Has it been a while since you've had your chimney cleaned? Allowing your chimney to go longer than a year without a professional cleaning is a bad idea that could lead to serious consequences for your family or your home.  Here's why it's a good idea to contact a local chimney sweep to schedule a professional cleaning at regular intervals.

A Dirty Chimney Could Turn Into a Fire Hazard

When a chimney has not been cleaned for a long time, it likely has a build-up of soot and creosote inside the chimney. These substances can lead to a chimney fire the next time you light up the fireplace. A chimney fire will obviously cause damage to the chimney itself, but it could also spread to the rest of the house if you don't figure out what's going on fast enough. A chimney sweep will remove soot and creosote from the inside of your chimney, protecting your home from a dangerous situation.

A Dirty Chimney Could Lead to Issues with Carbon Monoxide

When the smoke from a burning fire can't properly escape through the chimney, some smoke and the carbon monoxide it contains could make its way back down into your house. This smoke can cause carbon monoxide to build up inside your home, and that's obviously a dangerous thing for your family. A clean chimney allows the air to flow freely and will keep carbon monoxide out of your house.

A Dirty Chimney Makes It Harder to Get the Fire Started and Keep It Burning

When a chimney is all blocked or clogged up, you may also have a hard time even getting a fire going or keeping it burning, leading to low overall burning efficiency. Fires need oxygen to thrive and a clogged chimney could keep fresh oxygen from getting to the fire, causing it to weaken and go out long before you want it to, and that's just a hassle you shouldn't have to deal with.

A Dirty Chimney Could Make Your House Smell Like Smoke

Lingering smoke could cause a carbon monoxide problem as was previously described, but even beyond that, no homeowner wants their entire house to start smelling like smoke. A clogged chimney could lead to a bad odor in the room with the fireplace and possibly other rooms as well. Lingering smoke could also cause an odor to take hold of your furniture and other furnishings inside the house. This lingering stench might require you to hire a professional for a deep cleaning in order to remove the smell.

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