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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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

Years in Business

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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

Five Proper Ways of Cleaning your Chimney

by Patrick Buell | January 4, 2019 | Blogs | 0 Comments

Chimneys should be cleaned at least once a year or more preferably in the winter. You can do it with the help of professionals or can do it by yourself as well. You can get help regarding the chimney cleaning from different websites or the professionals. Get the help and review the different ways of cleaning so you can handle things better. There are some steps must be done to guarantee a successful cleaning process. Chimney Cleaning Preparation To prepare your chimney for cleaning first follow these steps for pre-preparation. In this way, you can make your chimneys clean in the best manner. Examine With a flashlight and using a pencil for scraping off, examine creosote accumulation on the side of the chimney. If accumulation is 1/8-inch thick, it's time for a cleaning. Check the chimney for animals. Therefore proper examine of chimney cleaning is necessary. Take Measurements Measure the sides of the chimney from the bottom and the top. Determine the size and shape of the flue and...

Chimney Flue Operational Tips

by Patrick Buell | September 21, 2020 | Blogs | 0 Comments

A chimney with a flue is a significant advantage for any home. It takes into consideration the comfortable solace of a warm hearth and fire for most homes. If you are a homeowner with a flue, count yourself lucky for good reasons. The delight of a working chimney with loved ones is best in class. WHAT'S A CHIMNEY FLUE? Think about a chimney flue as an exhaust pipe that transports smoke and ignition items securely outside. Fumes drafts up your smokestack since it is warm and light, completing it up and off your fireplace utilizing the head of the stack impact. DRAFTING Although many people do not understand it, the air climbing your smokestack works under similar arrangement of physical standards as water streaming in a hose or line. At the point when a chimney smokestack is full of hot air, it gets air through the firebox. This pulling impact is called draft and it compares to the measure of weight in a water hose - the main contrast is that the pneumatic force is negative and the...

At Home Cleaning Tips for Your Chimney

by Patrick Buell | January 6, 2021 | Blogs | 0 Comments

Being a homeowner is a huge deal. One should have pride especially if their home has a working fireplace and chimney. Purchasing a home with a fireplace, it is important to maintain the functionality. It is important to not just enjoy it to the fullest in the cold months but also to be economical, efficient as well as health-conscious. A well-cleaned out fireplace and chimney will burn less wood, produce less smoke, and ensure you and your family to breathe easier. Let's look at some basic steps that you can perform D.I.Y chimney cleaning. D.I.Y. Chimney Cleaning Guide Proper Cleaning Equipment Bare Essentials Eye protection Breathing masks Protective gloves Rugged clothes Set of chimney sweeping tools **Make sure these are clean and dry before you begin or you just might end up making things worse** 2. Designated Cleaning Area Regardless if you're cleaning the fireplace or chimney, you will have to deal with dust. To protect the living room, cover the fireplace with high-quality...

Not all chimney companies are created equal

by Sean Foster | July 31, 2020 | Blogs | 0 Comments

Chimney season is right around the corner and will be here before you know it! Now is the time to schedule your annual appointment while Chimney Sweeps still have openings! During the season, it is common for sweeping companies and technicians to be booked three to six weeks ahead at a time. If you do not want to wait it is best to schedule an appointment as soon as possible. Without knowledge or experience, cleaning your chimney is extremely dangerous. Getting on the roof is dangerous enough, but you could also miss an important fire hazard. Technicians are continuously trained and certified to spot any potential risks. When it comes to chimney maintenance, it is best to leave it to a professional. It is generally recommended that you schedule at least one annual inspection to ensure safety. Chimney Sweeps follow guidelines to provide an essential service. Protecting your home from fire hazards should be Chimney Sweeps’ main priority. Unfortunately, not all chimney companies are...

Helpful Tips: Which Sealant is Best for You?

by Patrick Buell | September 10, 2020 | Blogs | 0 Comments

The chimney is one noticeable aspect of the home that is continually helpless to the fluctuating climate. As the constantly changing climate moves through the seasons, the preparing sun, rising stickiness, driving precipitation, and profound freeze of the outside components can negatively affect the brickwork, and keeping in mind that although bricks are a normally strong structure material, they can in any case take on a lot of wear and tear. One preventative measure for damage of dampness and water is a block sealant. So, what type of sealant should you use? Sealants are a kind of substance used to impede liquids from entering the material it is on. As far as chimneys, these sealants are normally sorted out into one of two camps – that of polyurethane or silicone. Not all sealants are made the equivalent and to figure out which is the best for your chimney, we first need to go over the two substances in detail. Silicone is best at drying rapidly. Polyurethane stays wet for as long...

101 In Chimney History

by Patrick Buell | September 2, 2020 | Blogs | 0 Comments

In early history, fires were implicit fire pits in the focal point of rooms to give warmth to structures and homes; however, the early Romans started utilizing chimneys to deliver heat and to cook inside. Ventilation happened when pastry kitchens introduced tubes in the dividers to allow smoke to go out. The earliest indications of real chimney use dates to the thirteenth century in Italy yet wasn't until the fifteenth and sixteenth century that they took on a cosmetic appeal with residents building large and tall structures that could make up for bigger homes and various chimneys. During this period, the requirement for chimney experts expanded. Coal developed in ubiquity as an elective fuel replacement for wood. Since coal left enormous clingy stores of buildup on the dividers of the chimney and vent, the requirement for more successive cleaning of the chimney and pipes expanded. If not cleaned regularly, the buildup would start to block the flow of air up the smokestacks...

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...

Hurricane Season: Protect Your Home

by Sean Foster | July 22, 2020 | Blogs | 0 Comments

Water Entry on a leaking chimney. As the temperature rises, summer closes in. Brace yourself, this is also the same time that hurricanes frequent the lower eastern coast of America. Fortunately for you, our service areas cover a considerable area of the east coast. Hurricane season, which starts on July 1st and ends on November 30th, usually brings menacing storms that have the potential to cause major damage. We have some tips and advice for you this hurricane season to help you protect your home. Rain and water are some of the most corrosive materials, especially when unattended for long periods of time. Chimney leaks are one of the most common issues we find when performing a chimney inspection. Chimney leaks can cause mold inside the chimney, which causes a foul odor and is harmful to breathe. A water leak can also mix with the sooty build-up, or creosote, causing acidic cracks. A chimney cap is an easy, low-cost, install to stop these problems at the source. Do I Need a Chimney...

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...

How to Organize a Good Fireplace Cleaning Before the Holiday Season

by Patrick Buell | January 11, 2019 | Blogs | 0 Comments

The holiday season is almost upon us and before one gets completely engulfed by it, one should take care of a little detail that will make life so much better than that of organizing a good fireplace cleaning. One could begin by slating one’s annual fireplace chimney inspection followed by the fireplace cleaning. Though one can attempt fireplace cleaning on one’s own, the best way forward would be to invite a professional chimney cleaning professional to do it. They would be able to effectively remove fire causing substance like creosote, soot and glaze from inside the chimney and flue thereby clearing the way to enjoy a warm and cheerful holiday season with your family and friends. Why Fireplace Cleaning is Not That Much of a Chore to Be Dreaded Anymore The modern and professional way of fireplace cleaning does not leave any mess behind. Professional chimney sweeps will do the cleaning with the help of brushes that are able to vacuum-clean the offending deposits preventing any...

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