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Migratory Patterns of the Chimney Swift

With the arrival of winter, chimney swifts, like many other birds, instinctively migrate south, leaving the United States entirely by early November. Headed for Peru and the Amazon Basin, they are sighted in the southern United States, both leaving and returning. Chimneys make nice nesting spots for a short stay on your roof, until colder weather forces them to carry on.

Chimney Swifts nesting

With long tubular bodies, chimney swifts gather to roost and can appear to swirl into chimneys like a whirlpool in the sea. They actually need chimneys to provide a habitat for them, with deforestation contributing to the destruction of their own. For this reason, homeowners need to protect their chimney or risk falling victim to migrating chimney swifts.

One way to protect the chimney from swifts is by having a chimney cap installed. There are a variety of caps available at different price points. Even if your budget is limited, the cost of the cap is surely offset in avoiding cleanup costs after the swift leaves in the winter. This, of course, is in addition to the fact that you will not lose your fireplace until the swifts decide to move on.

Not every chimney makes a suitable home for migrating chimney swifts, which breed in North America and fly south every winter. The chimney needs to be made of firebrick, stone, or flue tiles with mortar joints. Chimney swifts are able to cling to these materials and hang from the walls of the chimney. If your chimney consists of these materials, it is best to take preventative measures ASAP.

If you are unlucky enough to have a swift inhabit your chimney,  call a professional chimney sweep company as soon as possible to evaluate the situation. While you cannot remove the swift or harm them in any way while they are in the chimney, the professional can give you a plan of action once the birds have moved on. If this happens once, you will quickly understand why you need to avoid it from happening again.

What Are the Most Important Fireplace Accessories to Have?

Without any doubt, the single most important fireplace accessory is a screen to prevent flyaway embers from escaping into the room. These can obviously cause fires and at best leave unattractive burn marks in carpet and on furniture too near the fire. A screen is generally included with glass doors, a common fireplace accessory.

Fireplace Accessories - Ann Arbor MI - Clean Sweeps of MI

Glass fireplace doors are as important as they are popular. They not only improve the look of an old fireplace but also reduce heat loss from the home. Blowers can also be added to an existing fireplace. In combination with glass doors, they allow heated air to be blown out of the fireplace and into the room while the heat from the fire is retained behind closed doors. This is an extremely safe and highly efficient way to enjoy a fire.

A grate is another essential fireplace accessory. It should be about two-thirds of the width of your fireplace and half as deep. Placing logs on a grate will allow air to circulate better and encourage the fire to burn properly. A damper is equally important. It should be fully open when the fire is lit but can later be partially closed to prevent heat loss up the chimney.  If smoke is coming into the room, the damper needs to be opened more.  A little experimentation will produce the perfect aperture that allows maximum heating and correct ventilation.

Another fireplace accessory to consider is a fireback. Usually made from cast iron, this is a reflective metal sheet that is placed at the back of the fireplace to radiate the heat from the fire back into the room. This dramatically increases heat output.

Finally, the fireplace needs to be kept clear of ash. A small fireplace shovel and pail will do the trick, but homeowners can also consider placing an ash tray under the grate. These can be simple or decorative and allow for the easy removal of ash after every fire.

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