During the warm & humid summer months, some fireplaces will emit an odor that can make the whole house smell like there's a campfire burning - even though you may not have had a fire in your fireplace for weeks or even months! This is usually caused by soot and creosote that has accumulated up inside your chimney flue, combining with humid air being drawn down the flue (often made worse when Central air conditioning is in use.

The solution? Clean your chimney! By removing most of the soot thats in the flue, a thorough chimney cleaning dramatically reduces the most active ingredient in the soot/humidity combination. While it is impossible to remove every bit of soot in the flue, we can usually get enough out where the smell is significantly reduced or eliminated all together. Not only will you have a less smelly flue, it will also have a safer chimney next fall when you begin to burn wood again.

If your house smells like a campfire give us a call, we'll gladly come over and check the flue for soot and creosote deposits. We can also make sure your damper is closing properly. This type of check-up is free, and should be done every year or two anyway.

Well the theives & bandits are a it again. I went to inspect a chimney on Maple Ave North in Westport today. The homeowner had recently hired a 'chimney sweep' from Long Island to clean her fireplace flue at a deeply discounted price. She was left uneasy by his super fast cleaning job and hard sell of additional repair services. Sure enough, her instincts were right. When I got there I found the fireplace flue was loaded with dangerous creosote deposits - it had barely been brushed out at all! Please beware of this scam. If a company calls to say they will be in the neighborhood and can clean your chimney for a low price, don't be fooled! If a company tells you repair work is required you should get at least one more opinion/quote. This is about more than being ripped off financially - its about fire hazards and the safety of your family!