A warming blaze

One of the most attractive features of your new home is the fireplace in the living room.  The design is unique with bricks, concrete, and mortar inan aesthetically pleasing array set into the walls of your home.   You were unsure if you wanted a fireplace in your home, as you had never had one before, but the idea seems appealing to you as you contemplate the cold months ahead, and the rising costs of heating your living space.  If cutting some trees in the backyard, drying thewood properly, and using them to provide warmth in your home reduces your living expenses, than the fireplace is a great addition.  You may even be able to save on cooking expense by utilizing the flames to boil water or fry up some bacon and eggs, as if you were camping.

Before the omnipresent flow of gas into homes, our ancestors did all of their cooking over an open flame, so why not you?  Ok, that might be a stretch; after all we do live in a modern age.  But, a nice cozy fire provides an ambience in your home, an inviting glow, warming all those who gather around the hearth.  You must remember, as with all things, maintenance is required, or it will fail to function properly.  A good Arlington fireplace service company can do wonders to make it possible to continue to provide the roaring fires to warm your home.

Why get fireplace service?
Your fireplace is a bricked alcove set into the walls of your home.  In that alcove is a metal grate where you stack your wood for burning. As you use your fireplace, burning log after log, ashes and embers are collected below the metal grate.  If the ash is not removed, it will create a mound in your fireplace which will obstruct the metal grate, making it impossible to adequately stack your logs and start a fire.    The smoke attaches to the sides of the fireplace creating a layer of dust and debris.  Over time, the bricks may get chipped, the mantel may collapse and the hearth might sustain damage.  For all of these reasons, to insure optimal performance of your fireplace, you need to get service by a professional.

What will happen?
If you fail to properly service your fireplace, there will be an extensive buildup of soot and ash on the inside walls of the alcove.  This may lead to problems in the air quality of your home.  If the bricks get broken, or the hearth is damaged, this may lead to an ineffective fireplace, causing a leakage of not only smoke, soot and ash, but also the heat and warmth from the fire.   If the alcove is not properly formed and sealed, any potential heat may escape and not be concentrated into your home.  This will defeat the entire purpose of having a fireplace.  Every year you need to clean out the bottom of the metal grate, removing all soot and ash.  You need to thoroughly clean the walls of the fireplace, removing excess grime and debris.    During the winter season, routinely check the integrity of the bricks and hearth for any damage.  A professional Arlington fireplace service company can help you to accomplish all of these goals.

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Easy flow for your fire

The day has ended and the night has fallen. There is a brisk wind rattling through the trees.  You can feel the cold deep in your bones, as the temperature drops towards the freezing mark.  You bundle yourself in warm clothing to create a nice cocoon of heat.   As you pass the hours of the night, you may need some additional warmth, so you get a few logs and throw them into the fireplace.

As you are stacking your wood, preparing to set them ablaze, you reach up and open the damper to allow access through the flue into the chimney.   Just when you open the damper, a collection of soot and ash tumbles down falling right onto your face.   You shake your head, and accept it as inevitable, as a fire will always produce these particles.  You sit back and enjoy the comforting blanket of warmth pulsating from the dancing flames.

 As winter progresses, you repeat the same procedure, not noticing the amount of ash and soot is growing larger each night you open the damper.  Finally, with two feet of snow surrounding your home, your fire blazing, smoke starts billowing into your living room.  It no longer is able to easily flow up through the chimney.  You panic. The only solution at this late moment in time is to put out the fire, and return the room to its chilly atmosphere.  This could have been avoided if you had used a chimney cleaning fairfax va Company.

Never too early
Preventive maintenance is crucial for your home, especially for appliances and the structural integrity of the building.   You do not want to inspect a roof after it has sprung a leak.  You do not want to check the air filter on the furnace after it has stopped working.   You do not want to send for a chimney cleaner after your home is covered in soot and ash.  A chimney cleaning Arlington VA Company is on call all year round.  You can schedule an appointment at any time.  This is especially true for chimneys that are located above your furnace or boiler, as they are in use for the full twelve months of the year.  These appliances need to be properly ventilated through a clean chimney. 

Better safe than sorry
You may feel it is unnecessary to clean your chimney.  However, over time with continuous usage, there will be a buildup on the liner of the chimney of excess soot and ash.   Eventually, this grime and debris will grow until it obstructs the flow of smoke and ash through the chimney.  If you let this happen, your fireplace will be useless, unless you want to put a potted plant into it for decoration.  By being proactive, you can prevent any blockages in the chimney, allowing for a free and easy flow of toxins and contaminants out into the night air, away from your breathable living space.   A warm cozy fire is inviting.  In order to maximize your enjoyment, use a chimney cleaning Arlington VA Company to remove all obstructions inside your chimney.

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Taking a good look at your chimney

Home ownership is not an easy thing.  There are many responsibilities that come with purchasing a residence and property.   You are required to pay all the associated bills, including electric, gas, cable, and phone.  In addition, you must pay taxes to the local municipality on the property.An often overlooked task when you buy a home is the amount of maintenance the property will require both inside and outside.

You understand you must keep your living space clean and tidy, but the detailed work that has to occur outside was something you never expected, especially if you did not grow up in a house.   There is a lawn to mow, seed, and fertilize.  The flowers need to be planted and cultivated.  Bushes and trees need to be trimmed and managed so that they do not grow wild.   It is a constant battle to maintain a semblance of cleanliness in your home and on your property.  Hidden concerns also must be addressed, like a leaking roof, faulty wiring in the walls, or cracks in the foundation.  One hidden area that is forgotten is the chimney inspection.

A necessary job
When you look at your home from the outside you may see two chimney stacks sticking above the top of the roof.   Once inside your home, all you think about is the chimney connected to the fireplace, as that is the one you will utilize when you light a fire on a cold drafty evening.  However, any burning appliance in your home needs to have a venting system.   The hot water heater, boiler, and furnace all must be properly ventilated to prevent a buildup of harmful substances in the air in your home. In order to make sure that the venting system is working properly, you need a chimney inspection. 

Keep it in working order
A chimney inspection is a great way to provide peace of mind, not only when you light a fire, but when you operate any apparatus that burns gas or wood. Chimney cleaning washington DC will examine the structure of the chimney, checking for any cracks, dislodged bricks, or broken mortar along the entire length of your chimney.  The inspector will assess the liner of your chimney to insure that it is intact and still in good working order. At the top of your chimney is an opening to allow the soot, ash and smoke from your fireplace and appliances to escape your home and vent into the night air.  All chimneys must have a cap in place to prevent animals, birds, and other debris from falling into your chimney and possibly clogging the flow of wasteful air out into the night. 

Do not wait until it is an emergency
It is recommend that a chimney inspection occurs on a regular basis, as that is the best way to insure that your venting system is working efficiently and effectively.  If the furnace is not vented properly, you may be breathing in harmful toxins and not even know it.  If the chimney over your fireplace is not clean, you will fill your home with smoke and ash every time you use it. A chimney inspection prevents these occurrences, and should be considered as part of your maintenance schedule for your property. 


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