While some people prefer the crackle of the fire, and the smell of burning wood in a traditional fireplace, a gas fireplace offers other people ease of maintenance and ease of use.
Gas units have several benefits beyond the ease of operation. No longer will you need to split, stack and haul wood. There also is no ash or smoky smells. And, you won’t have to worry about tending to the fire to keep it going.
While conversion from a wood-burning unit to a gas unit sounds burdensome, Firesafe Chimney Services can make the process hassle free and easy. In fact, we can install most simple gas units in one day.
If you decide to convert to a gas fireplace, you have three options for your home:
• Unvented gas logs
• Vented gas logs
• Direct vent gas insert
After deciding on the type that’s best for your home and your family, all you’ll need is a gas line to your fireplace. If your home already has a natural gas connection, this is often easy, yet we recommend you contact a certified technician, like a chimney repair service, to perform the work.
All complete, a conversion to a direct vent gas insert will cost between $2,000 and $5,000, while gas logs will cost between $500 and $2,500.
Clean Sweep Chimney Sweep is your trusted partner in converting your traditional fireplace to a gas unit. We have the knowledge and experience to complete the project to your satisfaction, including helping find the right unit for your home, running gas lines and completing installation.
To learn more about converting your traditional fireplace to a gas unit, contact us today.
Summer is almost here. While using your home’s fireplace may be the furthest thing from your mind completing some basic maintenance tasks during the hotter months can keep your unit ready for the fall and winter. Here are some tips for maintaining your chimney and fireplace during summer.
Bring Everything Up to Snuff – If you are working with an existing, older fireplace, it is always important to first make sure the unit is safe to use. Hidden dangers can lurk underneath the surface including flue liner cracks, crumbling mortar and ineffective components. It is worth your time to have an inspection completed prior to the remodel to assess its current condition.
Consider all Your Alternatives – There are many alternatives to keeping your traditional wood-fueled fireplace. You could convert the unit to gas, add a direct vent gas unit, or even install a rustic wood stove. While many like the overall atmosphere that a wood fire brings, others find the ease of use and efficiency of a gas stove much more conducive to their lifestyles.
DIY vs. Hiring a Professional – The possibilities are endless when it comes to things you can do to remodel the fireplace yourself including painting the brick exterior or adding a new mantel. Some jobs though are best left to an experienced professional team such as the one at Lindemann Chimney Service. Running gas lines, adding a new chimney cap and replacing worn brick and mortar are all tasks that require specialized skills and professional tools and supplies. It’s best to leave these tasks to the pros.
Work within Your Budget & Timeframe – Before beginning any type of remodeling job, it is always important to start with a clear budget and timeframe for completion. Doing so will set your project up for success. It will also help you better determine the type of project you should be completing. If you have a limited budget, you may want to opt to first take care of any necessary repairs. Or you may want to tackle a smaller job such as a mantel remodel. Larger projects such as a custom outdoor kitchen will take more time to complete. Is a longer remodel in line with your current schedule and other commitments? Sticking to projects that fit within both your budget and timeframe will lead to a smoother project and a better end result.
When you’re ready to remodel your existing fireplace, contact the experienced team at Clean Sweep Chimney Sweeps. From a luxury outdoor fireplace to a more practical chimney repair and update, we can help breathe new life into your home’s hearth. Visit our website to learn more about our remodeling services.
The housing market is HOT right now especially in the highly-sought after Colorado Springs area. It seems like as soon as a home is put on the market, it is quickly claimed by a prospective homebuyer. If you are currently in the hunt for a new home, you may feel you need to pull the trigger quickly on the home of your dreams. But maybe that’s not such a good idea. It is always smart to first have the chimney of the home inspected by a certified sweep.
Having the house’s chimney inspected can be one of the best investments you make during the buying process. A thorough inspection can uncover many hidden dangers that can lead to costly repairs. It can also tell you the health of the chimney and how well it has been cared for through the years.
A chimney inspection on a prospective home is beneficial for a number of reasons:
A through look inside the flue helps uncover broken or cracked flue liners.
Inspections diagnose brick and mortar issues, one of the most common problems that occur in standard wood fireplaces.
The inspector can determine the amount of creosote buildup that has accumulated. Excessive creosote is one of the leading contributors to chimney fires.
Chimneys that are tilting or need major repair can cost you thousands of dollars to rectify. An experienced inspector can inform you of not only the chimney’s current conditions but also expected future needs.
The inspector will examine the main components of the chimney including the chimney crown, cap, firebox, masonry, smoke chamber and other structural elements ensuring they are all in optimal performance.
While the bargaining chips are still on the table make sure to have any prospective home inspected by a certified sweep such as Clean Sweeps Chimney Sweeps. It is impossible to negotiate on chimney damages or problems unless you know they are there. Let the certified team of sweeps at Clean Sweeps help you discover any hidden dangers. Keep in mind that the typical home inspection only includes a visual inspection of the outside of the system without an internal look at the flue. To safeguard your investment, schedule your inspection with us today.
An electric fireplace is ideal for people who live in an apartment or a small home. If you truly desire the look and feel of a fireplace, but don’t want the headache of the more traditional styles, then this is your best option. These units run off of standard 110v electricity and come with an automatic shut-off command to keep you worry-free of smoldering embers.
If you are looking for a more modern, clean, and efficient way to heat your room with a real fire, Pellet Fireplace Inserts may be just what you are looking for. Pellet Inserts utilize small, compressed pellets made from sawmill byproducts to heat your home. As fossil fuel and chopped wood prices continue to rise, using Pellets as a fuel source is beginning to become more and more popular. For more information on Pellet Fireplace Inserts, give us a call at (719) 533-0542.
Gas Fireplaces – Gas Inserts – Gas Logs
Gas Fireplaces
Does your gas fireplace have a “frosted” look to the glass or a black sooty build up?
The frosted look is white carbon buildup. White carbon is a byproduct of combustion and can be very detrimental to your fireplace in a few different ways. Carbon can be removed in most cases when being addressed in a timely manner. If carbon is not addressed it has the ability to etch itself into the glass. This leaves your glass permanently carbon stained and takes away from the aesthetic appeal from your fireplace when it could be beautiful.
Carbon buildup
The white carbon film starts as a powder. The powder begins to layer much like soot and creosote buildup accumulated in a wood or solid fuel combustion fireplace. This fine powder has been known to make its way into the pilot supply hood at the pilot assembly. Carbon buildup in the pilot hood will cause the pilot flame to burn yellow and lazy. This “candle-like flame” can cause problems with the burner functioning and also create more soot and carbon build up throughout the firebox coating the walls and the log assembly of the gas fireplace. When carbon staining becomes etched onto the glass and cannot be removed A new glass assembly must be installed to rid the fireplace of this ugly “frosted look”.
A lot of the times a good portion of the carbon can be cleaned or buffed from the glass with proper cleaning solution and elbow grease.
The carbon tends to be the #1 build up in dirty fireplaces, there are other types of build up that can cause potential issues over time. Dust is 2nd runner up to the carbon as far as debris accumulated in the fireplace. Dust can also cause clogged orifices, pilot hoods, burner ports and even sometimes the fireplace vent, if the fireplace has never been serviced.
Other foreign debris’s include miller moths. Miller moths love the standing pilot light on the fireplace and can easily enter the venting system from the outside vent termination. Miller moths will clog pilot assemblies and burner tube or clogs if enough make their way into the system.
What to expect from service
The gas fireplace is inspected initially with a visual inspection to determine the suitability of the system and proper function. Problems are discussed upon the initial inspection and all information is gathered at this point. A clear understanding of the homeowners goals and expectations with the fireplace are addressed and assessed.
The fireplace place is cleaned of build up in the firebox and is taking apart to allow access to existing debris present in the system. As the firebox is disassembled and reassembled it is inspected for defects and proper integrity. The fireplace vent in the vent termination or inspected for blockage example Birds nest. Unit is put back together and tested for proper operation and seals.
Log Placement
Log placement in a gas fireplace is very specific and is crucial to the proper operation of the fireplace. Placement varies from model to model and should be addressed by the technician during an in service and inspection.
Fireplace glass assemblies should be cleaned only by service technicians as the proper placement and mounting is crucial to the fireplace operation and safety. In proper installation of the glass assembly can result in undesired heat transfer, carbon monoxide and or natural gas leaks.
Think of the fireplace is the furnace located in your living room! Fireplace should be inspected annually and serviced accordingly.
A clean inspected fireplace will keep you warm and give you peace of mind.
Wood stoves are cozy centerpieces around which families gather on cold winter evenings. Those magical flames warm our hearts and slowly melt into dreams of adventures still to come. Today’s wood stoves and inserts not only meet, but exceed EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) standards, assuring an environmentally-friendly, highly-efficient heating source. New wood stoves qualify as zone heating units. Safety, quality and clean burning heating performance are what you can expect. Wood stoves and inserts are designed to provide you not only with outstanding heating qualities and high-tech efficiency but with low emissions as well.
Have you noticed that your dryer is taking forever to dry your clothes? Do you smell something burning when your dryer is running? Most likely your dryer vent may be in need of a good cleaning! Even though you may be cleaning your lint trap regularly, only a small portion of lint is caught by that screen. The rest goes into your duct and sticks to the insides, eventually restricting airflow to the outside. Not only is a clogged dryer vent a pain, it’s also a fire hazard-dryer lint is highly flammable! It’s true-dryer vents that are clogged are a major cause of house fires every year.
Getting your dryer vent professionally cleaned will provide many benefits. In addition to reducing the risk of fire and better drying time, you’ll save on your energy costs because your dryer will work more efficiently and may even extend the life of your appliance! Who doesn’t like that?
If you’re waiting forever for your clothes to dry, don’t wait any longer! Pick up the phone and give Clean Sweep Chimney Sweeps a call today!
Whether it’s surrounding your fireplace, the exterior of your house, or your chimney, masonry is a functional and durable material that is visually pleasing inside or outside most any home. Masonry services provided by Clean Sweep Chimney Sweeps, Inc. include:
• Chimney Builds-New chimneys and rebuilds.
• Fireplaces-A wood burning fireplace can be a beautiful focal point of your living space.
Whether you need a whole new fireplace or an update to the look for your existing fireplace or insert, we can help you sort through your options.
• Wood, Gas and Pellet Stoves-Considering a stove as your heating source? We can help you determine what kind of fuel and stove will work best in your home. We service and clean all of the appliances that we sell, so you can be rest assured that we stand behind our products!
• Custom Masonry-Improve the aesthetic of your outdoor space or make it more functional for outside entertaining.
o Patios, Walkways, and Stairs
o Outdoor Fireplaces, Fire Pits, and Outdoor Kitchens
• Stove and Chimney Pipe
o Your wood or pellet pipe is only warranted for a period of time (warranties are usually 10 years at best). And your stove or insert warranty is usually much longer than your pipe.
o For your safety and the safety of your family please have your chimney and stove inspected annually.
o If you have had a chimney fire which in most cases you will not know, it will render your fire-system unsafe.
o Chimneys are not designed to have fires in them. They are designed to exhaust smoke and harmful gases and this is why it is crucial to have the chimney working with the right or correct ventilation!
Is your chimney leaking? Is it looking a little rough around the edges? Clean Sweep Chimney Sweeps, Inc can perform a variety of chimney repairs.
Here are some signs that your chimney needs professional help:
• Stains on walls and ceiling near chimney-An indication that moisture is getting in!
• Rust on damper or firebox-Another warning sign of water damage!
• Spalling-What happens when moisture gets into masonry and causes the surface of the bricks to flake off.
• Cracked crown-Cracks forming in the chimney crown due to, you guessed it, moisture.
See a common theme here? Moisture is your chimney’s biggest nemesis.
Types of chimney repairs include
• Chimney relining-Necessary when the liner inside the chimney deteriorates.
• Masonry repair-Needed when bricks are starting to crack and break.
• Mortar repair-Also called tuck pointing, necessary when mortar starts to crumble.
• Crown repair-Needed when the crown is damaged or improperly fitted.
• Chimney rebuild-When the chimney is damaged enough that a few simple repairs won’t fix the problem.
If you know your chimney needs help but don’t know where to start, contact Clean Sweep Chimney Sweeps for a free estimate. Our professionals can take a look at your chimney and assess what kinds of repairs you will need!