Auburn, Alabama

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Sootaway’s Expert Chimney and Fireplace Services

Chimney Sweep Auburn, Alabama

Sootaway chimney sweep Auburn knows that fireplaces and chimneys are very important to maintain. As one of the riskiest areas of the home, when not properly maintained, fireplaces can become very dangerous. With that being said, if you own a fireplace, you should consider getting your chimney cleaned by a professional chimney sweep team. Professional chimney sweeps can help minimize the risks of owning a fireplace and ensure your chimney is properly maintained. The Sootaway team consists of experienced chimney sweeps serving Auburn, Alabama. We help our clients feel secure with their fireplace so they can enjoy it anytime they want. Before discussing the benefits of our services, let’s cover what chimney sweeps do.

What is a Chimney Sweep?

A chimney sweep is a professional chimney technician who ensures homes are safe to use their fireplaces. Since the 1700s, fireplace owners have known cleaning their chimneys is a risky task. Homeowners would seek the help of young boys who would climb up their chimney to clean each brick and tile in the interior. Thankfully, commercial-grade equipment has taken that job away from children. Despite people knowing for over 300 years that chimney cleaning is very important, many people neglect to do this task, or they attempt to do it themselves.

Chimney sweeps are highly trained workers who have the proper equipment to clean chimneys thoroughly. Most homeowners do not have the necessary tools to get up and inside the chimney. To reach the entire chimney a pro needs the proper tools. A professional chimney sweep will use extendable brushes, specialized cleaning agents, and even cameras to ensure your chimney is completely clean. With that being said, hiring professional chimney sweep Auburn, such as those at Sootaway, has a multitude of benefits.

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Columbus	Axis	McCalla
Muscle Shoals	Kent	Verbena

Chimney Fire Prevention Tips

Use Proper Fuel

Make sure the wood is seasoned and when choosing a type of wood, go for a hardwood like oak, maple, or ash. A few logs of greenwood can build creosote thick enough to start a chimney fire.

Proper Installation

Your wood stove or furnace must be installed properly and by a professional. This is to ensure there is proper distance between the flammable parts and the non-combustible parts of the heating system. A wood stove’s chimney must be brick-made (masonry) and factory-built. A single bricked chimney with no liner must never be used for a wood stove.

Chimney Cleaning

Get a professional chimney sweep to inspect your chimney at least annually. This should be even more frequent if the fireplace is lit regularly.

Use Smoke Detectors

With the help of smoke detectors, troubleshoot and take action immediately any time smoke is detected indoors. The smoke is most likely a result of a dirty chimney full of debris like dead leaves, twigs, soot, or creosote buildup that have resulted in chimney flue blockage. Other causes include soft or wet wood that has not burned completely or a damper that is not fully opened.

Dangers of Creosote

Unfortunately, creosote is an unavoidable side effect of using your wood-burning fireplace. Creosote is a type of residue that results from burning wood. Creosote sticks to the walls of your chimney, and excessive buildup can lead to hazards such as odors in the home or chimney fires. Because creosote is the leading cause of chimney fires, the National Fire Protection Association recommends having your chimney annually. Your Sootaway chimney sweeps are experienced in cleaning chimneys and removing creosote and are happy to assist you.

Happy Customers

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Happy Customers

“Sootaway came out and used some spray to waterproof my chimney. Even gave me a 10 yr warranty in case we did start seeing leaks but reassured me that it would not be a problem again. I really appreciate knowing I don’t have to worry about my chimney for a long time.”

“I liked that this business called me ahead of time to verify my appointment, I almost forgot about it. Additionally, they laid down a cloth so that my carpet would stay clean. I liked the extra care they took during the whole process.”

“The back wall of my fireplace was heavily cracked. I wasn’t sure if this would cause other problems or not but I called just in case. They said they could replace it with a new one for a very reasonable price. Everything went smoothly and my fireplace is no longer cracked!”

Read Our Blog

How to Clean a Chimney Flue Simple?

by Patrick Buell | June 12, 2020 | Blogs | 0 Comments

A flue is a pipe in a chimney for directing gases from a fireplace to outside the home. Fireplaces can be the biggest source of energy consumption when the flue is not used correctly. This usually happens when the flue is left open too wide after the fire has started. Therefore, chimney flue cleaning is very essential to keep your fireplace chimney in a tip-top condition. Chimney flue cleaning and maintenance is necessary. Over time, creosote and soot can accumulate in your flue. Creosote build-up is flammable and can lead to a fire hazard in your home. Routine chimney maintenance also includes eliminating any debris and birds’ nests that may have accumulated in your flue. This debris in your flue can block the release of smoke from your fireplace. This can lead to fire hazards, and increased smoke and carbon monoxide levels in your home. Preparations to Make before Chimney Flue Cleaning Before cleaning your chimney flue, wear protective clothing, goggles, gloves, and a mask....

How do you tell if bats are in your chimney?

by Patrick Buell | February 17, 2022 | Blogs | 0 Comments

Got Bats In your Chimney? Bats are the only flying mammals! This makes them one of the most common mammals to get into chimneys! Telling what type of animal is in your chimney can be very helpful when calling someone for an animal removal! So, how do you tell if bats are in your chimney? Like you, many homeowners with a chimney constantly worry about noises inside their chimney and a lot of them have bats inside the chimney. How do bats get in chimneys? Bats are fairly small animals. Usually they are around the size of the average bird. This makes it easier for them to gain access to the inside of your chimney. Chimneys can sometimes have their cap knocked loose, this makes the perfect pathway for animals like bats. Other animals can also knock the cap loose like raccoons. Bats can carry diseases like rabies. This makes it dangerous to leave them the ability to gain access to your home. Rabies has no cure and will kill somebody quickly. This makes removing bats from chimneys an...

A Fireplace Chimney Clean-Out Keeps The House Safe

by Patrick Buell | December 17, 2021 | Blogs | 0 Comments

Any place with a fireplace needs to get its fireplace chimney cleaned out regularly, to enjoy optimal and safe heating. A clogged chimney not only leads to inefficient wood-burning but also carries fire risk. Besides, it causes harmful indoor pollution. Advantages of Hiring a Professional for Your Fireplace Chimney When you requisition the services of a professional fireplace chimney sweep like SootAway you are assured of the fact that they will do a thorough job of removing the accumulated soot and creosote deposits. Besides, they will also free the fireplace chimney of blockages if any. A professional chimney sweep will possess the wherewithal to comprehensively clean the chimney liner, firebox, damper as well as smoke chamber ensuring that there is no trace of creosote glazing to set off a chimney fire. Considering how a clogged chimney can have really serious consequences, it is way better to let trained and qualified people carry out the cleaning. Why You Need Professional...

Prevent Animals from Entering Your Chimney this Spring and Summer

by Patrick Buell | June 5, 2023 | Uncategorized | 0 Comments

As the warm weather arrives and nature springs back to life, it's important to be aware of the potential risks posed by animals entering your chimney. Every year, numerous critters seek refuge in chimneys across the United States, causing damage and posing potential hazards. In this blog post, we will shed light on the alarming number of animals that enter homes via chimneys, the damage they can cause, and provide practical tips on preventing such incidents. At SootAway Chimney Sweep, we're committed to safeguarding your home and ensuring a critter-free chimney. Call us today at (866) 345-4751 and take the first step in protecting your home. The Magnitude of the Problem: Each year, thousands of animals find their way into homes through chimneys, creating havoc for homeowners. Common culprits include raccoons, bats, chimney swifts, squirrels, birds, opossums, rats, snakes, and even chipmunks. These intruders not only pose risks to the structural integrity of your chimney but can also...

Helpful Tips: Bird is NOT the Word

by Sean Foster | July 27, 2020 | Blogs | 0 Comments

Do you hear the chirping of birds or flapping of wings in your chimney? It is more common than you think! There is even a type of species of birds that focus on nesting in chimneys! This home intruder, called a Chimney Swift can inhabit your chimney and build a nest inside. We can remove them for you through humane animal removal, but if it is during the breeding season of the Chimney Swift, you might have to wait! Chimney Swifts are migratory species of birds that fly from Peru to North America during their breeding season. The breeding season generally lasts until the end of the summer. This species of birds are federally protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, making it against federal law to relocate their nests while they are active. Swifts are known for creating nests in chimneys- hence the name. These birds will create a nest within your chimney and lay eggs. The eggs will hatch, and baby swifts usually leave the nest about a month after hatching. Since the birds are...

Things to Consider When Hiring a Chimney Sweeper

by Patrick Buell | January 28, 2019 | Blogs | 0 Comments

Before the cool, crisp days of autumn make your evenings in front of the fireplace relaxed and irresistible, take time to make sure your fireplace is as safe as it is inviting. Get your chimney inspected and cleaned, ideally in late spring or early summer season when the summer season is over. That way, you will have sufficient time to schedule any repairs you need. A 2016 file from the National Fire Protection Association states that the main factor contributing to home fires is the failure to clean chimneys on time. Chimney cleaning is usually a DIY chore, so it’s better to hire a trained professional Chimney Sweep to perform this job. That’s because cleaning and inspecting chimneys include more than simply cleaning soot. Therefore, most people prefer to hire professional chimney sweeper with the right skills for this task. Get a Chimney Sweeper with Reputation To find a reputable chimney sweep, ask friends for referrals. You can also find some good sweeps in the business section...

A First Class Chimney Company

by Patrick Buell | August 14, 2020 | Blogs | 0 Comments

When working in the chimney industry as long as we have you amass a large reputation. Here at SootAway, we pride ourselves on our customer's safety, honest pricing, and the quality of our work. What other companies seem to forget over the years is that customers are the most important part of any business. With this idea as our main philosophy, we have proudly been serving the emerald coast for over forty-one years and counting. But don't take our word for it take Home Advisors! Winning the Best of HomeAdvisor award for 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019 (Working to earn the 2020 award) our company strives for perfection. Another goal of SootMaster is to prevent damage, save lives, and homes by providing no-cost, ad-free tips, and information through our blogs. Recently our blog was added onto The Top 25 Chimney Blogs. This verifies us as one of the best chimney sweep information outlets in the world. Our blog provides weekly content on new chimney...

What is a smoke chamber?

by Patrick Buell | August 19, 2020 | Blogs | 0 Comments

What does it do? A smoke chamber is located directly above the firebox, it's a part of the fireplace that the average person may never look at but it's one of the most important. This unsung hero of your chimney stops smoke from entering your home and harming your family. All the byproducts from the fire such as carbon monoxide and smoke are channeled into the flue pipe by the smoke chamber. Without it, invisible gasses will enter your home while burning in your chimney and do damage to you and your family. Parging This is the most common type of repair for a chimney. Parging is the coating of mortar applied to bricks to give the smoke chamber a smooth surface. It assists with structural integrity, how well it can remove the gas from the firebox while it's being produced, as well as overall improves your chimney safety. Parging benefits Improves the safety of the chimney A damaged smoke chamber can cause smoke to leave through the fireplace causing several health issues (from...

Prevention Tips for Chimney Fires & More

by Patrick Buell | February 4, 2021 | Blogs | 0 Comments

Everyone wants to enjoy their chimney. Most do not realize the risks they have if they do not schedule a routine chimney sweep. Chimney fires are serious and can lead to house fires. Below are some helpful tips on how to prevent chimney fires from happening. Use proper fuel Fuel of any sort needs to be made sure that it is proper for the chimney or fireplace. Make sure the wood is seasoned, or properly dried, and when choosing a type of wood, go for a hardwood like oak, maple, or ash. A few logs of greenwood can build creosote thick enough to start a chimney fire. Stay away from unseasoned wood, or wood that has not been dried properly, due to it causing more smoke than anything. Proper installation Your wood stove or furnace must be installed properly and by a professional. This is to ensure there is proper distance between the flammable parts and the non-combustible parts of the heating system. A wood stove’s chimney must be brick made (masonry) and factory built. Single bricked...

Chimney Fires, How Dangerous are they?

by Patrick Buell | January 2, 2019 | Blogs | 0 Comments

The chimney represents architectural addition to the home, but its actual function is to carry out gases from the fireplace or woodstove. Chimney fires are a serious problem, can still occur even with careful measures. That is why annual chimney repair and cleanings are critical for home maintenance. Therefore, people look for professional guidance for the maintenance of their chimneys. Causes of Chimney Fires The leading cause of a chimney fire is creosote. It builds up due to a restricted air supply, cool chimney temperatures, and unseasoned wood. In the presence of high flue temperature, the result could be chimney fires. Also, chimney fires happen due to precipitates of carbon and dust in the chimney. Structural or liner problems can allow high temperatures and sparks to escape to combustible areas in walls or roofs. These are the main reasons behind chimney fires. How to Identify a Chimney Fire? There are some ways to identify chimney fires so you can avoid the dangers of it and...

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