In Florida, not everyone has a chimney, and likely even fewer Floridians know how to care for one. That means it is even more important to have regularly scheduled home inspections for your home in Tampa. That way you can check your chimney and be able to provide routine maintenance to avoid disaster. An improperly functioning chimney can cause not only a fire inside the home, but structural damage that could have easily been caught during a home inspection of you home in Tampa.
If you recently bought your home in Tampa and your home inspection did not cover the chimney, call a trained inspector to review it for you. Chimneys should be inspected once a year to check that the vents, the flue, and the chimney chamber are in good working order. Some problems that could arise include birds’ nests inside or on top of the chimney, moisture compromising the seal around the chimney, and debris clogging or damage the chimney’s structure. All of these can cause the chimney to malfunction, which could lead to a house fire.
Regular cleanings should also be a part of your chimney maintenance. Cleanings will depend on how much you use the chimney, but should be done at least once a year. A cleaning will remove things like animal debris, soot, ash, and anything else that could clog the flue. If the chimney flue is clogged, smoke can back up into the home, a dangerous situation for families. Chimney’s should be cleaned prior to the cold season, during which time it will see the most activity. Late summer or early fall are great times to have a cleaning; the chimney hasn’t been used in a while and will have a fresh cleaning for the winter months.
If you’re a Floridian with a fireplace and you just don’t know what to do with it, call your local home inspector to have a look. A faulty fireplace is not worth the risk to you, your family, or your neighbors. If you’re looking for a new inspection company, call the staff at Radiant Property Inspections today!