One of the most popular questions at this time of the year is, “how can I know if my chimney needs a repair of cleaning before I reignite it.” You may not want a chimney cleaning until it’s required, but you certainly don’t want to put your home and loved ones in danger of an accidental fire.

Regardless of you being a light or heavy fireplace user, the signs that your fireplace or chimney has an issue aren’t always clear. Here is a list of seven tell-tale signs to know that your fireplace or chimney needs a professional inspection.

Inspection on Observation

  1. Fireplace smelling like a campfire: when your fireplace smells of burned wood even when it’s extinguished.
  2. Fire Oddly Burning: The fire flickers abnormally.
  3. Difficulty in starting a fire: if you feel that starting a fire has become harder to start. This can be a sign of a clogged chimney or restricted airflow.
  4. Smoke in the room: The smoke from the fireplace starts spreading through the room even when the flue is open.
  5. Black fireplace damper: a black fireplace damper is an indication of creosote buildup. Creosote buildup may appear as flaky soot initially and condense into a shiny, hard substance clinging in a tar-like fashion to the surface.
  6. Oily marks on fireplace walls: oily spots on the walls of your fireplace also indicate the presence of creosote
  7. Evidence of animals: if you see any signs of animal nesting or hear animal noises coming out of your chimney. Squirrels and birds are the common culprits that make homes in your chimney.

If you notice any of these signs, know that it’s time to schedule a chimney inspection. However, these signs aren’t the only factors that indicate a chimney inspection. A timely inspection is necessary, even if you haven’t seen any of these signs yet. The question here is, how often do you need a chimney inspection?

What is A Regular Inspection?

Firewood burning in a fireplace

This question isn’t as simple as it sounds. According to The National Fire Protection Association, chimneys and fireplaces should be inspected annually for deposits, clearance, and soundness. This is based on the assumption of what an average chimney’s use is, However more regular use can require more regular checks.

The Chimney Safety Institute of America recommends that waiting a year for an inspection can at times be too much. However, checking the thickness of soot buildup can be a good indication. If the soot buildup in your fireplace or chimney is more than 1/8 of an inch, it’s considered enough to cause a fire capable of spreading into the home.

At CT Chimney Repair, our team of professionals offers regular chimney inspection and repair services. We offer a full range of chimney services, including chimney liner installation, chimney restoration, chimney repair and restoration, chimney damper installation, fireplace installation and remodeling, and much more.

Learn more about our services here.