Our Company Blog

Why Do We Use ChimneySaver?

Water damage throughout your chimney and fireplace can put a real damper on your holiday plans. Excess moisture can trigger all kinds of issues like rusting, rotting, clogs, and more. It will also cause your bricks and mortar to deteriorate, which causes holes and cracks to form. This leaves you a lot more vulnerable to gas leaks, carbon monoxide exposure, house fires, and more! All in all, water damage can be expensive and time-consuming to fix, and it’s not something anyone wants to deal with right before winter weather starts settling in.

Fortunately, our team is equipped to help you out. At A-1 Chimney Specialist we take your chimney concerns seriously, and we value the safety and comfort of our customers above everything else.

Looking for peace of mind when cold weather hits? Then, call on us today. We’ll get an inspection scheduled, so we can see what state your chimney is in. After that, we’ll recommend the next appropriate steps for getting you back to where you need to be before Thanksgiving and Christmas arrive. There’s no better team to trust!

Our Waterproofing Products Offer Unbeatable Protection

Now, one thing we always suggest is to waterproof your masonry with ChimneySaver. We offer this service to ensure your brickwork withstands any rain or snow throughout the year, leaving you leak-free and better protected, no matter what! Believe it or not, your brickwork is extremely absorbent, so covering it with protective products is vital for keeping your chimney healthy and strong with every passing year.

So, why ChimneySaver? Because no product will do a better job for your system! Unlike other waterproofing products, ChimneySaver provides a seal that is vapor permeable, ensuring the water that’s already trapped in your system can find its way back out. Basically, no moisture can enter, but reabsorbed moisture can still escape. Other brands keep water out, but any water already inside of the brickwork gets stuck, meaning it will merely stay where it’s at and continue to cause damage – not good!

We only use products and tools that we truly believe in, and we don’t believe in cutting corners or taking shortcuts. We’ve been specializing in chimney care for over 20 years and you can rest easier knowing our techniques really get the job done! That’s why customers continue to turn to us again and again with every passing year.

ChimneySaver has high standards, so you’re guaranteed the results you deserve. Trust us when we say that this is the only product to use on your masonry this fall!

Pick Up The Phone Now!

There’s no time to lose. Call on our CSIA certified team today to get everything and more from your chimney and fireplace this holiday season. We’ll inspect, sweep, repair, and provide you anything and everything you need to get the long-lasting and cozy fires you’re hoping for. With help from us, it’ll be your best year yet! We can’t wait to help you out soon.

Holiday Decorations & Your Fireplace

Soon enough everyone will have their homes decorated with lights, tinsel, snowmen, and everything else that embodies the spirit of the holiday. For lots of families, this always brings about a fun time and lots of memories, but it’s important to practice caution if you have a fireplace in your home!

We take pride in promoting fire safety and better chimney care, so our customers can relax with family and enjoy peace of mind season after season. Read up on some of our tips below, so you and your loved ones can stay better protected this holiday. Then, give us a call with any questions and/or concerns you’re experiencing regarding your fireplace or chimney. The team at A-1 Chimney Specialist is always eager to help!

Decorating The Mantel

The fireplace mantel may seem like the ideal place to throw a lot of decor, but it can lead to some dangerous scenarios. Any flammable decor should be kept a safe distance away from the fireplace.

Along with this, never place old decorations, wrapping paper, empty boxes, paper plates, or any type of garbage in the fireplace. When decorating your home, throwing trash into the fire may seem like a convenient route to take, but it can lead to creosote accumulation and smoke backing up into your living space. Both are unideal and dangerous.

Be Cautious With Your Tree

If you set up a fake tree every year, then you likely won’t have to worry too much about it catching fire. Just double check that it is flame-resistant (most are), then be sure to keep presents, decorations, and the like well away from the fireplace.

Now, if you set up a real tree every year, you’ll want to keep it well-watered, as the drier it is, the easier it could potentially catch fire. Also, at the end of the season, never burn the tree in your fireplace. This is bad for your system, and the wood won’t be seasoned enough to burn efficiently, encouraging creosote build-up and increasing your risk of chimney fires.

Practice Fire Safety

Because there is an increased risk of fire throughout the holiday season, be sure you’re practicing fire safety in your home. Keep a working fire extinguisher nearby, and be sure your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors are in working order. Be sure to test these devices regularly and change the batteries, as needed. These units have played a big role in getting countless homeowners and their families safely out of their home in the event of a fire!

It’s also important to map out multiple routes out of each room of the house, and then practice your escape plan with your family from time to time. This way you can save precious seconds in the event of an emergency. And remember – once you’re out of the house, do not re-enter it for any reason!

Depend On Our Team Today

Make sure your system is all set and safer for use by depending on our team for your annual inspection and cleaning. The CSIA certified team at A-1 Chimney Specialist is here to help with all of your holiday needs!

Does Your Chimney Flashing Need To Be Repaired?

If there’s one thing you need to avoid when it comes to maintaining your home’s fireplace it’s water damage. Excess moisture in and throughout your system poses some major threats, and it could cause damage that will eventually make your chimney unsafe and unsuitable for regular use.

Fortunately, there are ways to stop water from getting inside of your chimney and wreaking havoc. Ask our team at A-1 Chimney about setting you up with all the preventative maintenance you need to get through the holiday season that is soon to be upon us. We’re eager to serve you and get your home safer for the colder months ahead.

Now, one thing we always recommend is investing in flashing. If you are missing flashing from your roof and chimney or if your current flashing is damaged, then don’t hesitate to give us a call, so that we can fix you up right.

What Is Flashing?

Chimney flashing is a piece of metal that seals the spot where your roof and chimney meet. Because these two areas are made from different materials, they expand and contract and different rates, making it easy for water to enter and cause damage. If that area isn’t properly protected, you’ll soon be spotting unsightly stains on your ceiling, and your chimney’s structure will suffer, too.

Dangers Of Water Damage

So, what kind of issues might you face if water gets through to your home and fireplace? Well, rot, stains, and clogs are a few of many. Overall, your fireplace and chimney will face all types of decay and deterioration that weaken your entire system, as a whole, making it difficult to light fires. Once things start to break down, cracks and holes are likely to form, which leaves you more vulnerable to things like house fires and carbon monoxide exposure

All in all, a damaged chimney isn’t safe and water is one thing that will break things down in a hurry. Play it safe by getting your maintenance done and out of the way before the holidays arrive. We want you to enjoy countless crackling fires this Thanksgiving and Christmas, so give us a call today to set up your appointment!

Have You Scheduled Your Fall Inspection?

If you’re not certain what state your chimney is in, the best option is to get an inspection on the books. Our CSIA certified team is ready and able to provide you with an accurate and in-depth analysis of your system’s overall health, and we can ensure that you’re set up right and good to go before throwing any events or get-togethers in the upcoming months. It’s an investment that’s necessary for keeping your household safer, and it’s well worth the peace of mind you’ll gain. Pick up your phone and talk with our team today!

Can A Chimney Be Too Tall Or Too Short?

Every now and then, we hear stories from people who would love to put their fireplace to use more often. From bad drafting to smoke back-up to poor heat output and more issues, countless of these problems occur to make the fire experience less than enjoyable.

If this sounds all too familiar, then it’s time to invest in an inspection from the CSIA certified team at A-1 Chimney Specialist right now. You deserve to get the most from your chimney, especially with the cooler temperatures starting to settle in. Now is the perfect time to set up your appointment to get a chimney inspection with us!

Draft & Chimney Height

Proper draft and airflow is essential when operating a fireplace, and the height of your chimney can have an effect on both of these things. There are various standards and regulations when it comes to the construction of your chimney, and certain measurements allow for optimal efficiency. Shorter chimneys tend to have more problems when it comes to drafting.

The larger your flue is, the more smoke it can exhaust, thus encouraging better airflow. How tall your chimney is, in relation to your home and the buildings surrounding it, can have a real impact on whether or not you have smoke issues and other dangers! On the flip side, another possibility of your chimney is being too tall, in which case you’ll also experience problems. Mastering the proper proportions isn’t an easy task, which is why investing in an expert is always the route to take!

We Can Set You Up Right

Issues with drafting can cause a lot of frustration on the part of the homeowner. The last thing anyone wants is smoke in their living room or poor heat output! Bad airflow also create fire hazards and lead to carbon monoxide exposure.

Reduce risk of injury and home damage by letting us troubleshoot the issue right away. No matter what the problem is with your chimney, we can resolve it. Our sweeps know the ins and outs of chimney systems better than anyone else, and we’ve got two decades of experience. There’s simply no better team to trust than us!

We also perform annual inspections and sweepings, guaranteeing you countless great burning seasons year after year. Or, if you need a new part installed, we can handle that, too! Call us today at 931-967-3595, so you can experience a safer and more enjoyable holiday season!

Fire Prevention Week 2018

Back in October of 1871, the Great Chicago Fire destroyed thousands of homes, left a huge portion of the city homeless, and took the lives of hundreds. This devastating damage serves as a reminder of how important fire safety and education truly is, which is why in 1925, Fire Prevention Week became a national observance that we acknowledge with every passing October.

What This Year’s Theme?

If you’ve participated in Fire Prevention Week in the past, then you are likely aware that each year comes with its own theme. This year’s theme? “Look. Listen. Learn. Be aware. Fire can happen anywhere.” This encourages homeowners to look for potential fire hazards everywhere they go, listen for alarms that could indicate a fire has occurred, and to learn of at least two exits from every room they’re in. All of these small steps can make a big difference when it comes to staying safer!

This theme also encourages general awareness of how dangerous fires are and serves as a reminder that the possibility of one occurring is always there. It may seem like it couldn’t happen to you, but thousands are affected every single year, and there’s no denying the risk of injury or extensive home damage should one fall victim.

Join the NFPA this year by spreading the word. Post online, organize community events, and share the fact sheets that the NFPA has provided on their website. They offer some great sources for information and ideas, so check them out today, then get to work! With all of us pitching in together, we can make a big difference in our neighborhoods.

The Facts About House Fires

In just four short years between 2011 and 2015, fire departments across the United States responded to well over 350,000 home structure fires. That averages out to nearly 88,000 per year! It’s time we work together to encourage a drop in these numbers, which is why staying up-to-date and educated on fire safety is so essential.

As you can imagine, these fires resulted in countless injuries and thousands of deaths. Fires are preventable, so let’s review some facts to ensure your household stays as safe as possible, especially with the holidays and cooler weather coming up so quickly.

First of all, investing in smoke detectors is a must, as these are often the fire indicators that trouble is amiss. We also encourage everyone to plan and practice escape routes from the various rooms of their home. Always remember – once you are safely out of your home, never re-enter a burning building for any reason.

Then, work with us to ensure your fireplace and dryer vents are thoroughly inspected and cleaned on a regular basis. The CSIA advises that homeowners invest in at least one inspection per year for both of these appliances, which will minimize the risk of house fires significantly. Anything from a damaged interior to creosote build-up to clogs in the system and more can trigger a fire, so schedule your maintenance now before your burning season kicks off.

Trust in the best by working with us. We’re ready for your call.