Has the smell of old soot wafted through your home every time the wind blew this summer? Even with the flue on your fireplace closed, the odor of creosote and tiny ash particles get spread out onto your furniture and carpeting all summer and fall, a result of all those cozy fires you had last winter.
Spring cleaning
Arnold Scherer, owner of Chim-Chimney Sweep, advises homeowners to have their fireplaces and woodstoves cleaned and inspected after the burning season in the spring. “That is the best time to clean out all the buildup, check and see if there are any cracks or damage,” said Scherer. “And the cleaning means you won’t spend months breathing in creosote and soot, which is not good for anyone.”
Look for a license
Always mechanically inclined and with a desire to run his own business, Scherer saw a niche where he could do well and started Chim-Chimney Sweep in 1980. He became a licensed fireplace and mason contractor, certified to do all types of climate-control work. “There are a lot of unlicensed people who don’t have insurance or a strict set of standards, and they do a disservice to licensed contractors,” he said. These unlicensed workers may damage a house using improper equipmen, and create a sooty mess for the homeowner to clean up.
Clean, then inspect
Chim-Chimney Sweep first cleans and brushes the chimney using a large vacuum device that leaves no residue in the house before inspecting the chimney. “You cannot inspect the chimney without cleaning it, because you have to get the layers of soot and creosote off first,” he said. The company also checks the top of the chimney for a spark arrestor, and rain cover, and makes sure the metal parts are not rusting. The service for a typical single-family dwelling is $149 dollars. “We want to make this service affordable because it’s a safety issue that all families should make part of their regular household maintenance,” said Scherer. “We make a living from the repeat business we do and word of mouth.”
Scherer has been servicing many of the same families in Sonoma since he began the company and enjoys the interaction with his customers. “It’s really been fulfilling, especially because of the people you meet and get to know,” he said. “Sonoma folks like to use their fireplaces and woodstoves, and it’s still more of an agricultural area where there are a lot of trees on people’s property and they are used to using the resources at hand, which are cleaner-burning than many other heating products.”
Tips for Safer Fires
Scherer has some tips for homeowners with fireplaces:
Make sure the damper is open before you start your fire.
Place the grate up against the back wall of the fireplace, so that the smoke will follow the back wall up, not out into your living room.
Use a screen that will not tip easily or allow sparks through.
An 18-inch hearth is recommended.
Never leave a fire unattended.
Install smoke detectors and change the batteries twice a year. (A simple reminder; change them at the same time you re-set your clocks to accommodate Daylight-Saving Time.)
Use madrone and oak; if you use eucalyptus or pine, mix it with the oak
Chim-Chimney Sweep
707.935.3320
www.chimchimneysweep.com
