There are many things that can go wrong in your home, and these things usually end up being costly. If your walls crack, you will need someone to come in and replaster them. If your furnace breaks down, you need to get someone in as soon as possible to get it fixed, especially in the middle of a New York January. And if you smell a funky odor in your house, you will want to get that checked out as soon as possible, because if it is allowed to persist too long, it can permeate your curtains, carpets, and furniture. If the odor is smoky, chances are it’s your fireplace that is the culprit. If you are smelling something and want to find the source, give Alpine Chimney Sweeps a call. There are a number of reasons that you could be experiencing this problem, and we know the solutions to all of them.
Common Reasons for Smoky Odors
The most common cause for smoky odors coming from your chimney is creosote buildup. When you burn wood in your fireplace, smoke is released and heads up the chimney. This is good, because smoke contains moisture that evaporates out of the wood along with chemicals such as benzene, formaldehyde, and carbon monoxide. These are things you want outside of your home, not inside. But as this smoke gets close to the top of your chimney, where the surface is cooler, it condenses onto the interior. This crusty material is called creosote, and not only does it smell, it is also extremely flammable. That means there are two reasons to call Alpine Chimney Sweeps. When we clean the creosote out of your fireplace and chimney system, we’ll be ridding your fireplace of a dangerous fire hazard as well as a nasty odor problem.
Other Causes of Odor
Another reason for odor problems could be that your dampers aren’t fitting as securely as they should. The dampers stop cold air from coming down your chimney and cooling down your living room, and they also stop the nasty odor from creosote buildup from entering your home. If the seal on your dampers isn’t as tight as it should be, that may not be happening.
The odor may be coming from something a bit nastier; it could be that an animal or bird has fallen into your chimney and died, and that dead animal can cause a nasty odor. It can also cause a blockage that might start a chimney fire.
Call in the Professionals
No matter what the cause of your odor problem is, you can be sure that Alpine Chimney Sweeps will be able to find it and take care of it. Whether it’s a blockage or creosote making a nasty aroma in your home, we will come in, find it, and clean it up. If repairs are necessary, we will take care of that as well. Give us a call today!
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