Is your chimney dirtying your living room with soot particles? It is time for chimney cleaning. While you can look up the chimney to check the extent of soot accumulation, choosing to do DIY cleaning could prove disastrous. You could suffer respiratory harm, not to mention the risk of working at height. Chimney cleaning is best left to professionals who have the experience and tools to do so. If you want to work on your chimney, it would be advisable to call the professionals for several reasons:
Better Safety Practices
When was the last time you climbed on your roof? Do you have the safety equipment to work at height? Even if you had a ladder to get to the top of your chimney, it is likely you will be so apprehensive you won't get the job done right.
There is also a risk in handling huge amounts of soot and creosote. You could breathe in these flying soot particles, which could cause respiratory problems. They can also cause eye irritation. There have been cases of people getting stuck in chimneys while cleaning. Leaving chimney cleaning to professionals removes these risks.
Better Equipment and Tools
How do you get to the top of a chimney on a steep roof? It is unlikely you have an extension ladder you would need to climb to the roof. Getting to the top is the easy part. You then have to navigate the roof carefully when working. These difficulties could make you fearful and unable to do a good job.
A chimney cleaning service has the skills and tools to inspect and clean your chimney properly. They have safety gear, including safety goggles and face masks for protection against soot infiltration. They also have equipment like ladders and harnesses for working at height.
Chimney cleaning services have the advantage of workplace insurance. The cleaning crew is protected in case of an accident.
Keep Roof Warranty Intact
There is a risk of voiding your roof's warranty when working on the chimney. Most roof installers offer a warranty with terms and conditions restricting what can be done on the roof. For example, you could damage roof flashing when cleaning the chimney's exterior. The roofer will be reluctant to honor the warranty in such a case. Using a professional chimney cleaning service gives confidence to a roofer that the chimney cleaning task is not the cause of roof damage if it happens. Therefore, they would have no excuse to void the warranty. Most chimney cleaning services also maintain good connections with roofers.
Do you think your chimney needs working on to reduce soot and smoke? Call chimney cleaning services for proper results.
Reach out to a company like Sposato Masonry to learn more.