Chimneys need to be cleaned to remove creosote that builds up from burning wood in the fireplace.  The basic process takes about an hour.  I put a tarp down in front of the fireplace to protect the carpet and bring in some tools and a high efficiency vacuum to control the dust.  After cleaning out the chimney, the damper area, the fireplace and the gas log lighter I look things over for safety problems.  Then I get up on the roof to check the top of the chimney.  If I spot a problem I’ll get a Polaroid photo of it so you can see for yourself.

Critters have a way of getting into chimneys. In the springtime chimney swifts will nest in uncapped chimneys and raise their young. These beneficial birds are noisy but harmless. The droppings they leave behind are another matter though. If you hear fluttering in your chimney, please call me about it. I can advise you how to avoid harming the birds and how I can clean things up and prevent them from moving back in next year by installing a chimney cap. Squirrels can fall down inside a chimney, get stuck and die, sometimes causing major odor problems. Worse yet, if they get in the house they can cause damage in their efforts to escape. This is another reason to keep the damper shut and have a cap on top of the chimney. They can also get into the attic and flatten out the insulation.