2nd Generation Chimneys, Inc. Blog: Archive for the ‘Chimney’ Category

What You Need to Know About Your Chimney Flue

Monday, January 15th, 2024
chimney

Have you ever wondered about the different components that make your fireplace not only a warm and cozy spot in your house, but also keep it working safely? One crucial element you should be aware of is the chimney flue.

The flue is an important part of any chimney inspection in Minneapolis, MN that we perform, and we’d like to take some time to examine this key part of your fireplace and chimney. The more knowledge you have, the better you’ll be able to take care of your fireplace and understand when to schedule service for it. 

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Get a Chimney Inspection for the New Year!

Monday, January 1st, 2024
coffee-fireplace-woman

January is a month when people get their lives into regular shape after a busy conclusion of the year. Suddenly, we have “normal” weeks and weekends with less crowding our schedules, and that’s a good time to get to some basics about arranging for the new year and taking care of various bookkeeping and planning jobs. 

Some of the jobs you may look into doing during the start of the new year will be for home maintenance. We’d like to suggest that one of these maintenance jobs you get done—if you didn’t do it at the end of the year—is a chimney inspection in Minneapolis, MN.

Don’t worry about getting a ladder, flashlight, and old clothes. This isn’t a job you can do yourself. Although you can spot major troubles with your chimney and call for repairs, a full annual inspection requires licensed professionals with the best tools and training. 2nd Generation Chimneys is your best resource for your yearly chimney inspection.

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Here Are Risks You Need to Know About Your Chimney

Monday, December 4th, 2023
chimney-cap

Using a fireplace in a home is one of the great joys of the winter season, and we’re certain you’re looking forward to spending time with your family around the roaring hearth. But before we get too deep into the fireplace season, we want to talk to you about some of the dangers that might lurk in your chimney.

Chimneys and fireplaces need special attention, and it’s our job to provide our customers with the best in chimney inspections and chimney cleaning in Minneapolis, MN to ensure they can stay safe and cozy each year.

Let’s look at several of the common issues that might make your chimney unsafe and the best ways to deal with them or prevent them.

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The Importance of Winter Chimney Cleaning

Monday, November 6th, 2023
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Although there are many times during the year when you can enjoy a roaring fire in your fireplace, winter is the time when you’ll use it the most. There are few joys greater during a cold Minnesota winter than sitting in front of a glowing and warm fire. It’s the textbook definition of the word cozy.

But you can’t expect to head into the winter with your fireplace without taking some important steps to care for it. One of the most important is to arrange for professional chimney sweeping in Edina, MN. Chimney cleaning is an essential part of fireplace maintenance and safety. Although there are some basic fireplace cleaning jobs you can do on your own, chimney cleaning requires trained and certified chimney sweeps. Let’s discuss why winter chimney cleaning is so important.

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Common Problems a Chimney Inspection May Reveal

Monday, October 23rd, 2023
chimney

A well-maintained chimney is crucial to keep your fireplace working well for many years and to ensure the fireplace doesn’t create safety hazards. A key part of maintaining your chimney is to schedule routine professional inspections for it.

We recommend having an inspection in Edina, MN done once a year. You can arrange for the service with our pros. We’ll carefully inspect your chimney to locate and address any problems before they can worsen into more expensive repairs or a safety risk.

If you’re wondering what we’re looking for specifically during an inspection, just follow us below. You’ll have a better idea of why these inspections are so important once you know what we might find.

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What Sets Professional Chimney Sweeps Apart

Monday, September 25th, 2023
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If you have a fireplace in your home, you’ll need to have it routinely cleaned. This is an essential job because it helps keep the chimney working both effectively and safely. Allowing too much buildup to develop in a chimney will lead to bad venting and fire hazards.

But when it’s time for chimney cleaning in Bloomington, MN, who do you hire for the job? You have several options, but only one is the correct on:

  1. Get out some drop cloths, put on an old T-shirt, grab a broom and a ladder, and do it yourself.
  2. Find someone offering super-low prices to do the job.
  3. Hire professional chimney sweeps with proper certification.

The correct answer is “C.” We’ll explain why professional chimney sweeps stand apart from DIY and amateurs. Why they are the only people to consider hiring for your regular chimney and fireplace cleaning needs.

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Do I Need a Chimney Inspection If I Rarely Use My Fireplace?

Monday, September 11th, 2023
chimney-needs-repair

Although fireplaces are wonderful luxuries to have in a home, there are some cases where people simply don’t use them often. Maybe they use them for a few special occasions, but otherwise the fireplace remains cold through most of the year.

Does this mean that regular inspections and maintenance for the chimney are optional? Why invest in professional inspection service if there’s rarely any fire burning in the hearth or smoke wafting up the chimney?

If you’re in a situation where you have a fireplace that you use sparingly, we want to encourage you to still regularly arrange for professional inspections. We’ll explain why below.

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Animals That Can Get in Your Chimney

Monday, August 28th, 2023
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Chimney cleaning in Minneapolis, MN is a job we recommend homeowners have scheduled regularly, especially for wood-burning fireplaces that leave behind creosote. But creosote isn’t the only reason you may need to have chimney cleaning: animals often get inside chimneys to nest.

Animals will not only create blockages, they can also be dangerous—and removing them often must be left to expert chimney cleaners. We have a lot of experience with the types of critters that like to set up homes inside Minnesota chimneys. Here are the most common ones that might choose your chimney for a temporary home.

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Can I Do My Own Chimney Cleaning?

Monday, August 14th, 2023
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On this site, we emphasize the importance of having regular chimney and chimney flue cleaning in Minneapolis, MN. We recommend a yearly cleaning along with a Level 1 chimney inspection to ensure the chimney is free of buildup of creosote and anything that may block it, and to check for possible damage and wear that needs repairs.

But are professionals like ours really necessary? You might wonder if you can clean the chimney yourself. Maybe you can find an online video tutorial. With a face mask, a set of old clothes, tarps on the ground, a few scrubbers on long handles, and a bit of elbow grease, you should be able to get the job done. Right…?

Although we encourage you to handle some chimney maintenance tasks on your own, the actual job of cleaning a chimney is something to leave to the professionals. We’ll explain why below.

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Yes, Gas Fireplaces Need Regular Inspections

Monday, July 17th, 2023
chimney

We’ve often talked about the importance of having regular fireplace and chimney inspections for any home that has a fireplace. Standard Level 1 inspections make sure a chimney can vent properly and that there isn’t a potentially dangerous buildup of creosote that can lead to a fire.

However, we’ve often found that people who have gas fireplaces rather than wood-burning fireplaces think they don’t need these regular inspections. After all, gas fireplaces burn cleanly, without the concern of the buildup of creosote and soot, so why would they require routine inspections from professionals?

The answer is in the title: gas fireplaces absolutely need to have regular inspections. We’ll explain why a routine fireplace and chimney inspection in Plymouth, MN is necessary even if you aren’t burning wood logs in the fireplace.

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