Chimney Checkup Time!

Ladies and gentlemen, we're getting back into the cooler weather, and between that and the posts here from the last two weeks, you've guessed rightly that September is sort of a 'chimney month' here at Dream Team.  We worry about it so you don't have to.  And now that we're looking at using our chimneys, we want to mention a couple of problems that could make your life difficult in the coming months.

Problem #1: Wildlife!

Animals endanger themselves & the people they're squatting with.

As you can see to the right, all kinds of wildlife seem to enjoy nesting in our chimneys.  To the right, you see members of species procyon ictor, better known as the common raccoon.  Normally, they exist as scavengers and nest inside hollowed-out, dead trees.  But when humans build, we often remove these fire hazards as impediments to our lifestyle, depriving the animals who naturally live in them of a place to give birth to their (admittedly very cute) young.  But having animals of any kind in your chimney is never good.  There are many dangers - both to your home and to the animals.  To us, there's a matter of both allergens and disease.  To them, chimneys get very hot and smoke-filled, and these living blockages are as likely to be harmed by carbon monoxide as the humans, and in a chimney fire, they will be the first casualties.

Solution: Call your local chimney contractor!
Rather than calling an exterminator who might kill these innocent creatures - and not care about the safety of your home, your local chimney contractor is skilled enough and qualified to remove these animals - without doing additional damage to your chimney.  In addition, unlike an exterminator, a contractor can also quickly put on a chimney cap to make sure the problem goes away forever.

Ouch!  I wouldn't want this on my roof!

Problem #2: Water and Ice
As we've said before, enemy number one to your home is water.  And water has a bad habit around this time of year and in the coming months.  It freezes.  And when water freezes, it expands very powerfully - cracking masonry and bricks with ease.  If your chimney freezes, and you go to use it, it's very possible to develop a leak or cracks in the masonry, which can indicate serious danger to your family.

 Solution: Call your local chimney contractor!
Your local chimney contractor can help you to protect your chimney against bad freezes with two very important tools: a chimney cap (which also protects against rain and wildlife) and an apex crown.  Each of these two tools can protect you a bit more.  There's no need to worry with that, as a well-done cap and crown will protect you for several years.

Well, that's a couple of problems and one very sound solution.  Call Dream Team today and get a free estimate on your home before any problems start.