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

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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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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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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Just What Is Chimney Sweeping?

Monday, July 3rd, 2023
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Because people often have an old-fashioned image of soot-covered men with brooms in Victorian London in their mind when they hear “chimney sweeping,” they often dismiss this job as old-fashioned and unnecessary. But chimney sweeping is just another way of saying “chimney cleaning,” and this is absolutely something a chimney needs to receive on a regular basis.

We offer chimney sweeping in Plymouth, MN and throughout the Twin Cities, and we’d like to take this opportunity to give you a short primer on just what chimney sweeping is and why it’s important.

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Signs That It’s Time to Schedule Chimney Cleaning

Monday, June 19th, 2023
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There’s no season of the year that’s “best” for chimney cleaning—you can have it done at any time. However, you’ll find it easier to schedule during the warmer months when n you won’t miss the crackling warmth or coziness. 

A much tougher question than “What season should I have my chimney cleaned?” is “When do I need my chimney cleaned?” We recommend a regular schedule for chimney cleaning, but you may find yourself in a situation where the chimney needs it as soon as possible. We’re the experts when it comes to chimney cleaning in Saint Paul, MN, and we’d like to guide you through the major signs to watch for that will tell you it’s time to call us to arrange for this important service. 

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Common Misunderstandings People Have About Chimney Sweeping

Monday, June 5th, 2023
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Most people’s ideas of chimney sweeping come straight from Mary Poppins. That’s definitely a romantic image, and it does reflect something of what this job was like in the Victorian era, when combustion fires were used everywhere and had such efficiency problems that cleaning was an almost continual job.

Chimney sweeping is still necessary today for homes with fireplaces, but unfortunately most people have a limited understanding of the job, how it’s done, why it’s done, and when it needs to be done. 

We’re long-time experts when it comes to chimney sweeping in Minneapolis, MN, and we’d like to go through some of the common misunderstandings people have about this job.

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Why Chimney Cleaning Helps Keep You Safe

Monday, March 13th, 2023

Your chimney is supposed to provide a one-way exit route for the combustion gases and soot created by a fire in your fireplace. Your chimney may not be able to do this effectively if it’s dirty.

It may feel silly to think of a dirty chimney being a bad thing but it’s true. Over time, especially after a season of heavy use, your chimney flue may become so caked with debris that it starts to do the opposite of what it should. That’s why regular upkeep of your entire fireplace and chimney system is so important.

Let’s discuss the negative impact of a dirty chimney so you know if and when to schedule a chimney cleaning in Minneapolis, MN with our team.

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Make Sure Your Chimney Is Ready

Monday, September 26th, 2022

The fall season is officially here. That means that it is only going to get colder by the day. If you haven’t already, you are likely going to be using your fireplace and chimney on a somewhat regular basis to keep your home a bit warmer.

Our question is this: is your chimney ready to be used? All too often we see homeowners through Minneapolis and St. Paul start up their fireplace and encounter the trouble created by a dirty chimney.

Avoid the hassle. Use your chimney without worry this season by scheduling a chimney inspection and cleaning in Minneapolis. We’ll explain more about this service below.

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The Importance of Having a Professional Cleaning Your Chimney

Monday, May 24th, 2021

Would you let an amateur clean your teeth? Or would you make a DIY attempt at a major repair on your car? We certainly hope the answer to these questions would be no!

Some jobs are best left to the professionals. In the examples we just listed, you should visit a dentist or a car mechanic who is trained and licensed to perform the work your need. The same concept applies when it comes to cleaning your chimney. You need to work with a professional.

Professional services for your chimney aren’t just recommended, they’re necessary for the sake of your chimney’s wellbeing and yours too. Let’s look at the difference a professional can make when they perform your chimney cleaning in Minneapolis, MN.

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