In one of our previous blog posts, we stressed the
urgency of having your chimney regularly cleaned and maintained for health and
safety purposes. If you haven’t been convinced on the importance of the matter,
we thought it might be a good idea to take you deeper into the hazards you
might face if you don’t take care of your fireplace and chimney.
Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
Carbon monoxide is a hazardous gas that can work its
way into your home after you’ve been burning a fire. This is such a dangerous
gas because it has no odor, color or taste, so it’s almost completely
impossible to detect on your own. If you’re breathing in small amounts of
carbon monoxide, your body could present itself with flu-like symptoms which
include nausea, confusion, headaches, chills, etc. Larger amounts, however, can
be extremely detrimental to your health. Breathing in carbon monoxide over an
extended period of time can lead to heart and brain problems, and even death.
To help combat the potential issue of a buildup in
your home, have a carbon monoxide detector installed in your home. It looks
just like a regular smoke detector; many homes these days are even being built
with them from the start.
Soot Inhalation
Soot is probably one of the most obvious reasons people
will feel like they need to get their chimneys cleaned. Soot is a powdery dust
that sticks to your chimney when you burn wood, and if inhaled can be bad for
your health.
Since soot is so light and fine, it has a tendency
to fly into the air, out of your chimney and into your home, where you could
breathe it right in. Breathing in soot can irritate your lung and even cause
lung disease in the long run. Along the same lines, breathing the dust in can
also create respiratory infections, making it hard to breathe.
The good thing about soot in your fireplace/chimney growth
is that you can see it as it’s happening, so if you notice a buildup, you know
it’s time to call in a professional for a cleaning.
Exposure to Creosote
As we mentioned in our last chimney cleaning post, creosote is a substance
that can build up in your chimney flue if wood doesn’t burn exactly the way it’s
supposed to. It’s a black, oily consistency, and something you definitely don’t
want to breathe into your body.
Not only will it cause lung damage like soot does,
but creosote can cause seizures and confusion if inhaled over a long period of
time. And unlike soot, which is harmless to the touch, physical contact with
creosote is dangerous and can cause major skin rashes and burn your eyes.
None of these things are factors that we want to
expose ourselves or our families to, so make sure you take your annual
fireplace and chimney cleaning seriously. And don’t be fooled; cleaning your
chimney isn’t like cleaning the rest of your house. As professionals, we are
prepared to clean your chimney and fireplace in the most effective and safe way
possible.
If you have a hard time remembering if you’ve gotten
your yearly inspection, schedule it for the same time each year, like the
beginning of fall, when the summer months are ending and you’re gearing up to
light some cozy fires for the holidays.
Call us if you have any questions or to schedule
your annual inspection/cleaning today!
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