Serving Minneapolis, St. Paul and the Surrounding Communities
With your chimney being out of commission during the hot summer months, now is the best time to get any repairs or inspections taken care of. David Pixley of 2nd Generation Chimneys, Inc. (not to be confused with Jack Pixley Sweeps), has an expert crew ready to serve you. Inspections and repairs are critical to the safety and function of your chimney come those winter months when you need to keep your family warm. Give us a call today!
The Pixley family name has been around for generations when it comes to your Chimney Repair, Chimney Cleaning, and Maintenance needs. David Pixley began his expertise with his fathers old business, Jack Pixley Sweeps. Now the proud owner of 2nd Generation Chimneys, David Pixley and his crew are here to help you with all your Chimney needs, including your Insurance Claims! Making an insurance claim can be time consuming and stressful and 2nd Generation Chimney’s is here to ensure a smooth process and a high quality repair so that your family stays safe. Give us a call today to get your Chimney inspected for fire safety. If you already are filing an insurance claim, be sure to give the Pixley family a call and we will guide you through the process!
When it comes to quality Chimney Relining, the Pixley family name has been around for generations and remains the name to trust for all your Chimney cleaning, repair, and inspection needs. David Pixley, owner of 2nd Generation Chimneys, Inc. will ensure the highest quality craftsmanship on your Chimney Relining job. Give us a call today and let the Pixley’s take care of your Chimney needs! See the difference in quality here:
If you have experienced a chimney fire, then let the Pixley family make the restoration process as easy as possible. David Pixley of 2nd Generation Chimneys is committed to excellence in every aspect of your experience. Unplanned restoration is never convenient, so at the very least you deserve to have peace of mind when it comes to the repair and restoration of your chimney as well as the financial burden. 2nd Generation is here to help! Let the Pixley’s walk you through the process of your insurance claim and get your chimney back in order as soon as possible. Call us today!
There are few things as comforting on a cold night as a crackling fire in your living room. No matter how much or how little you use your fireplace it is important to have your chimney cleaned annually. When it comes to cleaning your chimney the only way to ensure that it is safe and structurally sound is to call a Minneapolis chimney cleaning professional. Anyone can sweep the soot out of a chimney, but a professional chimney sweep provides much more service than that. Here is some information about the professional chimney cleaning process.
A professional chimney sweep starts by cleaning and inspecting the fireplace, moving upwards to the flu and chimney. The chimney sweep also inspects the chimney flashing and crown. The chimney flashing is the seal between the joints of your building and the chimney and the crown sits on top of the chimney, protecting the masonry from water and weather damage.
Once the fireplace is cleaned the damper is removed. This is the part of chimney is seals the opening when the fireplace is not in use. Its removal allows for brush access to the smoke shelf and chamber. The smoke chamber functions to reduce backdraft when smoke enters the flue, and the smoke shelf catches falling debris and rain water. It is vital that these areas be clean and unobstructed.
Once the area is cleared it is time to begin the actual sweeping of the chimney. Most professionals will skip the handheld brush for one mounted on a heavy duty drill. This allows for a much more thorough scraping and cleaning of the built up creosote than simply feeding a brush through by hand. Once the brushing is done the crew will vacuum up the mess, being sure to clear the smoke shelf of all debris.
Once the cleaning has been completed, your professional chimney sweep may feed video equipment through the damper opening. This will allow them to inspect the condition and integrity of the chimney flue and mortar joints. Most serious issues with chimneys are discovered during routine chimney sweeping. Video inspection allows for detection of water damage, missing or degraded mortar joints, black stains indicating smoke leakage and a slew of other possible issues.
Once a year, every year, have a Minneapolis chimney professional clean your chimney. If you have any questions regarding this information, the pros at 2nd Generation Chimneys are willing, able and happy to provide answers.
The Chimney Safety Institute of America recommends that chimneys and fireplaces should be cleaned and inspected annually to prevent fires and other safety hazards. We’ve developed an annual maintenance program to make sure our customers remember to schedule this important safety check of their homes. There is no better time than the present to ensure the safety of your home! Contact us for details and to schedule your maintenance today!
Check out our deal for a Chimney Clean and Inspection running now for only $119 with your purchase of an energy efficient damper. Contact us today to schedule an appointment!
Your chimney in Plymouth may seem like a simple component of your house, but it needs a lot of maintenance and even with regular checkups, you might find yourself in need of one of these common chimney repairs.
During the colder winter months, your chimney absorbs water and then freezes, holding that water inside, causing the mortar and bricks to expand. The water then thaws and the bricks are weakened. Enough cycles like this and the bricks will start to crumble and fall out of the chimney. To stop this from happening, a contractor will place water sealant on the bricks in your chimney to keep them from succumbing to water damage. If properly done, this stops 99% of all moisture from entering your chimney.
The crown on your chimney can be insufficient or not sealed properly, resulting in water coming through onto your fireplace or mantel or leakage in the firebox. If you notice any moisture inside your home, either along the chimney structure itself or on the firebox or mantel, it is most likely an issue with the crown.
When the roof is done on your home, flashing is placed around the chimney to seal the joints between masonry and shingles. This keeps any water from getting between the two and leaking into your home. If you notice water on your ceiling or on any walls adjoining the chimney, this may be the problem and can be fixed relatively easily by a roofer.
Even with the right flue lining installed, damage can occur over time from regular use. The flue liner can crack or break or it can become blocked by creosote or other debris over time, especially if you don’t have a chimney cap to block things from entering on top of your house. Regular flue liner cleaning should take care of these problems.
If you are concerned about your chimney or the chimney liner, make sure to call 2nd Generation Chimneys to inspect it for these or other possible problems. Most chimneys will have small, easily repaired problems over their lifespan – no need to let them get any bigger.
Hopefully, you have never experience a chimney fire in Bloomington and won’t ever have to. But if you own a home with a fireplace (and use it), the risks of a chimney fire are there and it isn’t important to know what to do after one happens.
Once the fire is out and you have called your insurance company, you may think it is fine to just start using your fireplace again. It is not! You must have your chimney inspected and serviced before using your fireplace again. There are at least four crucial things to be checked for and resolved during this process:
In short, getting a quick inspection and potentially chimney repairs after a fire is a matter of safety and health. You want to reduce the risk of further unsafe events, such as carbon monoxide leaks, another chimney fire or even a collapse.
Hopefully you never have to deal with a chimney fire, but if you do, do not skip this important step in the aftermath. Â Please contact 2nd Generation Chimney if you have any questions about this.
We wish you a very happy Valentine’s Day! Valentine’s Day is the perfect time to show your appreciation to everyone who makes a difference in your life. Even a small gift, like a batch of cookies or a homemade card, can really make someone feel special. Your friends, your family, and your significant other will all have a fantastic Valentine’s Day if you take a moment to let them know how important they are to you.
Calling us for a chimney inspection might seem like a usual gift, but it can actually be something that benefits your whole family. Being secure in the safety of your chimney can make the time you spend by it more enjoyable, and the small problems that you can catch with our video inspection can save you a lot of money by avoiding larger problems in the future. Our chimney cleaning and inspection services will ensure its usability on days you need it most, like Valentine’s Day.
If you have any questions about chimney inspections or fire place installations, give 2nd Generation Chimneys a call today! And to help you celebrate this sweet holiday, here is a recipe for Chocolate Mint Cookies
Ingredients
Directions
For more details, visit allrecipes.com.