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The next time you walk outside, take a moment to gaze up at your roof. What do you see? Do you see even shingles that are all laying flat? Or do you see shingles that are starting to curl and that are covered in moss? You can tell a lot about the condition of your roof just by looking at it. If you are at all concerned about the state of your roof, then your first call should be to a roofing contractor. They can evaluate the situation and recommend repairs or replacement as needed. Learn more about roofing and roofing contractors here on this website.

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Up on the Rooftop

2 Reasons You Should Not Attempt To Clean Your Home's Chimney Yourself

Lori Silva

Lately, whenever you light a fire in your home's fireplace, you may notice that the smoke is not exiting up the chimney as well as it should. If so, there is a good chance that it needs to be cleaned, especially if it has been a while since this important task is completed.

Once determining that it is time to clean the chimney, you may be thinking about doing the job yourself. However, besides not having the proper tools and know-how to keep the soot from billowing out into your home, there are a couple of reasons why you should not attempt this task yourself, and instead, have a professional with experience do it for you.

1.  You May Miss a Few Spots, Creating a Fire Hazard

One issue caused by you attempting to clean your own chimney is that you may miss a few spots. Since you will not have the proper cleaning instruments nor the equipment needed to fully reach all areas of the chimney's interior, you are bound to leave a few spots of creosote clinging to the surfaces.

The problem with creosote is that it is highly flammable, creating a potential fire hazard. Once the soot is cleaned out, the surfaces of any areas of creosote will be fully exposed.

And, even if you do manage to reach these areas, you may break them loose. The next time you light a fire, the loose residue could fly off and catch fire.

2.  You May Not Recognize Signs of Damage to the Chimney's Structure

Another reason why you should leave the job of cleaning the chimney to a professional service is that they do more than simply clean the chimney. As they go about their job of cleaning out the soot and scraping off the creosote, they are also looking for any evidence that the chimney may have structural damage so that they or someone else can repair it before it comes a serious issue.

If you do the job, you may not be able to recognize these signs, which would mean that the damage will only get worse.

If you try to clean your own chimney, you may not be able to recognize potential structural damage while missing and shaking loose small areas of creosote that pose a serious fire risk. Instead of attempting to do this task yourself, contact a business near you that offers chimney cleaning services to discuss your options for having them do the job correctly and safely for you.


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