Cleaning out your chimney once every year (at least!) is so important for your health and wellness, and for the well-being of your home. This process could potentially save your home, as a buildup of debris in the chimney could actually cause a fire to ignite in the chimney and spread to your home.
We understand that people want to save money on household services, but it’s important to find a qualified technician first and foremost. Low-cost companies often aren’t qualified for the work, and they may not do much to help protect your home. Here’s why you should avoid hiring someone who charges less than the average for cleaning and inspecting a chimney.
- They might put in minimal effort. An unqualified chimney sweep might not put in a lot of work, hoping they can get the job done quickly so that they can move on to the next job in order to make more money.
- They may not have the proper certifications. You should hire someone qualified with the CSIA (Chimney Safety Institute of America), but chances are high that your cheap sweep isn’t.
- Experience is limited. A big part of the chimney cleaning process is the inspection, but someone with little experience won’t know what to look for when they investigate your chimney. Someone without the proper level of experience will not be able to identify problems that could increase your risk for a fire hazard.
- You might pay more anyway. Often, with companies like these, you only end up spending more anyway because the chimney sweep tries to upsell you during the service. A chimney sweep should be upfront about the standard cost of cleaning, keeping you informed if there are any problems, without trying to push for a repair if you don’t really want it (but while informing you of the potential safety issues it could cause).
Call the friendly people at 2nd Generation Chimneys, Inc. for a chimney sweep that will do the job right in Minneapolis, MN.