Chim Chimney Master Masonry

Do I need a Chimney Cleaning?

If you used your fireplace or wood burning stove during the winter months, the National Fire Protection Agency recommends annual chimney inspections.

If you have a fireplace or wood-burning stove, you also have a dirty chimney!  The two simply go hand in hand. As wood burns, the combustion process produces solid byproducts that build up in your chimney or flue pipe as a black, sticky layer that is highly combustible, and the only way to get rid of it and that AWFUL ODOR is through regular professional Chim Chimnee Cleaning.

Who is Chim Chimnee Master Masonry

Chimney Dampers: We offer repair and replacement on dampers, both at the bottom of the chimney as well as top sealing dampers.
Animal Removal:

Homeowners are unaware that chimneys are an integral part of a home heating system and that they require regular evaluation and maintenance. In a great many European countries - including Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland and Germany - chimney-fire damage statistics have been reduced to negligible numbers because national coalitions of government, insurance companies, fire and building officials, and chimney sweeps have developed tough regulations mandating regularly scheduled chimney inspections and cleaning.

The citizens of those countries understand the hazards of unmaintained chimneys, and their chimney sweeps are regular members of their home safety team.

Most homeowners in the U.S. and Canada, however, seem to have little working knowledge of chimney and venting systems. This situation is complicated by the fact that faults, damage and problems rarely visible to the casual observer. In fact, people who will quickly replace a faulty automobile exhaust system because of the hazard it presents will allow their home's exhaust system the chimney or vent - to go unchecked and unmaintained for years. The threat of chimney fires and unsafe indoor air quality conditions can be greatly reduced, perhaps even eliminated, if homeowners only understood that chimneys are active home operation systems which require regular maintenance.

SMOKE PROBLEM? Chimneys draw more than just the smoke from the fire, a fact most often overlooked by many chimney builders. Ambient air surrounding the fire will be drawn towards the fire and flows into the chimney with the smoke. The higher or farther a hood or chimney opening is from the fire, the more ambient air that will displace smoke as it rises to the chimney. The cooler ambient air will be heavier than the smoke and will slow the movement of smoke in the chimney. If the fire is located too far from the chimney or hood, then the amount of ambient air moving over the fire becomes so great that, some of all of the smoke will be forced into the smithy.

The Chimney Sweep's Role
The primary job of a chimney service professional is to aid in the prevention of fires related to fireplaces, woodstoves, gas, oil and coal heating systems and the chimneys that serve them. Wood burning heating systems, in particular, require careful monitoring and skillful operation.

Chimney sweeps install, clean and maintain these systems, evaluate their performance, prescribe changes to improve their performance, and educate the consumer about their safe and efficient operation. The basic task of a chimney sweep is to clean chimneys. Cleaning means removing the hazard of accumulated and highly combustible creosote produced by burning wood and wood products.

It means eliminating the build-up of soot in coal-and oil-fired systems, it means getting rid of bird and animal nests, leaves and other debris that may create a hazard by blocking the flow of emissions from a home heating appliance. In doing their primary job, sweeps also function as on-the-job fire prevention specialists. They are constantly on the lookout for unsafe conditions that can cause home fires or threaten residents with dangerous or unhealthy indoor air quality.

What causes these cracks? The freeze-thaw action of colder climates is usually the culprit. Moisture can make its way into the masonry, damaging it and any attached object made of metal like a lightning rod or satellite dish.

The risk of damage to your chimney increases if you live in a­n historic home. Before the use of natural gas or oil for heat, coal was used. Chimneys built to accommodate the high heat of burning coal that powered boilers are oversized and too cool for oil or natural gas conditions. This kind of chimney can lead to greater risk of condensation and resulting damage. The topmost area of the interior walls of the chimney are the most vulnerable, as well as being the most difficult to notice unless you spend time on your roof. Unfortunately, neglect and lack of inspection often lead to the need for major repairs.
Damaged chimneys can allow toxic gases such as carbon monoxide to leak into your house, creating a serious health hazard.
­Be sure to have your chimney checked every year for damage. We will scour the area for missing or loose flashing -- the metal sheeting that keeps watertight the place where the roof and chimney meet -- and any signs of damage to the masonry, especially cracking. Remember that serious problems need the attention of a professional; repairs should be done by an amateur. And, many communities require a permit for chimney work

A common maintenance task for brick masonry is the repair of mortar joints. The longevity of mortar joints will vary with the exposure conditions and the mortar materials used, but a lifespan of more than 45 years is typical. The longevity of brick, however, may well exceed 100 years. Consequently, occasional repair of the mortar joints is expected over the life of the brick masonry. Here at Chim Chimney & Master Masonry it is our observation that the most common reason for repointing brick masonry is to improve water penetration resistance. Repointing deteriorated mortar joints is one of the most effective and permanent ways of decreasing water entry into brickwork. This is because the most common means of water entry into a brick masonry wall is through debonded, cracked or deteriorated mortar joints

Fireplaces work mainly because hot air rises. When you start a fire, the air inside the chimney becomes warmer and less dense than the air outside the chimney, and consequently it starts to rise.  As the warm air rises, cooler air from the room flows into the firebox, fanning the fire, and creating more heat in an ongoing cycle. There are also some pressure differentials produced as wind moves across the top of your chimney.

There are many reasons why your fireplace may not function properly.  A true understanding of fireplaces requires extensive knowledge of air flow patterns, pressure differentials, and actual fireplace construction techniques. If you are having a smoke problem, give us a call!

Chimney cleaning – or sweeping... or  Service or Repairs 
It is important to know how to choose a sweep because there is big difference in the industry ...  So, how can you tell a superior sweep from an inferior one?  By knowing & learning about their Company.
Because chimney sweeps play such an important part of your safety, and since the nature of their work requires that they come into your home, it's important that you choose a chimney sweep.

Please Beware of Seasonal Chimney

Cleaning & Chimney Repair Companies!!! 
Most Often These Companies
"Job it Out" to a Chimney Repair Company!!!
You Don't Want a Roofer or Siding Person Repairing Your Chimney!!
They Probably Do Good Roofing & Siding , But Remember
"Our Professional Certified Masons" 
Only Do Chimney Repairs!!!!
Trust The Experts

Consequently, there are many poorly equipped, unprepared people offering their "services" as chimney sweeps. There are some who have studied and worked to become capable sweeps. Still others offer incompetent service and leave their customers with a false sense of well-being. 

So, whether or not you choose to work with us, the least we can do is help you to know what to look for so that you can make the best decision for your situation.