Tips for Preparing Your Chimney for the Spring

Flower season is finally here.  Everyone is getting started on their spring cleaning.  It is essential to include your chimney in your spring cleaning routine.  With winter dying down now is a great time to get a professional chimney sweep to look at your fireplace and make sure it’s in good shape after the harsh winter months.  In addition to chimney cleaning, many homeowners decorate their mantle and hearth for the spring.  We recently encountered a homeowner in Howard County that took great pride in her spring hearth decorations.  Below are a few things that you can do to prepare your fireplace and chimney for the spring.

Clean & Paint Your Fireplace

Over the course of time, ash and debris can collect on your fireplace.  Cleaning and repainting your fireplace can give a fresh look to an old fireplace.  You have to start with cleaning the firebox and glass. Watch this video for an easy way to clean your fireplace glass.

If you have a wood-burning fireplace, you also want to sweep out your firebox before you paint.  Sweep the old ash and wood remnants.  You can use a vacuum to clean up the remaining debris.  After the debris is gone, give the firebox a good scrubbing and paint with high-temperature paint.  Watch the video below for instructions on how to clean and repaint your firebox.

Decorate your mantle & hearth

Fireplaces tend to be the focal point of any room.  Your fireplace and mantle provide an excellent opportunity to enhance the beauty of any place.  Decorating your fireplace mantle and hearth is a fun way to add charm and flair to a room.  You can find some great spring decorating ideas here.

Here is an exciting video with ideas for decorating your mantle with items from Dollar Tree and Walmart.

Schedule your annual chimney inspection and cleaning

Chimneys take a beating throughout the winter.  It is crucial to have your chimney inspected by a professional chimney sweep company like ours.  A professional chimney sweep technician will inspect your chimney, determine if it needs to be cleaned and identify any areas in need of repair.  Catching problems early is the best way to prevent costly chimney repairs in the future.  The chimney sweep will also make sure that your chimney cap is in good condition.  Want to learn more?  Read our previous article about why chimneys should be cleaned every year. 

Important note:  Some make the mistake of thinking only wood-burning fireplaces need annual inspections and cleaning.  All chimneys should be inspected a minimum of every year.  Even gas fireplaces require yearly inspections. Be safe.  Get your chimney inspected.