Creatively Conscious Life

5 Major Causes of Soot and Stinky Chimneys In Your Home You Can Avoid

One home element that many homeowners least understand is the chimney. The presence of unsightly soot hanging from ceilings and other surfaces is familiar. When you have soot on your fireplace hearth or stinky chimneys in your home, it’s hard to know what’s causing it and what to do about it. However, a professional chimney cleaning servive will always come to your rescue. Here are things that can be causing soot and stinky chimneys in your home.

1.   Wet Wood Burning Fires

Wet wood is a common problem with fireplaces. The smoke is dirty, hard to breathe, and can cause permanent damage to ceilings, walls, floors, and anything else it touches. Hence, it’s vital to avoid burning wet wood to prevent such problems. Chimney fires are not an uncommon occurrence for people who use damp wood. It’s also hazardous as many people have died due to these fireplace fires.

Make sure only to burn dry wood in your fireplace, or buy one suitable to burn wet logs. Most people find that if they regularly take care of their fireplace by ensuring there isn’t any creosote buildup (dry, pitch-like buildup), they don’t need to worry about burning wet wood. Still, you may want to avoid them to be safe. However,  you can contact chimney cleaning los angeles to help you get rid of soot and stinky vents professionally at affordable prices.

2.   Clogged or Broken Air Vents

The air vents on your fireplace flue can clog with dust, lint, or bird nests. Gas can’t vent appropriately out of your chimney when theirs a blockage. Consequently, carbon monoxide builds up inside and seeps into your home. A professional inspection from Local Chimneys Swep Cleaning, for example, is essential to fixing any ventilation issues that could be causing soot buildup in your fireplace.

They should also be able to tell you if there are other problems with your system—which might cause more soot than usual—or keep it from working efficiently at all. A professional chimney cleaning company will check your chimney, scrape the sides, and clean all the residue to keep the vents clear.

3.   Excessive Moisture Around Your Chimney

Living in an area where you get a lot of rain or snow can cause moisture to gather around your fireplace or furnace. Excessive moisture is one of the leading causes of soot buildup on flues, which leads to smelly chimneys and dirty air. To prevent moisture from accumulating around your fireplace, regularly clean gutters as well as vents leading to your firebox with warm water when it snows heavily or rains for extended periods.

You can consider purchasing and installing a solar-powered humidifier near your house if you live in an area that’s prone to high levels of humidity during certain seasons. Humidifiers evaporate excess moisture from the air instead of condensing it into liquid form. If you don’t live in such areas, keep an eye out for standing water near your chimney; remove any leaves or other debris around it after a storm is over.

4.   Ignoring Chimney Maintenance

A common cause of chimney fires is ignoring regular chimney maintenance. The flue is more than a connection between your firebox and outside. It’s a vital component to keeping your home safe. Your best defense against potential issues is by regularly cleaning your chimney. It will help keep your chimney and fireplace system functioning optimally and keep your home clean.

Having your chimney receive professional cleaning each year can help prolong its life. Also, it can significantly increase safety when it comes to potential carbon monoxide leaks from an accumulation of creosote inside your flue pipe. Never, again, should you let a chimney fire cause damages because you failed to recognize how critical professional cleanings are for your safety as well as keeping your home looking good.

5.   Not Cleaning Out a Fireplace, Stove, or Furnace Flue

By not keeping a fireplace, stove, or furnace flue clear of ash, you can cause smoke to seep into a house via cracks or vents. This kind of smoke is known as creosote, and it can produce an odor that smells like burning plastic or burnt hair. Creosote also sticks to everything it touches—including walls, ceilings, furniture, and people.

If you notice such smells coming from your fireplaces, burners, or vent pipes, then chances are there’s a buildup of creosote or something similar causing it. To fix: Get a professional like the Local Chimneys Sweep Cleaning company to clean your chimneys out!

Conclusion

You want your home to be friendly and warm, but chimneys can cause a lot of trouble without proper care. That’s why it’s essential to be aware of all potential sources of soot and stinky chimneys problems. However, professional assistance in keeping your chimney functional is always a viable and safe option. You can contact Local Chimney Sweep Cleaning for professional chimney cleaning services and advice.

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