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In case you own a house with a fireplace, you would have a chimney to let all the exhaust air out too! Unfortunately, a big number of people with fireplaces do not know a thing or two about chimney repair and health. As a result of this, homes like these often run into trouble with fire, resulting in a loss of millions of dollars every year in the US. While this is something that is not brought up a lot, it is extremely important to talk about chimney maintenance

According to most of the roofing and chimney experts, annual chimney inspection is a major part of keeping the house safe from fires and to increase energy-efficiency. By getting an inspection every year, one can easily pick up on the issues that are developing inside a chimney. It is far cheap to fix a small problem that has yet not matured, as compared to dealing with something that is much worse. For instance, if there is a build-up of creosote that is caught early after an inspection, it would not cost a lot to sweep it away. However, if it stays building up, chances of a fire breakout would continue rise exponentially. Ultimately, it may take down the entire house causing a big loss! 

A quick guide to chimney maintenance 

Depending on your knowledge of house designs, you may or may not realize that most of the chimney in a house is hidden. This is why it is important to get chimney inspection by a CSIA certified inspector at least once a year. These inspectors are experts who are trained to recognize signs of any irregularities in the chimneys. To laymen, these irregularities may not be visible or even be obvious at all. However, experts can recognize them right away! 

On average, a homeowner is not likely to be well-versed in this area. So, it is highly important to put full faith in a chimney inspector. While this may require you to pay an upfront cost, it can actually prevent future damages. 

A little about the maintenance 

In case you take a look at the design of a house, the chimney works in the same way as lungs work in the human body. So, it is important to make sure that the chimneys work efficiently at all times. All in all, your house should have proper ventilation inside it, so that the smoke from the fireplace can flow out. 

Apart from the build-up of creosote layers, another important thing is to check for any animal nests on top of the chimney. Often at times, birds and rodents build up nests on the top of the chimney which turns into a big cause of fire breakouts. 

Small problems will have small fixes

Usually, the levels of fixes that you will do depends on the extent of your problems. In the case of chimney inspection, there is a general rule that smaller problems have smaller fixes. Similarly, if the problems are bigger, the fixes will be much more expensive. 

Also, remember that you do not simply need inspection only when there is a major problem. Rather, call in a chimney inspector after every few months or a year at max. Such minor check-ups and maintenance practices will help you in saving major repair costs. 

Ending note 

Chimney contractors Upper Marlboro are quite in action, especially during the winter season. So, make sure that you are not using your chimneys before an inspection. Otherwise, you are at a big risk of a fire breakout at your house (something that can prove to be devastating and fatal for life).

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