When the clocks go forward and temperatures rise, getting your chimney serviced is probably the last thing you're thinking about. What many people don't realise is that Spring and early Summer is probably the best time to sort your chimney out, for a variety of different reasons.
But if you're someone who's thinking about leaving your flue-focused maintenance jobs until the last minute again this year, Roofgiant will take you through some of the smartest reasons why you should be spring-cleaning your chimney as the weather improves.
It's A Quieter Time For Inspections
As the weather warms up in Spring it may seem like you're cleaning your chimney without reaping any of the benefits. However, adding 'chimney maintenance' to your overall home spring cleaning checklist makes a lot of sense financially and practically speaking, particularly as the Christmas season is far behind you and you'll now be able to look ahead to new roofing jobs and projects from a more beneficial position.
Typically, everyone will tend to think about chimney inspections right before they need to use their fireplace, making those early autumn weeks and months a busy time for inspection businesses - so it makes sense to get in early. By organising an appointment in Spring you may be able to avoid peak prices, grab yourself a potential deal, or get your chimney looked at exactly when you want to.
The Ideal Conditions For Cleaning
The temperate Spring months make for the perfect chimney inspection conditions - the weather is usually calm, storm risks are low, and most importantly of all, it's light.
The advent of British Summer Time and the sunnier skies mean that a professional individual inspecting your chimney will be able to take full advantage of the brighter conditions, making detailed assessments without any hassle or visual limitations. This is far more advantageous than getting someone out to look at your chimney during the dark and blustery winter months, where a full inspection may not be possible on the day due to dangerous rooftop conditions and poor visibility.
You'll Identify Problems Early
What you want to avoid is getting a chimney inspection right before you want to use it, only to discover a dangerous or expensive repair that needs to be made.
If the chimney evaluation reveals that your fireplace no longer meets safety standards, there's damage to your flue lining or even carbon monoxide concerns, it's far better to have these problems identified well in advance of when you want to use your chimney again. Therefore, repairs can be carried out in plenty of time and any financial decisions can be made within a more reasonable time frame.
Fireplace Smells Are Worse In Hot Weather
All those 'locked-in' smells from using your fireplace during winter tend to be released as the temperatures rise and humidity increases in the summer, bringing strange and often unpleasant smells into your home. Oftentimes creosote deposits, which are a natural bioproduct of burning wood, impregnate masonry, causing strange BBQ-like smells.
Other odours can be caused by decomposing leaves or even dead pests and their nesting materials. In the meantime, if you're looking to keep animals, debris and other common obstructions out of your chimney, we recommend taking a look at our Cowls & Leaf Guards section and purchasing a high-quality product such as the CMS Chimney Guard to keep your chimney opening protected...
