Milwaukee Chimney Repair

How to Determine if Chimney Work is Necessary

    As with a vehicle, chimneys require regular maintenance for safety and proper function. Therefore, choosing a skilled and reliable Milwaukee chimney sweep is imperative. These professionals can improve the safety of a home as well as inform residents about both minor and urgent repair needs. This expert advice is especially useful considering chimney problems can often pose undetected safety concerns.

Chimney Fire

"Chimney sweeps are trained experts that perform a valuable service to help protect residents and property," noted Sooty Bob. "Their advice should be taken seriously. But it should also be challenged so that the end result is a positive experience."

Chimney service remains an important consideration for all fireplace owners. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, nearly 30,000 residential fires in 1996 were related to solid fuel appliances and equipment, chimneys or chimney connectors. These fires led to 130 deaths and over $184.4 million in property losses.
However, like other home repairs, some chimney services are recommended to improve performance but are not essential for the safety of the home or chimney. In order to feel confident about choosing a reliable sweep as well as moving ahead with any prescribed chimney repairs, Sooty Bob advises residents to:

• Ask for References. Find a chimney sweep through references. Ask friends and neighbors.
• Check Credentials. Verify the credibility of the sweep through the Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) [www.csia.org] or the National Chimney Sweep Guild (NCSG) [www.ncsg.org]. All offer resources on sweeps in areas throughout North America. Check for local business credibility through the local Chamber of Commerce or the Better Business Bureau.
• Verify Recommendations. If a sweep recommends service, ask him for a way to verify that the service is necessary. Many sweeps offer a video scan of a chimney for a nominal charge, which can be money well spent. Or, have them describe the problem with a detailed report.
• Determine Level of Urgency. Ask the sweep to indicate the level of urgency associated with the repair. Look for technical feedback about any safety risks, long-term repercussions or health hazards.
• Be Smart. Investigate possible repairs via the Internet. CSIA and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA} [www.nfpa.org], as well as the Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association (HPBA) [www.hpba.org] offer great tips to help educate fireplace owners. The CSIA also offers brochures that explain various chimney services, such as: chimney lining, care and maintenance of a fireplace, carbon monoxide hazards and much more.
• Double Check. Before discounting a diagnosis, consider a second opinion.

"Chimney service should not be looked upon as a trivial," added Sooty Bob. "This is about saving lives and making sure that people enjoy a fire without interruption or catastrophe."
Chimney sweeping is a technical industry. Sweeps can go to school at the CSIA Technology Center in Indianapolis and learn professional inspection techniques according to the standards set by the NFPA

Clean Sweep Chimney Service is located in Southeastern Wisconsin and services Milwaukee, Waukesha, Slinger, and the entire Southeastern Wisconsin area. If you need Chimney repair or Chimney Cleaning Call us at (414) 483-9996. 

 Our Website is at http://cleansweepchimney.vpweb.com

Chimney Sweep Milwaukee | How to tell its time to clean your chimney

 Cleaning your Milwaukee Chimney is important to your safety and health.  Milwaukee Chimney and Fireplace owners ask me how to tell its time to clean their chimney.  So here is a little info to help.

How to tell when it's time to clean your chimney

There isn’t a simple rule of thumb on how often to clean your chimney, such as cleaning after 50 uses or one year. The problem is, creosote can form when wood is burned incompletely. A smoky fire without enough oxygen emits lots of unburned tar vapors that can condense inside the flue and stick to it, possibly leading to a chimney fire. You can reduce creosote buildup in your fireplace by providing adequate combustion air, which will encourage a hot, clean-burning fire.
To check for creosote yourself, first make sure there’s no downdraft from the chimney. If you feel an airflow, open a door or window on the same floor as the fireplace until the downdraft stops or reverses and air flows up (tape tissue to the fireplace opening and watch its movement). Then, while wearing goggles and a basic disposable dust mask, take a strong flashlight and your fireplace poker and scratch the black surface above the damper (smoke chamber). If the groove you scratch in the creosote is paper thin, no cleaning is needed. If it’s 1/8 in. thick, schedule a cleaning soon. If you have 1/4 in. of creosote, do not use the fireplace again until it is cleaned—a chimney fire could occur at any time.
To check for creosote, shine the light near the top of the firebox, in the smoke chamber and around the damper. And check the flue, too, especially on exterior chimneys, where creosote builds faster than on interior chimneys because of lower outside temperatures.

Milwaukee Chimney and Fireplace Cleaning And Repair

The easiest creosote to remove is the feather-light dull gray, brown or black soot. The next form is a black granular accumulation, removed fairly easily with a stiff chimney brush. The third type of creosote is a road tar–like coating that is much harder to remove even with stiff chimney brushes, scrapers or power rotary whips. The final (and most deadly) is a shiny, glaze-like coating on the flue that is virtually impossible to remove.
  Call a certified chimney sweep like Clean Sweep Chimney Service.  We are knowledgeable about building codes, trained to recognize deterioration or venting problems and able to advise you regarding the chimney’s condition. And the National Fire Protection Association recommends that chimneys, fireplaces and vents be inspected at least once per year.

Clean Sweep Chimney Service is located in Southeastern Wisconsin and services Milwaukee, Waukesha, Slinger, and the entire Southeastern Wisconsin area. If you need Chimney repair or Chimney Cleaning Call us at (414) 483-9996. Our Website is at http://cleansweepchimney.vpweb.com.

Greenfield Chimney Cleaning

Greenfield Wi homeowners Call Phil at Clean Sweep Chimney Service for all their Chimney Service needs.  Phil has been doing Chimney Cleaning and Repair for over 15 years and can be at your home today to Repair, Clean, or Reline your chimney the right way and at the best cost available. Call now!

Clean Sweep Chimney Service is located in Southeastern Wisconsin and services Milwaukee, Waukesha, Slinger, and the entire Southeastern Wisconsin area. If you need Chimney repair or Chimney Cleaning Call us at (414) 483-9996. Our Website is at http://cleansweepchimney.vpweb.com

Milwaukee Chimney Cleaning | Call now before Christmas

 Milwaukee homes looking to use their fireplaces over Christmas need to be sure that their Chimney is clean and ready.  Roast those chestnuts with peace of mind.  Clean Sweep Chimney Service can have your Chimney and Fireplace ready before for all your Christmas Festivities!
We still have openings through December so Call NOW.
Here are some signs that you need a Chimney Cleaning

• Burned wood odors coming from the fireplace when it's not being used.
• Fires that seem to burn poorly or that dump a bunch of smoke into the room.
• A black damper. Since it sits right above the firebox, the damper is often the easiest thing to see and reach. And it gets caked with creosote. Look or reach inside, and see what you can find. If you see black gunk or you can pull out chunks of the stuff, there's a good amount of creosote built up inside.

Clean Sweep Chimney Service is located in Southeastern Wisconsin and services Milwaukee, Waukesha, Slinger, and the entire Southeastern Wisconsin area. If you need Chimney repair or Chimney Cleaning Call us at (414) 483-9996. Our Website is at http://cleansweepchimney.vpweb.com

Chimney Cleaning Milwaukee | Waukesha Chimney Repair

While many Milwaukee homeowners are struggling to keep up with regular home maintenance expenses this home heating season, the National Chimney Sweep Guild (NCSG) shares the reminder that saving money in the short term by delaying routine maintenance may mean additional expense in the long run. Preventative maintenance is one way to keep down the cost of keeping your home safe and warm this season. 

The National Chimney Sweep Guild and the National Fire Protection Association both recommend that homeowners call a professional chimney sweep for an annual chimney inspection. Only a qualified professional will be able to identify and resolve maintenance issues before potential carbon monoxide intrusion and chimney fire hazards risk your time, health or money. 
NCSG encourages homeowners to hire professional chimney sweeps with verifiable memberships, credentials and insurance
Clean Sweep Chimney Service is located in Southeastern Wisconsin and services Milwaukee, Waukesha, Slinger, and the entire Southeastern Wisconsin area. If you need Chimney repair or Chimney Cleaning Call us at (414) 483-9996. Our Website is at http://cleansweepchimney.vpweb.com/