Having a fireplace in your home is very fundamental to keep you warm during the cold winter months when indoor temperature drops low. Unfortunately, many homeowners often forget to get their chimneys inspected or wait until late fall into the winter to get them inspected. By then, it will be almost too late to repair any damage in the chimney in preparation for winter. However, you don’t have to wait till it’s too late to get your chimney inspected. Get one step ahead and schedule an annual chimney inspection at Willard Power Vac.
By scheduling your chimney inspection early, you’ll be sure that your chimney is ready to be used when it’s time to light a fire. Also, you wouldn’t have to worry about getting a chimney sweep right before winter.
When is The Best Time to Get Your Chimney Inspected?
Chimney inspections are best carried out during the warmer months of the year. That makes spring and summer the ideal time for inspections for many reasons.
- Winter Weather Is Harsh For Chimney Inspection
The harsh weather makes it difficult to carry out chimney inspections during the winter. Typically, the essence of a chimney inspection is to check for damages in the chimney and also repair the damage before the next cold season. But during winter periods, chimneys that are built with masonry techniques are usually frozen, making it difficult to detect any damage in the chimney.
- Most chimney damage is done during winter
Most of the damage in the chimney happens during winter. When snow stays on the chimney all through the winter, it tends to melt slowly and drip into the chimney. For masonry chimneys, at low temperatures, the water freezes in the bricks and expands, causing cracks or shattering in the masonry.
- It’s easier to repair chimney damage during the warmer months
After a chimney inspection, you’ll discover that moderate to extensive repairs will be required, especially in masonry. The warm climate during spring or summer is most conducive for any kind of repair. For instance, the materials used for repairing the masonry require drier weather to be cured properly. This will be difficult or impossible during the winter when there is snowfall.
Also, if you experience water leaks or damage around the chimney, attic, or ceiling, preferably, they should be repaired during the warmer months when the weather is most conducive for repair jobs. And since roof repairs are done alongside chimney repairs, it will be best to get them repaired when there is less moisture in the atmosphere. In addition, when you schedule your chimney repair during the warmer months, you have the flexibility of planning the repair to fit into your convenience.
- It may be not easy to get a chimney sweep during winter
Before you light a fire to keep you warm in fall or winter, you should get a chimney sweep to remove dirt, ash, and creosote from the previous fire. Creosote can lead to a chimney fire if care is not taken. That is why it’s necessary to get a chimney inspection to make sure that your chimney is safe for use. However, if you plan your chimney inspection for the winter, it may be difficult for your plans to pull through due to weather conditions.
Is it Impossible to Get a Chimney Inspection During Winter?
Although it’s not entirely impossible to get your chimney inspected or repaired during the winter, rest assured that you wouldn’t get the best quality of work. In other words, you’ll pay more money to receive lesser-quality work. Plus, your chimney may not be able to serve you well if there are still damages that are limiting its function. You can save yourself the stress by scheduling the inspection during early spring or summer. This will ensure that your chimney is ready for use during the fall or winter.
Benefits of Having Your Chimney Inspected Early
Inspecting your chimney early helps you to identify and resolve damage in the chimney, such as water damage and mold growth. Cracks in the chimney can cause water to seep in, which would lead to water damage and mold growth. Although you may not notice the damage on time, it still puts your health at risk. However, annual inspections can help you detect the damage quickly and provide you with enough time to fix the damage.
Chimney damage can worsen over time and are expensive to fix. But a single inspection can prevent all that from happening. Whether you notice any damage or not, scheduling a chimney inspection early is never a bad decision.
