved ones can cozy up to your fireplace, safely and securely.

Old Smokey’s Fireplace & Chimney has the folks who know fireplaces and chimneys like the back of their smudged hands. We know about fireplace and chimney design and installation, maintenance, and upkeep.

What do we look for as our chimney sweeps make their appointed rounds? Among other things, we want to make sure your fireplace and chimney are free of creosote buildup. We also want to check on the working condition of your damper, and the stability of your flue and chimney lining. Stuff like that.

In addition, we can also check the condition of your masonry, the flashing, the cap and the crown. The idea is to assure you that all the parts are working together properly.

We might even recommend an accessory or two, such as a spark guard or screen.

As part of all this, there are other simple things you yourself can do. Check your supply of firewood. Make sure it is seasoned. With a gas fireplace, make sure the controls are working properly. Also, make sure all exhaust fans or vents are in good working order.

Old Smokey’s will go down the list with you, as much as you need. We’re here to make you comfortable and to assist in your safety.

Old Smokey’s Fireplace & Chimney technicians are CSIA-certified. Through rigorous training, our pros know how to conduct a thorough and comprehensive inspection of your fireplace and chimney heating system.

For decades now, Old Smokey’s has been serving local homeowners in northern Indiana, northern Ohio and mid-Michigan. Call us at 260-424-0009 or 800-876-6539 or click here to schedule an appointment. We’ll help you to become burn-ready. We can’t guide you with the psychological part. But we sure can help with just about anything else involving fireplaces and burn-readiness.

Gas Fireplace Maintenance & Repair

The leaves are falling, autumn is here, cool nights are becoming common. Before you know it, these three short phrases will be transformed to this: the trees are bare, winter is here, cold nights are common. Old Smokey’s Fireplace & Chimney says it all the time: get ready now for the wintry days ahead. So, don’t delay; prepare now.

Gas Fireplace Maintenance & Repair - Fort Wayne IN - Old Smokey's Fireplace & ChimneyHow to prepare:

If you heat with a gas fireplace, don’t fall into the trap of thinking your gas fireplace is free of the need for preventive maintenance or seasonal repairs. In fact, although natural gas is a clean-burning fuel, it nevertheless produces residues and other byproducts of combustion, just as burning wood or pellets does. In addition, maintenance and repairs are in fact occasionally required.

As chimney and fireplace experienced experts, Old Smokey’s Fireplace & Chimney can recognize the signs of needed maintenance for your gas-heated fireplace and its venting system.

Proper exhaust venting is key. Even though natural-gas-burning appliances typically do not produce a lot of visible soot, they can leave deposits in your chimney. And these deposits can, over time, harm your chimney and its liner and brickwork. The solution? Have your venting system and chimney inspected by one of Old Smokey’s Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) professionals. Even the use of a gas log or gas fireplace calls for maintenance consisting of — at the very least — an inspection of your chimney system to discover any hidden problems.

Incomplete combustion is one of the potential problems with a fireplace that uses gas logs or another source of natural gas as a fuel. If condensation results, it can have a corrosive effect on your flue and chimney. Nobody wants an acidic material eating away at the mortar and brick of your chimney from the inside.

According to the CSIA, these symptoms could point to a venting system problem!

  • Damp patches on interior walls or exterior walls
  •  Peeling wallpaper
  •  Blistered paint
  •  Stains on the ceiling around the chimney
  •  White stains on the outside of the masonry chimney
  •  Eroded mortar joints
  •  Crumbling bricks

Have one of Old Smokey’s chimney sweeps perform routine maintenance to determine the extent of any of these symptoms. You don’t want debris blocking your flue. This could potentially expose the occupants of your home to carbon monoxide and other dangerous combustion byproducts.

Get your fireplace inspected.

Call Old Smokey’s to inspect your gas fireplace and its appliances. Enlist one of our highly trained technicians certified by the CSIA. For 20+ years, Old Smokey’s has been serving homeowners with gas fireplaces in northern Indiana, northern Ohio and mid-Michigan.

Call us at 260-424-0009 or click here now to schedule an appointment. Although gas logs and fireplaces fueled by natural gas are a clean alternative, they still perform combustion. Consequently, periodic maintenance such as chimney sweeping and other measures are called for.

Our point is simple. As the seasons change, make sure your gas fireplace and everything connected to it get a thorough and professional inspection. Old Smokey’s is your reliable go-to source for this easily overlooked but important task.

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