After a long burning season, homeowners are preparing to close up their fireplaces for the spring and summer. With several months of non-use coming, now is the perfect time to make changes to your fireplace system. If you love the warmth your fireplace provides but dislike the look, it may be time for a fireplace facelift!
A facelift is an easy way to make over the look and feel of your fireplace – and home. Whether you want to make a minor change like replacing the mantle or a major overhaul of the entire fireplace, the following are four reasons you should invest in a fireplace facelift this summer.
1. Add value to your home
Fireplaces are one of the most sought after home features in real estate. A survey by the National Association of Homebuilders found that buyers are willing to pay an additional $1,400 for a home with a fireplace; 46% of buyers in the same survey said looks were the most important aspect of a fireplace. A fireplace facelift can add value to your home by creating a modern, clean, updated focal point in any room.
2. Make a big – or a small – change
Remodeling your fireplace doesn’t have to be costly or messy. Because fireplace facelifts are completely personalized to your unique fireplace and style, it is possible to choose the perfect upgrades and updates for your home.
There are a number of small changes that can be done to update your fireplace without investing in a major construction process. Replacing stained or warped fireplace doors with more modern glass doors can improve aesthetics and efficiency. Likewise, installing a new mantle can create a fresh look for the whole room.
3. Show off your unique style
One of the major complaints of many homeowners is that their fireplace does not fit the aesthetics of the rest of the home. If your personal style is sleek and modern yet your fireplace is rustic, a facelift can help it better fit with the décor in the rest of your home. Redoing the façade of the fireplace can help you show off your unique style while still enjoying a functional heating appliance.
4. Upgrade your fireplace with an insert
If your current fireplace isn’t meeting your heating needs it may be time to upgrade to a fireplace insert. Fireplace inserts are efficient, cost effective heating appliances available in a variety of fuel sources. This makes installing a new insert an excellent option for those looking to change fuel sources; whether you want to burn gas, wood, or pellets, there is a fireplace insert for you!
Because they burn using closed system combustion, inserts are significantly more efficient than their open hearth counterparts. With little heat lost up the chimney during burning, many homeowners find that they use less fuel – and spend less money – while getting more heat in return.
Take advantage of the time your fireplace won’t be in use by investing in a fireplace facelift! For more information on the advantages of redoing your fireplace front, contact the experts at Jack Pixley Sweeps today!
Washing windows, scrubbing floor boards, airing out closets, or reorganizing garages are just a few of the most common spring cleaning tasks. However, there may be one area of your home you’ve been neglecting – the dryer vent!
Why do dryer vents need to be cleaned?
While small amounts of lint in the dryer vent may not create any problems, progressively greater amounts of buildup over time can constrict airflow to the dryer. Lessened airflow forces the dryer to work harder, producing hotter and hotter air to get clothes dry. This super-heated air can cause the flammable lint in the vent to ignite and lead to a dryer fire.
According to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, clogged dryer vents cause more than 15,000 house fires each year. These accidental fires – which are almost entirely preventable – cause more than $200 million in damages to personal property, as well as hundreds of injuries and even several tragic deaths.
How often should my dryer vents be cleaned?
Even if they know they need to have their dryer vents cleaned to prevent dryer fires, many homeowners do not know how often or when it should be done. Dryer performance is often the best indicator of whether or not the dryer vent needs to be cleaned. If you are experiencing one or more of these dryer performance problems, it may be time to have your vents cleaned.
– Clothes take longer than one cycle to fully dry
– The laundry room becomes noticeably warmer when the dryer is in use
– The dryer or the clothes directly from the dryer are excessively hot to the touch
– The lint trap collects excessive amounts of lint relative to the clothes in the dryer
– Lint or debris seen around exterior vents or ducts
– The interior of the dryer has a strong, musty odor that may transfer to clothes
Does my dryer vent need professional cleaning?
Just like your chimney, professional maintenance is always best when it comes to caring for your dryer vent. During a professional cleaning and inspection, a trained technician will use special tools and vacuums in order to remove and contain lint and debris from the venting system. This is different than the “blow out” cleanings done by other companies, which can leave piles of lint, dust, and debris covering your yard. An inspection of the dryer vent also ensures it is made of aluminum versus any other flammable materials.
At Jack Pixley Sweeps, we are proud to provide our customers with outstanding chimney and dryer vent services. For more information about preventing dryer fires or to schedule your next dryer vent cleaning, contact us today.
The arrival of spring brings warmer temperatures, plenty of green plant growth, and the birth of adorable baby animals. Unfortunately, many animals think chimneys are the perfect nesting spot to protect their new babies from predators and the elements.
While the presence of animals in the chimney may seem like a minor inconvenience – especially if you are not using your fireplace – it can lead to significant chimney damage or expose your family to disease. However, animal entry can be avoided with the use of a chimney cap.
How animals get in
The primary way that animals get into the flue is through a damaged – or missing – chimney cap. Sitting at the top of the chimney, the chimney cap covers and protects the flue from the elements. The metal top and mesh or wire sides allow smoke and gas to safety vent from the fireplace while preventing water, debris, and animals from getting in.
Even minor damage to the chimney cap can create enough space for animals to gain entry to the chimney; small holes in the mesh sides, dents in the metal, or missing screws can all create opportunities for animal entry. While birds and small mammals may only need a few inches to squeeze through, raccoons have been known to claw and bite at weak areas in order to create large enough openings for them to fit through.
How animals damage your chimney
While a chimney might seem like the ideal nesting spot for an animal, the presence of wildlife in the flue can cause significant problems for your chimney system. The following are just a few of the ways animals cause damage to your chimney.
– Chimney cap: Animal entry can worsen damage to a chimney cap. In addition to leaving space for more animals to enter in the future, this can also allow water and debris into the flue year-round.
– Flue liner: Beaks, talons, and claws can all scratch or chip the flue liner as animals attempt to navigate the cramped, dark flue. Likewise, nesting materials may have a corrosive effect on the liner, sometimes requiring chimney relining.
– Debris: Animal houseguests in the chimney do not come empty-handed; nesting materials, food, and droppings can accumulate in the flue. In addition to increasing the risk of chimney fire, this can also exposure your family to bacteria, bugs, and other diseases.
How to keep animals out
The most effective way to keep animals out of your chimney is through the use of a chimney cap. Good chimney caps are made of quality materials, correctly sized and fitted to your chimney, and have been professionally installed. In addition to preventing animal entry, chimney caps can also keep moisture and debris out of the flue; this protects your chimney system year round and helps prevent damage and deterioration.
Don’t let animal entry affect your chimney system this spring. Instead, have a new chimney cap installed to prevent birds, raccoons, and other animals from gaining entry to your home. For more information on the dangers of animals in the flue or to have a new chimney cap installed on your fireplace system, contact Jack Pixley Sweeps today.
Whether your fireplace burns wood, gas, oil, or another fuel source, it is important to have it swept at least once per year as part of a regular maintenance plan. However, many homeowners – particularly those with gas fireplaces or who infrequently use their fireplace – wonder if an annual sweeping is absolutely necessary.
The primary purpose of an annual chimney sweeping is to remove soot, ash, and creosote buildup from the flue and venting system. This is an extremely important part of ensuring your fireplace burns safely and efficiently; without regular sweepings, buildup in the flue can cause damage to the venting system, chimney fires, and more.
What is creosote?
Creosote is a highly flammable, naturally occurring byproduct of combustion; while it is created in all fuel-burning fires in small amounts, wood burning fires produce the largest amounts of creosote. Creosote accumulates in the venting system over time, sticking to the walls and crevices of the flue. The longer it remains in the flue, the harder it is to remove.
The Importance of Removing Creosote
Creosote is more than just a hard-to-remove chimney nuisance; the presence of creosote in the flue creates serious safety hazards. There are three primary reasons why creosote should be removed.
- Chimney fires
The primary cause of chimney fires is accidental ignition of creosote; creosote is responsible for more than 25,000 chimney fires in the United States each year. These kinds of chimney fires are caused when flames or high temperatures from a fire cause creosote buildup in the flue to ignite. Some signs of a chimney fire include:- Loud roaring or popping noises
– Visible flames from the top of the chimney
– Smoke or smoky odors in adjoining rooms or attics
– Glowing, red-hot connector
– Vibrating stove or connector
– Visible flames through cracks in the connector
If you believe you have had a chimney fire, it is extremely important to contact a certified chimney sweep for an inspection before using the fireplace or stove again.
- Chimney corrosion
In addition to being highly flammable, creosote is also acidic. Because of this, it can corrode chimney materials, including mortar, steel, clay tiles, and mortar connectors.
Stage three creosote, also known as glazed creosote, has a hard, glassy finish that makes it extremely difficult to remove. It is important to have an experienced chimney sweep remove this level of creosote; because creosote is corrosive, there are often cracked flue tiles or missing mortar joints left behind when glazed creosote is removed.
- Creosote expansion
When allowed to accumulate in significant amounts, creosote can expand when exposed to heat. In addition to leading to chimney fires, this can narrow the diameter of the flue, lowering draft, causing smoking problems, or even blocking the flue entirely.
Contact Us Today
Don’t let creosote accumulation in your flue lead to a dangerous chimney fire. Instead, contact the experts at Jack Pixley Sweeps to safely sweep your flue and remove any creosote deposits.
Preparing to put your home on the market can be a stressful time. You must deep clean, fill out paper work, and work with a real estate agent or broker. However, it can be easy to look over one important selling feature in your home – your fireplace.
Fireplaces are one of the most sought after features in real estate and can add value to your home. The National Center for Real Estate Research found that “fireplaces have a strong, positive effect on selling price with each fireplace adding about 12 percent.”
However, potential buyers want to see that a fireplace is in good condition, ready to burn safely, and operate efficiently. To give potential buyers peace of mind and show off the condition of your home’s fireplace, invest in a Level 2 chimney inspection before putting your home on the market.
Chimney Inspections for Sellers – and Buyers
Home inspections are used to ascertain the value and condition of your home. However, many inspectors lack the expertise to effectively evaluate a fireplace system. Therefore, an outside chimney report can help protect both buyers and sellers.
Sellers can have the report from a Level 2 chimney inspection included in their documentation. This gives potential buyers information concerning the fireplace condition not covered during a standard home inspection. Likewise, buyers can also request an outside chimney inspection once under contact. This ensures there is no bias in the information provided about the fireplace system.
About Level 2 Chimney Inspections
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) created three standardized levels of chimney inspections. Level 1 chimney inspections are standard for regular annual maintenance, while Level 3 chimney inspections are used in case of serious damage or natural disaster.
Level 2 chimney inspections are used when buying or selling a home. This level of chimney inspection includes a comprehensive look at the condition of the entire chimney system – without being overly invasive or damaging the fireplace in any way.
During a Level 2 chimney inspection, the certified chimney technician will visually inspect all interior and exterior portions of the fireplace and chimney for signs of damage or deterioration. Inspections note anything affecting fireplace functionality or safety while recommending appropriate repairs.
Level 2 inspections also include the use of technology such as closed circuit cameras. This allows chimney technicians to view otherwise inaccessible portions of the flue, report on its condition, and identify otherwise hidden damage that could affect fireplace safety.
Buying or selling a home is stressful enough; don’t let the condition of your chimney add more fuel to the fire. Have a Level 2 chimney inspection to insure there are no hidden hazards or underlying damage in your fireplace system. If you are in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area, trust the experts at Jack Pixley Sweeps to perform a comprehensive inspection on your chimney. Contact us today to schedule an inspection before selling your home.
