Winter in Toronto, Canada can be very frosty. And having no sought-out plan that’ll keep your home warm is not something that anyone can afford. The beginning of this season marks the crucial benefits of having a Fireplace at home. And with enough fuel to light up and hot cocoa to drink, home is the coziest place to be.
However, chimneys can also be dangerous to your household, especially those neglected for months or years. Creosote buildup can provoke fire breakout that may damage more than just your chimney. Further, birds or rodents may be nesting in the chimney blocking the exit of smoke and carbon dioxide. To avoid all these costly troubles, here are tips for preparing your chimney for winter:
Exterior Inspection
Carbon monoxide is odorless but very fatal when it dominates your living space. Therefore, a thorough inspection of your chimney is crucial. For starters, examine the exterior of your chimney for any structural flaws. If you notice voids/ cracks that might suggest loss of structural integrity, call masonry. Also, go to the rooftop if it’s accessible and examine the chimney top. Is it in great shape or does it need repair?
Interior Inspection
Once you are done with the exterior inspection of your chimney. It’s time for the interior. Since examining the chimney inside can be messy, wear protective goggles or call a professional inspector to do the job. In the chimney, what you should focus on is the presence of creosote. In addition, also make sure the chimney is clear of any blockage to the top. If there are birds or rodents nests, organize a way to remove them.
Preparing Your Chimney
After completing a thorough inspection of the chimney, it’s time for general preparation. And these tips should improve the safety of your fireplace.
- Acquire Seasoned Wood
Using any wood in your fireplace can deliver the results you need. However, they may come with underlying risks. As such, you need to rely on seasoned wood to guarantee the safety of your home. Seasoned woods have the least to none concentration of moisture after six months of drying.
Therefore, they burn without emitting moisture into your chimney. On the other hand, ordinary wood or unseasoned wood contains moisture that promotes the quick build-up of creosote. With that said, you can identify seasoned wood through its cracks at the end due to drying.
- Ash Build
When it comes to wood ash, you don’t have to wait for it to pile. After appreciating the warmth of the fireplace in the night, compile and remove the ashes in the morning. In the morning, it will be cool with no risk of burning you. But even so, get proper equipment that is non-combustible just to be safe.
- Clear Creosote
In case there is creosote according to your earlier inspection in your chimney, it’s time to remove it. It’s tar-like matter lining your chimney from the smoke entry point to exit. Oftentimes, this build-up is a result of prolonged use of the fireplace without cleaning it. While you can try your best to clean it up, hire professionals to get a satisfactory result.
Final Take
With all that said, are you ready to improve the state of your chimney? Well, it can be a messy job for sure. Luckily, you don’t have to stress yourself with this. Get in touch with Turnbull Masonry and they’ll help you out with this work. What’s more, they also provide chimney repair, Toronto. Thus, if any section of your chimney has damages get in touch with Turnbull Masonry, Toronto, and they will come over.
