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What Homeowners With Fireplaces Should Do to Prepare for Winter
Winter is right around the corner, and it’s time to start doing all those things you need to do to get things ready for the cold weather. You’ll want to make sure the furnace is running. If it isn’t, then have a technician take a look at it. Put a winter weather survival kit, including bottled water, a blanket, some flashlights, candles and matches, some snacks, and emergency flashers in your car so that you’re ready if you get caught in a sudden Colorado snowstorm. Check the antifreeze and the battery in your car as well. There are also some things you should do to make sure that your fireplace is ready for the increased winter usage.
Inspection and Sweeping
You know that when the snow starts to fly, there’s nothing cozier than snuggling up in front of a crackling fire. If you haven’t already done so, it’s important that you have your chimney inspected and cleaned before you start using your fireplace for the winter season. When you call the Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) certified professionals at Chimney Doctors of Colorado, you can rest assured that we’ll be giving your chimney more than just a cursory glance. One thing that we’ll be looking for is creosote buildup. This smelly substance builds up over the course of a winter’s use, sticking to the interior of your chimney and causing more trouble than just smelling bad. It is highly flammable, and even as little as an eighth of an inch buildup can catch a spark and cause a chimney fire to occur. We’ll also look for any damage that may have occurred over the course of last winter’s use, cracks to the flue lining, signs of mortar damage, damage to the firebox, or loose flashings. We want you to be safe throughout the winter fireplace months, and the best way to ensure your safety is to do a thorough inspection and cleaning before you start to use your fireplace this fall.
Pick the Right Firewood
Another way to prepare for winter fire burning is to make sure you have the right kind of firewood available. When you are purchasing firewood, there are several things that you can do to make sure the wood you pick is going to burn hot and clean, without being smoky or causing excessive creosote buildup.
Well-cured wood will be lighter, almost gray in appearance, and have cracks running out to the edges. The bark falls off more easily on well cured wood as well. Smell the wood. Well-cured wood will not have as strong or sappy of a smell. Hit two pieces of wood together. If the wood is well cured, it should have a hollow, ringing sound rather than a dull thunk. Picking the correct firewood will make your winter fireplace use a more pleasurable experience. As the temperatures cool down, you’ll be using your fireplace more. Plan ahead to stay safe and warm during the winter season.
We Install, Maintain, and Repair Heat Stoves
Have you ever found yourself sitting on your couch on a cold winter evening, watching the snow fall through the window and hearing the wind blow and found yourself wishing you had a cozy, crackling fire to warm yourself by? The problem is, installing a fireplace may not be the route you want to take because of the time and cost that can be associated with it. But there is a way to get the warmth and comfort of a crackling fire without having to go to great lengths. In fact, when you call Chimney Doctors of Colorado, our fireplace and heating experts can walk you through the advantages of the three different types of stoves we offer: pellet, wood, or gas burners.
Wood Burning Stove
To really replicate the feel of a wood fire, you might want to look at purchasing a wood burning stove. One of the great things about a wood burner is that, if you have trees on your property or a reliable source for lumber on a relative or friend’s property, you can have a ready supply of wood that you can access for free. All it takes is some muscle power during the summer and time to dry out your fuel source and you can have plenty of wood stored up to last all winter. It’s a great fix if you’d like to turn the heat down in the house and just cozy up in the living room around the wood burning stove. Another plus is your wood burning stove will burn even when the electricity is off.
Gas Burning Stove
If you like the idea of a fire but not the effort it takes to gather wood, gas might be just the thing for you. When it comes to convenience, it doesn’t get much better than this. Just a flip of a switch and you’ll have a nice fire burning. Another great thing about a gas burning stove is that you don’t have to keep adding fuel to the fire to keep it burning hot.
Pellet Burning Stove
If you want the convenience of a gas stove with the feel of a wood burner, then look into purchasing a pellet burning stove. With a flip of a switch, you can have a fire burning that is fueled by pellets made from processed wood. You purchase the pellets in bulk and they are fed into the stove to provide an efficient, steady burn.
Call Chimney Doctors of Colorado
When you purchase a stove from Chimney Doctors of Colorado and have our experts install your stove, you can be sure that you’ll get great service and your installation will be carried out according to any codes and regulations to ensure the safety of you and your family. If you hire us to take care of your heat stove needs, you can rest assured that we will help you keep your stove running for the long run!
What Type of Chimney Repair Might You Need?
Although your chimney seems like an indestructible structure, built to last for many generations, in truth there are many things that can break down over the course of time due to wear and tear. It seems as though it’s a simple structure, but there are also many parts that can break down. When you’ve been in business for fifteen years and counting like Chimney Doctors of Colorado has been, you see many things that need repair. Not only have we seen things, we’ve repaired them!
Chimney Odors
You may have noticed over the summer that your chimney was emitting some nasty odors. If this is the case, it could very well be that you have a big creosote buildup that needs to be dealt with. When you burn a fire in your fireplace, there are several byproducts that are released through the resulting smoke. These byproducts include carbon monoxide, methane, sulfur dioxide, methyl chloride, and acetic acid. But sometimes, when the warm smoke hits the cool surface at the top of your chimney, it can condense and form a nasty substance called creosote. This material has a strong odor, especially in the warm, humid summertime, but throughout the rest of the year as well. We get rid of that odor by giving your chimney a great cleaning every year, which is how often the Chimney Safety Institute of America suggests you should have your chimney inspected and cleaned.
Chimney Fire
Speaking of creosote, the odor isn’t the biggest problem creosote buildup can cause. More hazardous is the fact that creosote is extremely flammable. Even as little as an eighth of an inch buildup can cause a chimney fire if a stray spark catches in it. Although it seems like this would be an obvious occurrence, according to the CSIA, a chimney fire often goes unnoticed. This is especially dangerous because the chimney fire may cause damage to your chimney without you even knowing it exists. When we do your annual inspection, damage from a chimney fire is one thing we’ll be on the lookout for. We have the experience to uncover the damage and the expertise to repair it.
Flashing Repair
Another area of your chimney that may need repair is the flashing. If you look on your roof, you may notice that there are steel sheets covering the junction of your chimney and the roof. This is the flashing, and it is specially designed to keep your chimney leak free. Trouble is, these strips are susceptible to damage from high winds and precipitation. They can become rusted or cracked or can blow loose in strong winds. We’ll make sure to check your flashing so that your home stays dry in intemperate weather.
We’ll Do It All
No matter what type of repair your chimney may need, at Chimney Doctors of Colorado, we know how to repair it! Give us a call before and you’ll be fixed up by the time snow flies!
Make Sure Your Chimney is up to Code by Having it Inspected
There are so many things to take care of during the summer that we can forget about the really important appointments that need to be made on an annual basis. You know it’s important to get your dentist appointment in, your annual physical, and an oil change for your car at three to five thousand miles. You use your teeth constantly, you can’t do the things you want to if you’re not in good shape physically, and you use your car enough that you want to make sure it can get you going where you need to be when you need. But, because you don’t use your fireplace during the summer, it’s easy to forget that you need to have your 
chimney inspected and cleaned annually.
Why Have it Cleaned
If you do a quick visual inspection of your chimney, both inside and out, you may think that it looks just fine. But there are things that an untrained eye just can’t detect. That’s what we’re here for! When you call Chimney Doctors of Colorado, you know that our technicians are certified by the Chimney Safety Institute of America. The CSIA recommends that you have your chimney inspected on an annual basis. When you use your fireplace a lot, more creosote will build up, and that’s a big fire hazard. Creosote develops when the chemicals that are released through combustion along with moisture drift upward and condense near the top of the chimney, where the brick is cooler. This substance is highly flammable and can catch a stray spark or ember easily, resulting in a serious chimney fire. Our trained chimney sweeps will take care of your creosote build up so that your chances of chimney fire are greatly reduced.
Make Sure No Repairs Are Needed
Another reason it’s important to have your chimney inspected is because chimney fires can occur without the homeowner even being aware of it. If this is the case, your chimney might have structural damage that could be a dangerous situation. There could be cracks in the mortar or the flue liner that allow gases from the smoke to re-enter your home. These gases include carbon monoxide, and that can cause serious health concerns such as headaches, nausea, dizziness, and other flu-like symptoms. If left undetected, this can even lead to loss of consciousness and death. Having us come in to check for necessary repairs not only helps your fireplace work more efficiently, it also may save you from unnecessary doctor bills or worse!
Busy Season
Right now, our busy season has not hit, so if you give us a call, we’ll be able to fit you right into our schedule. If you don’t want to have to schedule at someone else’s convenience, make sure to call us today!
Gas, Wood, or Pellet Stove: Which Best Suits Your Needs?
If you’re looking for a new heating source or an additional heating source, you might want to look at adding a stove of some sort. These stoves can be a source of heat while adding charm to any room. If you’ve decided that you’d like to add some sort of stove to your home, you can choose between a gas, a wood, or a pellet stove, depending on the style of your room and the type of feel you’re trying to achieve.
Gas Stove
Many homeowners are turning to gas stoves as a way to add the charm of a burning fire and extra warmth to a room. Choosing gas has several advantages, number one being that it is a clean burning fuel. This is great for the environment and great for you, because it means less creosote build-up which means less chance of a chimney fire. Burning with gas is also convenient; with a flip of a switch you can turn the flame on or off. Another benefit is that it can be vented through a wall, so placement is more versatile.
Wood Stove
Although gas is a great, convenient option for many homeowners, for others, there’s nothing that can replace the experience of a real wood fire. If you’re one of those homeowners, then a wood burning appliance is right for you. Wood burning has several benefits as well, one being that wood itself is a renewable natural resource. You can control what type of wood you burn for a hotter burning fire, and you can even use different types of wood for different smells. So if you like a fruity smelling wood, choose apple wood to burn.
Pellet Stove
If you like the idea of using a renewable resource but not the idea of storing firewood and building a fire every time you want to enjoy a fire, a pellet stove is the way to go. The pellets burned are actual wood pieces which are fed into the stove through a hopper. Typically, pellet burners are more efficient than wood stoves, but because they use a hopper and a fan to deliver the pellets for burning, if there’s no electricity, you won’t be able to use your stove. Pellets burn like wood but you don’t need as large a storage area as you do for storing cut wood.
Get Expert Advice and Service
Why just use a space heater when you can add an attractive centerpiece to your room by installing a gas, wood, or pellet stove? If you’re looking for a stove to help heat your home, stop by Chimney Doctors of Colorado and let us show you the available options. We can offer great advice as to which option will best fit what you’re looking for, and we can install any type of stove and keep your home up to code, following all safety standards and regulations. Our years of training and experience make us the best in the business! Call today and enjoy a beautiful new stove by the time those crisp autumn nights arrive!
Why Hire A CSIA Certified Dryer Exhaust Technician?
Are your clothes taking an especially long time to dry? Have you been noticing excessive heat from your dryer? Is lint building up in and around the appliance? These are all signs that your dryer vents may need attention, and we urge you to depend on our certified team to help you out. When it comes to a job like this, you only want to work with the best, and we guarantee better results every single time!
What It Means To Be Certified
So, what exactly does it mean to be certified in dryer vent cleaning? Well, this verifies that the sweep has gone through all of the necessary steps to pass an extensive exam through the CSIA. You can rest easy because they’ll know everything there is to know about maintaining your appliance! Many of these sweeps undergo additional education, as well, where they engage in hands-on training.
There’s simply no doubt that when a CSIA certified dryer exhaust technician is on the job, you won’t have to worry about a thing. They’ll come in with the appropriate tools and equipment necessary for doing a thorough and in-depth job, and they’ll know just how to remove any clogs or buildup, without causing damage to your system.
The team at The Chimney Doctor takes prides in holding these credentials, and we guarantee you won’t be disappointed when you count on our qualified crew. Give yourself the peace of mind you deserve by giving us a call today!
Why Dirty Vents Are Dangerous
Clogged, dirty dryer vents pose threats to your home in more ways than one. First of all, they increase the risk of you and your loved ones inhaling dangerous fumes, such as carbon monoxide. Carbon monoxide is known for being especially dangerous due to its reputation for being fatal and its nearly undetectable nature. You won’t be able to smell it or see it, so many don’t realize its presence until it is too late.
This is a major reason why we stress the importance of investing in annual dryer vent cleanings! When your system is plugged up, venting out these necessary fumes becomes more and more challenging until, finally, they’re forced back into your home. By hiring our certified crew to check things over and by having carbon monoxide detectors installed throughout your home, you lower your risk of exposure significantly. They’re small actions that go a long ways!
Along with this, dirty vents increase your chances of experiencing a house fire. Dryers obviously need to produce a lot of heat to get laundry dry and ready to wear in under an hour, but this heat can’t be trapped in just one place. When clogs are present, the appliance overheats and you could easily become one of the thousands of homeowners that experience a dryer fire every single year.
It’s not worth putting your home and family at risk, and we guarantee that paying for a cleaning now is a lot more cost-effective than shelling out money for repair work down the line. Keep things clean, maintained, and ready to go by calling in our experts as soon as you can. It’s an easy step you won’t regret!
We Will Find the Source of Your Leak
If you have noticed a musty smell around your fireplace, chances are you have a chimney leak. Other signs of leaking include water dripping in your firebox, molding or peeling ceiling paper or paint, molding or peeling wallpaper around your fireplace, or weak trim boards around your fireplace. If you notice any of these signs, it’s important to give Chimney Doctors of Colorado a call at 303-838-3009 to set up an appointment.
Our professionals can come in and diagnose the source of your leak and offer solutions. With a leaky chimney, you need to address it immediately. Not addressing chimney leaks only means more money you need to spend for repairs and more headaches as you get it repaired.
Sources of Leaks
Most chimney leaks are usually damaged mortar or brick caused by the freeze-thaw cycle. Colorado winters are cold, and when the moisture sits in the pores of the bricks and the mortar freezes, it expands to make those pores bigger. As this cycle repeats itself, it causes big gaps that allow water to leak through your chimney. This can also cause structural instability.
Another source of leaks is a cracked or damaged chimney cap or chimney crown. These chimney components are the first lines of defense against precipitation for your chimney, as well as helping to keep birds and animals out. If there are cracks on your masonry chimney due to weathering or settling, precipitation can easily leak through to cause damage to the interior of your chimney.
The Most Vulnerable Part
Flashing is another common area of your chimney for leaks to occur. It’s hard to get a good seal on the joints of any building project. This is especially true to the joint where the chimney meets the roof, the flashing. Flashing is the metal strips that cover this junction. It is layered and staggered so that it creates an effective shield to direct water towards the edge of the roof rather than your home. Flashing can be torn by high winds or cracked from weathering, and this then can cause chimney leaks.
Controlling Leaks
If you suspect that you have chimney leaks, give us a call soon. At Chimney Doctors of Colorado, our Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) certified experts have been trained to detect signs of leakage and get to the source of it. We have the proper tools to repair your flashing and chimney cap or crown. We can also perform tuckpointing for damaged mortar or other repair work to help your chimney be leak free. Give us a call at 303-838-3009 now!
Enjoy Your Outdoor Fireplace on Summer Evenings
Everyone knows how nice it is to cozy up in front of a fire in the middle of a Colorado snowstorm, watching the snow fall outside the window. Did you also know how great it feels to sit outside on a warm summer evening, after the heat has left the air, and cozy up in front of an outdoor fireplace? It’s true – a fireplace can be great year round!
Summer Get Togethers
Summer is a perfect time to get friends and family together. Summer food is easy to make and tastes great! Travel is easy, and it’s easy to walk out the door without having to worry about coats and sweaters. A big plus is you don’t have to worry about cleaning your house before or afterwards, because you can easily host a get together in your backyard. Just set up some serving tables outside, ask friends to bring a favorite salad or a bag of chips, and start up the outdoor fireplace. There are all kinds of main dishes you can prepare on the grill and desserts can be made right over the fire!
Start out by getting out the grill, it’s easy to grab some hamburgers, steaks, pork chops, or chicken and get them cooking in a hurry. For added flavor, place the meat in a marinade a few hours before guests arrive. And, for a tasty dessert that gets your guests involved, try roasting marshmallows for s’mores that will bring your guests memories from their younger days. Try jazzing them up by changing up the type of candy bar you use. Peanut butter cups taste great, but for a nice minty flavor, a mint patty works well. Or try a wafer cookie candy bar for added crunch. You can even change the graham cracker out for a chocolate striped cookie, a chocolate covered graham cracker, or any other type of cookie you can find. In fact, the only limit to your s’more making is your imagination. Just set up a table with different types of cookies or crackers for the base, a variety of candy bars, and marshmallows and have plenty of marshmallow roasting forks available for your guests to use to make their own sweet treat.
Install a New Outdoor Fireplace
Does this sound like a great way to spend a summer evening? If you don’t have a backyard fireplace, help is just a phone call away. Just give us a call at 303-838-3009 and let Chimney Doctors of Colorado set you up with a beautiful outdoor gas fireplace. We sell gas fireplaces from Regency, and they offer all types of sizes and designs to fit your vision for the perfect backyard.
Now is the perfect time to start planning an outdoor party. Just call your friends and family, put out some food, and make some good memories that will get you through the cold, snowy days of winter!
Is Now the Best Time to Have Your Stove or Fireplace Repaired?
There’s a right time to do just about anything. For example, it’s best to plant many types of perennials in the fall or early spring. In the late fall, you’ll want to take your lawnmower apart, change the oil, clean and sharpen the blades, change the air filter, and replace the spark plugs: all these things make sure it stays in excellent running condition so you’ll be able to use it right away in the spring. The best time to have your chimney cleaned and inspected is in the spring, first, because it’s nice to have it checked off of your to-do list, but there are other reasons as well.
Avoid the Rush
One reason it’s a good idea to schedule your chimney cleaning and inspection now is so you avoid the rush. Let’s face it, many people are procrastinators and will wait until autumn to schedule their cleaning. A great way to stay ahead of the fall rush is to give Chimney Doctors of Colorado a call now at 303-838-3009 so we can get you scheduled for your cleaning.
Find Out About Needed Repairs
Another excellent reason to call now is because you may need repair work done. When we inspect your chimney, we’ll be looking closely for any types of repairs that may need to be completed, big or small. Some small jobs may not take much time to tackle, but if there’s a bigger job, it’s smart to get going on it right away while our schedule isn’t as booked. Also, if there is an outdoor repair job that needs to be taken care of, it’s much easier to work outdoors when the weather is warm and sunny, rather than waiting and hoping for good weather later in the year. If the repair work is going to involve working with mortar, mortar works and sets up better when the weather is warmer as well.
Easier Cleaning
Another reason that now is the best time to bring us in is because clean-up is so much easier when the mess is fresh. Over time, the soot and creosote deposits can harden up, so if we can come in right after fireplace season, it’ll be easier to get rid of that mess. Did you know that, besides being a fire hazard, creosote can give off an unpleasant odor? When the humid days of summer arrive, the moisture can mix with the creosote build-up and give off a bad smell which can pervade your room. This is another great reason to get that creosote out of your chimney sooner rather than later.
Get it Done Now
Whether you are thinking that you’ll need some repair work done or just want to freshen up your living room for the summer, give Chimney Doctors of Colorado a call. You’ll spend a happier summer knowing that you’ve got all chimney cleaning and repairs accomplished and avoided the rush!
Reasons to Get Your Chimney Inspected
You need driving forces behind plenty of things you have to get done. Why do you have your car serviced? Because you want it to keep running for as long possible. Why do you go on a second or third date? To try to find that right person to settle down with. Why do you start an exercise program? To get your heart and body in good shape so you feel better and can keep doing things you love to do. These are pretty easy reasons to come up with. But is it so easy to come up with reasons why you should have your chimney inspected and cleaned annually? It might seem like a lot of expense and bother to have someone come into your house every year just to have them tell you that, once again, your chimney is looking fine. The thing is, if you don’t, you might not be getting that same news when you finally do have it inspected, or worse yet, you might have a chimney fire or excessive carbon monoxide build-up in your home.
Creosote Build-up
First off, your chimney sweep will be looking for how much creosote you have in your chimney. Creosote is that nasty blackish or brownish build-up that happens when you build a fire in your fireplace. Although you can control the amount of creosote in some ways, like by burning well-cured wood rather than ‘wet’ wood, there’s no way to avoid creosote completely. This substance is highly flammable, and a build-up of more than one-eighth of an inch is thick enough to be a danger. If this build-up catches a spark or ember, you could quickly have a blazing chimney fire burning out of control, but even if it doesn’t get to the point of being out of control, a small chimney fire can cause serious structural damage to your chimney, and, if left undetected, you might be looking at an excessive carbon monoxide build-up.
Carbon Monoxide Build-up
When you burn a wood fire in your fireplace, a by-product is creosote. Another by-product is carbon monoxide. This colorless, odorless gas is especially dangerous because it is also life threatening. At it’s least harmful, it can cause health issues such as nausea, headaches, vomiting, or other flu-like symptoms; at worst, it can cause death. Carbon monoxide detectors can be a relatively inexpensive, yet life-saving appliance, but it’s better yet to stop it at its source. When your chimney is working correctly, it will direct these carbon monoxide fumes right into the great outdoors. If your chimney has had structural damage due to an undetected chimney fire, that gas might be funneled right back into your home. This is a problem you must avoid, and a great reason to have your chimney inspected annually.
Call Chimney Doctors of Colorado Today
These are two great reasons to schedule your chimney inspection and cleaning soon. You don’t want to spend your summer worrying about what dangers lurk in your chimney. Avoid that stress by calling us today and set up an appointment to have your chimney inspected and cleaned soon!