Every fire you burn emits soot up into the flue of your chimney. This thick soot sticks to the inside. Unfortunately, this substance, known as creosote, is flammable. If this creosote buildup catches fire, the fire can spread past your flue tiles and into your house! Creosote buildup is also smelly! If you are noticing a strong odor coming from your fireplace, you could be due for a cleaning!
The chimney flue is cleaned top to bottom using a chimney cleaning brush which is run up and down several times, loosening the creosote buildup. The smoke chamber, damper and firebox are then brushed down. All ash and soot is vacuumed up using a special chimney cleaning vacuum. The whole process usually takes 45 minutes to an hour and here at Mr. Chimney, Inc. we offer a no mess guaranty!!
Gas appliances most often do not require cleaning. Oil furnaces should be checked and cleaned periodically.
Brick and mortar are some of the toughest building materials around. However, over time, the mortar between the bricks will start to break down due to weather conditions, gases coming from inside, etc. If you can catch this process during its early stages, chances are a good tuck pointing will get you back in action. Tuck pointing is grinding out the existing mortar joints and reapplying new mortar back in the cracks. However, if severe deterioration has taken place, tuck pointing will not due. Internal condensation is a big problem when it comes to your chimney. The primary cause of chimney breakdown is the acidic moisture from your furnace that comes from condensed flue gases. This acidic moisture attacks the chimney from the inside. This is why your chimney may look fine from the outside but the inside can be a different story. Water vapor is a by-product of burning fuel. When 1 cubic foot of gas is burned, 2 cubic feet of water vapor is created! Traditional clay liners will soak up this vapor - stainless steel relining is the best solution. Cracked flues can also occur which is a very serious situation. Not only because of the fire hazard caused by creosote buildup, but if carbon monoxide leaks through those cracks and into your home it can make you and your family sick.
Here at Mr. Chimney, we only use Chimney Saver on our customers' masonry projects. Why? One very important difference - ChimneySaver is a water repellent - not a water sealer. ChimneySaver is 100% breathable which means moisture vapor can escape and it thereby reduces water absorption by your chimney.
Mr. Chimney, Inc. was established in 2001. The President of the company has over 20 years experience in the chimney restoration industry here in the Milwaukee area. We take pride in every job because we honestly love what we do! We are a husband and wife team, so you can be assured of personal, dedicated service. We do not hire subcontractors.
We can't stress enough, especially in the construction industry, you get what you pay for! We are not the cheapest nor are we the most expensive. You always get what you pay for here at Mr. Chimney and we are always willing to work with you. The best job is the bottom line. Having to pay someone to come back and fix or finish repairs done by a "cheaper" company is wasting money in the long run. It is always a good idea to get two or three bids to compare not only price, but what they propose to do. An extremely low bid should be a caution flag.
When you see a company that is a member of Better Business Bureau and NARI Home Improvement Council, you can rest assured that someone has done the homework for you. To be accepted into these various organizations, a company must provide proof of financial responsibility, state certification and insurance coverage. These organizations also monitor any complaints. Being a member of the Wisconsin Guild of Chimney Service Specialists keeps us current in the industry.
Professional organizations we are memebers of include: