As more people are likely to use their fireplaces as temperature drop, experts suggest making sure your chimney is ready to go before causing damage to your home and belongings.
“I probably had about 60 to 70 percent of the people that call me. It’s because they have a problem and they don’t know about the danger of the soot,” said Steven Comeaux, who owns Steven Comeaux Chimney Sweep.
It's the smaller fires inside your fireplace that can cause a hazardous build up.
“When you get small fires that’s what really causes the build up, in time it cakes up in the Chimney. And that’s what causes the fire hazard,” Comeaux said.
He’s spent decades in the business and encountered all sorts of things all over Acadiana —that could be a hazard if not properly maintained.
“You can have birds, you can have bird droppings, dead ducks. I’ve done live snakes, owls, squirrels, you name it,” Comeaux said.
“After you’ve been doing it for 38 years you come with some stuff every once in a while,” he added.
And, he says, fires happen more than you think.
“Their neighbors knocked on their doors and said you’ve got flames shooting out of your chimney. Two of my customers told me that. In the last six weeks,” Comeaux said.
He also says checking your appliances regularly could also prevent potential house fires.
“If your dryer goes through an attic or through the wall that’s a fire hazard you might want to consider that once a year. if your dryer goes straight out the house you should be ok,” Comeaux said.
But how easy is it to maintain?
"It all depends but I'd say you have to have a vacuum. The main thing is the vacuum, I have a three vacuum system. It's 99.99 percent dust free. And we're also careful of putting on a visqueen. Because some chimneys could be different than others, the drafting can be different,” Comeaux said.
Comeaux says if you have a brick chimney make sure you have a chimney screen on top of it.
And also says it’s a good idea to clean your chimney in the fall to prevent birds from getting in it to nest in the spring.
But the best time to clean is in the Spring, when the environment is cleaner.
Comeaux suggests inspecting the chimney prior to buying your home and cleaning your chimney at least once a year depending on its usage.
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