There’s just something magical about stoking a roaring fire in your fireplace. Whether you rely on it to heat your home on a regular basis or you only use it once in a while to take the nip out of those chilly Missouri nights while you snuggle up with your loved ones or with a good book, a fireplace helps to make your home feel a lot more, well, homey.
If your fireplace is damaged, the sooner you call in a fireplace repair professional to correct the problem, the better, as you’ll not only protect yourself, your loved ones, and your property, but you’ll also be able to prevent further damage that would necessitate more complex and costlier repairs.
A fireplace should fill your home with warmth, not smoke. When you light a fire, if the air inside your home becomes clouded with smoke, something is definitely amiss; the flue could be damaged or the damper may not be functioning properly, for example.
If you’re looking for ways to cut costs, you might be thinking about skipping on hiring a chimney sweep, as it might seem like an unnecessary expense; in reality, however, not hiring a chimney sweep can actually end up costing you money because neglected chimneys are more prone to catching fire that can spread throughout your house and cause untold amounts of property – and worse, physical – damages.
Does it look like someone has tossed chalk, powder, or flour on your fireplace? That white substance is known as efflorescence, a process that occurs when masonry materials are exposed to moisture. The moisture pushes out any salt that’s trapped in the bricks or stones, and as it dries, a white, chalk-like substance is left behind. Moisture damage is a serious problem and requires a fireplace repair contractor’s immediate attention.