September 2016 - Atlas Chimney

Increasing Heating Efficiency

Now that fall is just around the corner, it is time to think about the best ways to heat your home to provide comfortable warmth without spending a lot of money on your heating bills. If you have a wood-burning fireplace, you may have noticed that even though it is cozy and creates a warm atmosphere, its energy efficiency is not the best. Atlas Chimney would like to give you some tips that will increase the heating efficiency of your wood-burning fireplace and decrease your heating costs this winter.

Increasing Heating Efficiency Image - Austin TX- Atlas Chimney

Only burn seasoned firewood.

Seasoned firewood is wood that has been allowed to dry for at least six months after it has been cut, and this means that it will burn cleaner and warmer fires. Burning freshly-cut wet wood creates a lot of smoke and wastes a lot of energy trying to get rid of all of the moisture within the wood. The majority of the heat produced escapes out of the chimney. Fires built with seasoned firewood provide more warmth to your home.

Install tempered glass fireplace doors.

Another way to keep heat from going out of the chimney, the installation of tempered glass fireplace doors reduces the amount of heat getting sucked from your home by increasing the internal temperature of the chimney. According to SF Gate, it is important to keep the doors closed when a fire is burning as well as to make sure the doors fit tightly around the fireplace opening and be sealed with a fiberglass gasket. Take advantage of the professional installation services provided by Atlas Chimney to ensure the doors are properly fitted to increase heating efficiency.

Update your fireplace with a wood-burning stove insert.

Using new technology, these modern wood-burning stove inserts are able to greatly increase the heating efficiency of your older traditional fireplace. In fact, many models are certified by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as energy efficient heating appliances. You will be amazed by the long-lasting and warm fires you will enjoy from burning a smaller amount of firewood. To work safely and effectively, professional installation services are a must. Atlas Chimney will make sure that the flue correctly matches the size of your new insert to avoid chimney draft problems.

If you want to increase the heating efficiency of your home this winter, contact us at Atlas Chimney. Our experienced staff is happy to help you be able to enjoy warm and cozy fires while reducing your heating costs.

Choosing From Multiple Chimney Repair Estimates

When it comes time to hire a professional company to perform maintenance or repair tasks, it is always a good idea to get more than one estimate for the job so that you are getting the best service for the best price. However, you can end up with completely different scenarios, which can be confusing and frustrating. How can estimates for the same service differ so greatly? How do you know which estimate to choose? Unfortunately, chimney scams are not uncommon, and the best way to know you are getting an honest and fair estimate is to hire a chimney sweep who has been certified by the Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA). Atlas Chimney is proud to have CSIA-certified chimney sweeps on our staff who have pledged to conduct themselves fairly and honestly when working on chimneys and providing repair estimates. We would like to tell you some of the things you should be looking for that can help you choose the right chimney repair estimate.

Choosing From Multiple Chimney Repair Estimates Image - Austin TX - Atlas Chimney

DOCUMENTATION

According to the CSIA, sufficient documentation should always be provided to support an estimate. Often, a dishonest chimney sweep will tell a homeowner that he needs to repair hidden chimney damage without showing the homeowner what and where the damage is. When Atlas Chimney finds damage within your chimney, we will provide you with photographs and closed circuit video footage of this damage. We will also explain the problem to you, why it needs to be repaired, and how we will fix the problem.

INSPECTION PROCESS

When our CSIA-certified chimney sweeps inspect chimneys, we follow the guidelines that are established in the three levels of chimney inspection from the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). We look for debris that could be blocking the chimney that could lead to a carbon monoxide leak into your home. We thoroughly examine the condition of the exterior bricks and mortar joints of the chimney to look for cracks and missing pieces that could allow water to penetrate the chimney. If we find damage that requires another level of inspection, we will go over with you the evidence that we found and explain to you what the next level of inspection involves.

CSIA CERTIFICATION

In order to receive this professional status, chimney sweeps must sign the CSIA Code of Ethics. In this code, chimney sweeps pledge to treat customers honestly and fairly and to never use dishonest practices. CSIA certification is the industry standard, and certified chimney sweeps do not want to risk their certification being revoked. This is why you can trust a chimney repair estimate from a CSIA-certified chimney sweep.

Make sure your chimney and fireplace are ready for the winter. Contact us at Atlas Chimney today to schedule your annual chimney sweep and inspection from our CSIA-certified chimney technicians.

Our Company Blog