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Chimney sweeping in Vilnius

About this service

Chimney sweeping

It’s easy to forget that a clean chimney does not only guarantee more effectiveness and longevity; it also means safety. Whether it’s a chimney sweep, fireplace or air duct cleaning, you’ll be able to easily find and book the service you need. After all, there’s nothing quite like spending the evening by the fire knowing that your family’s well-being is taken care of.

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All tasks insured for € 1,000,000

About this service

Using a fireplace in the winter can lower your electric bills, not to mention its cozy appeal. But if wood-fired heat or a gas fireplace makes up an important part of your home heating, you need a regular chimney inspection and cleaning. You should have your chimney, fireplace and vents inspected at least once a year to make sure they’re sound and free of deposits that would hamper the flow of air or smoke moving up and outside the home. It’s also a matter of safety: failure to clean the chimney might cause a fire.

Chimney Cleaning Cost

Fire prevention experts recommend getting your chimney inspected and cleaned at least once every year before cold weather begins. The first step in getting your chimney ready for the winter is a proper inspection, which will require the inspector to climb up on the roof and look at the fireplace from the inside. The inspector will check the chimney’s structural integrity, the liner, the smoke chamber and the firebox. To get a comprehensive cleaning, be sure to ask your service provider to remove soot, creosote and blockages from all parts of your fireplace.

To understand how much a chimney cleaning service may cost you, start by comparing hourly pro rates near you on Discontract. A chimney sweep with an inspection should take about an hour. This time may be longer if there are any damage or blockages present inside your chimney flue.

Additionally, if you haven’t cleaned your chimney in many years, or if you’ve just bought an older home and don’t know how long it has been since the chimney was cleaned, that could affect the cost of the job.

Another thing to consider is how often do you use your fireplace. If you burn wood in your fireplace 3-4 times a week, or use it as a primary heating source for your home, the buildup of soot might be far greater than if you just use your fireplace a few times a winter when company comes over.

Repairs and Maintenance

In addition to your chimney, fireplace and vent cleaning, many professional chimney sweeps will also be able to do a wide range of masonry repair, brick repair, fireplace floor repair and crown repair. Prices vary based on the extent of the repair.

If you own an older home and anticipate structural repairs to your chimney in addition to a regular cleaning, consider hiring a general contractor with experience and certification in other homebuilding trades like masonry to better assess your chimney’s maintenance needs.

Chimney Liners

The purpose of a chimney liner is to ensure that heat (and fire) stay contained in the fireplace and chimney, to protect the masonry from the corrosive byproducts of combustion, and to make sure the fireplace or wood stove has the proper size flue for maximum efficiency. Liners are typically made of heat-tolerant materials such as clay, ceramic, or stainless steel. Keeping your chimney clean and in working order is important because replacing a chimney liner can be extremely costly.

In older homes, the liner needs to be thoroughly inspected because a past fire in the chimney could have cracked or damaged it. If your chimney is past due for a sweep, your chimney’s liner might need critical repairs as well.

Keep your home safe with a regular chimney cleaning service. Get free estimates from top-rated fireplace and chimney specialists.

Gas Fireplaces

Gas fireplaces do not create the same soot and creosote buildup as wood-burning fireplaces do, but professionals still recommend that chimneys be inspected every year.

Even though gas fireplaces burn cleaner than wood, a regular inspection and cleaning will prevent common problems. If the warmer leftover gas is being prevented from leaving the fireplace properly and the chimney is too cool, it can cause water condensation that can cause your wallpaper to peel, paint to blister, ceilings to stain, or even mortar to erode or bricks to crumble. A cool chimney on a gas fireplace can also cause incomplete combustion, which can lead to carbon monoxide poisoning.

Signs You Need Your Chimney Cleaned

If you're not sure that you need your chimney swept, there are a few signs to look for:

Built-up soot and creosote: You can check the build-up yourself. Make sure to wear a dust mask and safety goggles. Shine a bright flashlight up into the flue and scrape into the soot. The soot should only measure up to 3 millimeters thickness. Any more and it needs to be cleaned.

Smoke entering room: If smoke is coming into your living space, there may be significant blockage in your flue.

Odor: A rich tar smell emanating out of your fireplace is a sign you have creosote build-up.

Weak fire: If your fire isn't as strong as it used to be, you probably need to have your chimney cleaned. Handle this as soon as possible because insufficient wood burning can lead to faster creosote deposits.

Regular sweeping services will prevent the above issues. Creosote is a combustible residue created by burning wood. Excessive creosote buildup along your chimney flue is a serious hazard that could lead to a chimney fire and damage to your home.

The best way to figure out your particular needs is to contact a local chimney sweep on Discontract for an expert inspection and evaluation.

Cost-saving Strategies

If you’re burning wood regularly during the winter, you’re already saving money. So don’t cut corners on annual cleaning and inspection, which can save you even more down the road by finding problems early before they become serious. However, there are a few strategies that can help you save on your chimney cleaning time in the long run:

Have a chimney cap installed to prevent rain, snow and sleet — and animals — from getting into the chimney.

To prevent creosote buildup, only burn dry wood.

During the inspection, ask the chimney sweep for recommendations on proper maintenance to improve your home's safety and your chimney’s efficiency.

Find a Chimney Sweep Near You

Working with a chimney is hazardous, especially if you need to approach it from the roof. You also may not have the tools and knowledge necessary to diagnose major problems. A chimney fire can be detrimental to your home’s safety, and the low cost of annual maintenance is worth the investment. Find an experienced chimney sweep on Discontract today.