Allstar Chimney Sweeps

Posts Tagged ‘dead animals’

At Allstar Chimney Sweeps, we understand that a fireplace can provide you with both comfort and warmth all year around. However, when you begin to neglect your fireplace and chimney and don’t follow through with routine maintenance, this can lead to severe problems. Of all the problems that have the potential to happen, the most difficult and often the most costly to solve is odor problems.

Creosote Issues

The majority of odor problems inside of your chimney are usually cause by one of three sources. One of the sources is the wood you yourself are burning. An incomplete and incorrect combustion of oils inside of the wood occurs when you burn wood at too low of a temperature, which effectively released those oils into the smoke as volatiles. As smoke begins to ascent into your chimney, the temperature of both the air and the smoke begins to drop, which causes the all of the water, carbon, and volatiles in the smoke to group together and layer themselves on the top layer of bricks inside your chimney. This is more commonly known as creosote, and after it starts to gather together inside the chimney, it also decreases the diameter of your chimney flue which restricts the amount of air that gets to your fire, ultimately forcing it to burn at a lower than desired temperature, which only adds to the production of creosote inside your chimney. This is a small issue that could easily grow into a very serious problem, and it should be handled as quickly as possible to ensure there isn’t a chimney fire as a result of this. It’s understandable that creosote is the main cause for nearly all chimney fires. Creosote’s acidity is also able to erode the mortar in-between the bricks inside of your chimney, effectively separating the bricks from each other, making your chimney extremely unstable. The best way to manage creosote is to have your chimney cleaned regularly.

Over time if you leave your chimney unswept, the creosote inside of your chimney will be absorbed into the exposed face of the masonry work, allowing the odor to spread to the inside of the bricks, and throughout your entire chimney. The damage done to your bricks during this process is often irreversible, so the only way to ensure that the odor is removed is to completely reconstruct your chimneys. Even if you have your chimney swept by a trained and certified technician, it will only be able to remove the creosote from the top layer of the bricks, leaving behind the residue built up inside of your bricks and mortar. The only way to guarantee your chimney stays completely odor free is to be sure to have your chimney swept often and very thoroughly. This is why all of our technicians will not only give your chimney a complete sweep, but they will also provide a thorough inspection after the sweep to make sure no creosote was missed. Creosote buildup also has the potential to create health concerns for you and your family, as creosote is a known carcinogen.

Animal Issues

Animals are also a known cause of chimney odors. Without anyone ever knowing, animals can build a nest and live inside of your chimney for nearly half a year. Since your chimney doesn’t see as much activity during the warm months of summer, there’s even a higher chance of not noticing animals living in it. And when those months fade, and the colder ones set in, they will be looking for a warm area to stay away from the cold, just like your chimney. But of course, when you set a fire below, they will try and evacuate the chimney, but since they nest so far down inside of the chimney, they often times won’t make it out. This can cause even more serious odor problems inside of your home due to the decomposing of the body left behind. Even the animals that were able to leave your chimney will still be the cause of odor problems for you, because if they were living there then their droppings will begin to cause serious odor problems, even more so if there is a fire below.

Raccoons and chimney swifts are the most common animals that are known to do this, but there is an endless list of animals that have this ability. While any animal living in your home can present a serious health risk, if you have chimney swifts, or any other kind of bird nesting inside of your chimney, then the risk to your family’s health is only amplified. The reason behind this, is the chance of histoplasmosis, a serious and sometimes life threatening disease that comes from a bacteria named ‘Histoplasma Capsulatum’, which is found inside of materials that have had bird droppings on top of them. Being that their droppings have been proven to help transmit this deadly disease, their presence near you and your family should be handled immediately.

Issues Caused By Improper Draft

All smells inside of your chimney, no matter if they’re from animals or creosote, can be significantly magnified by an improper draft from your chimney. When the air comes down your chimney, and into your house through the mouth of the fireplace, it will bring the odor that is in your chimney along with it. The primary reason for an improper draft is that the air inside your home is warmer than the air that’s outside your home. Warm air can go up through the top of your chimney or seep through gaps or cracks in your ceiling, and as it does this, it is replaced with cooler air that flows down your chimney. The simplest way to prevent a draft from happening and to prevent the odor from entering inside of your house is by stopping the air from coming down your chimney. By adding a lock-top damper to the top of your chimney, you will see the draft stop immediately, and it will give you the ability to open and close your chimney top with a lever located inside of your fireplace. By doing this, the chimney can remain closed when there is no fire burning, preventing air from entering or escaping. Additionally, a lock-top damper will prevent anything from entering your chimney without you knowing about it while the top of it is closed. It is also easy to use when you want to use your fireplace. When you would like to start a fire, simply pull on the lever inside of your fireplace prior to igniting the flames. While this won’t remove the creosote that is already present inside of your chimney, it will prevent excess odors from entering your home.

If you have any questions regarding odor problems, or any of the chimney services we provide, feel free to contact us at 866-345-4751, and we will be more than happy to assist you with information for your specific situation. Our entire staff is more than capable of handling any question, involving any chimney problem, and they will walk you through all of your concerns involving your chimney. And remember, often times a chimney odor problem is the warning sign of a serious problem to come, like animal infestation, or eroding creosote, so call a professional today, and make sure your chimney is safe. The staff in our offices are here to answer your questions every day of the week, or if you prefer, you can use the form that we’ve placed on our contact us page. Call your chimney odor specialists today at 866-345-4751 or email us!

Animals typically choose places that are hidden from the elements. Your chimney provides the best protection for small animals to live. Your chimney looks like a sturdy, hollow tree to most animals. Give Allstar Chimney Sweeps a call today, and animals won’t be a problem for you anymore. Allstar Chimney Sweeps are certified in many different types of animal removal from chimneys or fireplaces. Our cages are made to capture animals without causing them any harm. When the animal has been safely removed from your chimney, we decide if it is healthy enough to be released back into the wild, away from your home. If the animal has any type of injury or health problems that threaten its survival in the wild, we will make sure that it is taken to the nearest animal hospital for treatment.

Homeowners may decide to handle the situation and come up with bad solutions. This is the incorrect way to take care of critters in your chimney, and it will only make matters worse. Do not light a fire to smoke out the animal. You will kill the animal inhumanely if you light a fire while it is in the chimney, and it will also create a smell that will stay inside your home for some time. The smell coming from the dead animal will stay in your home, even after the original animal problem has been taken care of. A critter that is still living can be easier to find inside a chimney. We are cautious during the removal process to prevent any type of injury happening to the animal.

Some animals can become ill when they live in your chimney and die. Dead animal decay can create many hazardous problems. Bugs and other critters that are attracted to the animal decay can cause many health problems for your family. Animal decay can attract different types of bugs into your home. If bugs move into your home, you will need to have a bug exterminator eradicate them. The longer animal decay stays in your chimney, the more problems can start to develop, and the more repair bills you will have to pay. Our technicians can give your chimney and fireplace a full cleaning and perform a fumigation to remove all animal decay.

The majority of the animals that move into chimneys are nocturnal. Nocturnal animals are very noisy at night. Critter noises can be a nuisance when you and your family are trying to sleep. Animals can get into your home while you and your family sleep. Critters can work very hard in trying to get inside your home, and you will not know because your and your family are sleeping. Animals with rabies walking inside your home while you sleep is the last thing you want. Critters can get into your attic just as easy as they can access your chimney. If the animal can get into your attic from your chimney, you will no longer working with a individual critter, but a much larger group of animals.

One of the main animals known to create chimney animal problems is a raccoon. The sharp claws of a raccoon can damage many parts of a chimney. A adult raccoon can weigh as much as 30 pounds and get 3 feet long. Raccoon mothers usually just have 2-4 offspring. Raccoon offspring are well protected from adult male raccoons inside of a chimney. To adult male raccoons, all raccoon offspring are considered future competition. Chimney animal problems should be taken care of quickly to avoid larger numbers of animal residence in the chimney. A raccoon mother can be very aggressive if she believes her offspring is in danger. Getting a professional to remove the raccoon from your chimney is the best way to avoid getting rabies. Scientific research has discovered that one-third to two-third of raccoons tested positive for rabies. The mother raccoon should always be removed with her offspring. The raccoon babies are unable to live on their own without their mother and will die in your chimney. Typically,a homeowner is able to capture a raccoon mother either by using a cage, rope, or some other type of capturing device. Unless you’re a trained professional, you will have a very difficult time capturing raccoon babies inside a chimney. Baby animals should never be left inside a chimney; call today to schedule an appointment to have our technician remove the animals safely.

Chimney swifts are known to carry a disease called histoplasmosis. Chimney swifts can fly many miles, so all homeowners are at risk of having them in their chimney. The chimney swift population is falling due to all the chimney caps installations happening nationwide. It is against the law to remove chimney swifts when its nest has eggs or babies. If you attempt to remove a chimney swift’s nest illegally, you could face a fine of up to $15,000. Breathing problems can occur from histoplasmosis caused by breathing in toxins contained in chimney swift fecal matter. Children are more prone to being affected by histoplasmosis.

Chimney animal problems can result in very dangerous situations. No one should try to remove an animal by on their own. Our professional technicians can handle all types of chimney animal problems. Our technicians know all the risks that are involved with animal removal and proper precedures to avoid any accidents during their appointments. Call Allstar Chimney Sweeps to have one of our professional chimney technicians visit your home and solve your chimney animal issues today. Ask us about our chimney caps to avoid future animal problems. You need to call Allstar Chimney Sweeps for your animal removal, call today at 866-345-4751 or email us!