Clean Sweeps of Michigan's Blog

Chimney Odor Problem?

A stinky chimney can make your home an unpleasant place to be in. Call us now and we’ll have our certified chimney technicians get rid of the odor.

It is never fun when you have a stink in your home that you cannot get rid of and are having to constantly mask with air fresheners. The worst part is when you are forced to live with the smell, because it has sunk into your home. Chimneys can produce these types of odors when their maintenance is not up to date. If you feel this is a problem in your home, call the professionals at Clean Sweep of Michigan, Inc.

What causes an odor in a chimney?

Creosote is the number one reason that your chimney will stink. Creosotes are released when untreated wood is burned in your fire. They then clump together on the inside of your chimney, and overtime can soak into the structure and leave the odor behind. This can also cause draft problems where air will not be able to properly leave the chimney. As the weather becomes more hot and humid in the summer, the smell will be more obvious. Your annual sweep that you have with your inspection will help with keeping it to a minimum, but it is recommended that if you are a frequent fireplace user you have an additional sweep.

Another reason your chimney will smell is if mold is growing in the unit. This is most common in areas of brick where there are cracks, or where other pieces of the chimney may not be in working order. Your Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) certified professional will be able to recognize if this is a potential hazard for you during your inspection. Since mold can grow very fast and in a variety of colors and textures, it is important to ask for help if you see something out of the ordinary. Your technician can introduce you to different ideas on how to better protect your chimney from the elements, including waterproofing. This is when they will spray a coat of sealant on the outside of your chimney that will repel water on contact. If you live in an especially wet climate, you may need more than one coat.

How do you get ready for the sweep?

• Let your chimney cool down by not having a fire for more than 24 hours before the sweep.
• Clear the area of anything valuable such as breakables, furniture, etc.
• Make sure pets are safe and out of the way

Common Chimney Repairs

Help! My Chimney Needs Repairs!

Since every chimney is different, every chimney problem is different. And whether your system is smoking, leaking or cracking, the most appropriate response to a chimney issue is a thorough inspection, not only to get a close look at the obvious damage, but to seek out the cause or causes that led to that damage.

Many common repairs cost much less money when caught early. Early interventions also reduce the risk of fire.

Over more than three decades, Clean Sweep of Michigan techs have come across just about any problem you can imagine, from masonry that’s so eroded that moss pretty much takes over the structure, to flues so caked with third stage creosote that a chimney fire was a foregone conclusion. Check out some of the worst horror stories on our Chimneys Gone Wild page.

More often than not, though, repair needs are a little more routine, and fall into some common categories, usually around the parts of the system that get the most wear and tear from the elements and/or the heat in your firebox.

A few of the most common chimney repairs:

Repairing Leaky Flashing

Flashing protects one of the most vulnerable points around your chimney: the area where the chimney and roofline meet. So if the flashing fails and can no longer shuttle moisture away, leaks are sure to follow. Installing, repairing or replacing flashing is custom work — the metal pieces that make up chimney flashing are specifically sized for every individual chimney — so it’s exacting work that requires an experienced hand. If you have a leaky chimney, Clean Sweep techs can inspect your system using our 25-point approach. If the problem’s with your flashing — or any other part of the system — we can make the right repairs.

Replacing Chimney Caps

At the top of your flue, a chimney cap is keeping a lot of what you don’t want in your chimney out, rain, snow, debris and animals included. But caps that aren’t properly installed can fly off with bad weather, and galvanized metal caps can begin to corrode and rust over time. So damaged or missing chimney caps often lead to leaks or animal infestations, and they should be replaced as soon as possible.

Repair Or Replace Chimney Damper

A properly functioning damper needs to be in place to close off the flue when it’s not in use, but it’s not uncommon for older throat dampers to rust, corrode or get stuck. At best, you’re left wasting energy — at worst, a stuck damper can make your chimney unfit for use. We repair damaged dampers and can also replace them with superior top-sealing dampers.

Seal, Repair Or Rebuild Chimney Crown

The chimney crown, built at the top of your chimney, is another common leak source. Since crowns get regularly battered by sun and moisture, cracks can be pretty common. We regularly repair small crown wash cracks with a waterproof sealant, and repair or rebuild more significantly damaged crowns.

Masonry Repair, Including Repointing

Bricks almost always last longer than mortar joints, so it’s not uncommon to see eroded, receding or cracked joints in a chimney with bricks that still have plenty of life left in them. To get chimneys like those back to proper working order, repointing — or removing those damaged joints and replacing them with new mortar joints — is usually the best course of action.

Repairing Or Replacing A Damaged Flue Liner

Your flue liner offers a lot of protection — it helps to keep dangerous gases contained, protects your masonry and nearby materials from extreme heat and moisture and can help ensure proper draft, too. So a damaged or failing flue liner seriously affects your chimney’s performance. Clean Sweep regularly installs HeatShield, which can be a great choice for restoring damaged chimney liner. Our techs can tell you whether HeatShield might be the right choice for your chimney.

Whatever type of repairs you need, Clean Sweep can help. And we back our repairs — all come with at least a one-year workmanship warranty, and many carry a 10-year to lifetime warranty. Give us a call — we’re here when you need us!