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Chimneys are one of the most simple and common features on traditional homes. The first thing you notice on children’s pictures of houses is that they almost always contain a chimney. This is regardless of whether the neighbourhood the child lives in contains chimneys or not. Another thing every child knows is that Santa needs a chimney in order to visit.
With trends in modern house building in the 1960s to 1990s, it appeared for a while as if the chimney would become a thing of the past. Something that you could only see on the very oldest, and most impractical houses. However, something that came as a big surprise to many is that chimneys, and more particularly fireplaces, are making a big comeback. In fact, fireplaces are becoming so popular that a whole range of new products and innovations have been made to make them more convenient, efficient and friendly to the environment. In many ways, it is not surprising that chimneys are making a comeback on suburban roof-scapes. Pretty much everyone loves the feeling of sitting down by a real fire with their family and enjoying the sound, heat and look of the fire. The feeling of comfort and warmth really is incomparable. However, people should be aware that fireplaces do require certain care and maintenance. While many people overlook this, it is a big mistake. Chimney fires can cause permanent damage to your chimney and house and can lead to costly repairs, not to mention the dangers of smoke and possible fires. Even faulty dampers can lead to smoke damage or can cause you to loose over $200 a year in wasted heat as cool air flows down them in winter. To avoid these problems with chimneys, there are a couple of steps you should take. First of all, clean your chimney, or have it cleaned for you regularly. Cleaning a chimney is quite a simple task and involves removing the built up creosote from the inside of the flume. If you fail to do this, you may notice a deterioration in your fire as air flow is impeded and if you are unlucky, the creosote will catch fire and you will have a chimney fire on your hands. After chimney fires, they must be inspected for damage as the fire can make them unsafe for use. Another thing you should do is install a good damper on your chimneys. The damper can be closed in the winter to keep cold air, as well as leaves and small animals out of your chimney. In the summer it should be opened to allow the smoke out of the chimney. Forgetting to open the damper can be disastrous as it will cause smoke damage to your home. Also, make sure you damper is not broken so that it keeps out the cold in winter. By following these simple steps, chimneys can be safe and enjoyable additions to any home and keep you warm all winter long. |
