Our Company Blog

Why It Is Important to Review Your Chimney Sweep Online

When you move to a new city, it can be challenging to find the best local technicians to hire to perform maintenance and repair services in your home. If you just moved into your new home, you might not know anyone well enough yet to be able to ask for recommendations. Professional maintenance tasks, like chimney sweeping, require a technician to work inside your home. So, you want to be completely sure that you are hiring someone reputable and honest.

In addition, you also need to know that the chimney sweep is skilled, trained, and experienced. This is to ensure your chimney works safely and efficiently. One way of getting this information is to research online reviews of chimney companies on websites like Google, Yelp, and Angie’s List. These reviews can be a great source of valuable information for consumers as well as for businesses. This is why it can be beneficial for people to add their own reviews to these sites. Atlas Chimney always appreciates it when our customers take the time to write about their experiences with our chimney services on our Yelp, Facebook, and other pages. We would like to tell you more about why it is so important to review your chimney sweep online.

HELP YOUR COMMUNITY

When you write an online review about a local business, you might not realize how much your review could help your own community. Studies have shown that consumers are most influenced by word of mouth reviews when it comes to hiring professional home maintenance technicians like chimney sweeps. For people who are new to the area, these online reviews may be their only source of this type of information. By providing your experiences with local businesses, you are helping your new neighbors be able to find the best service in your city.

HELP LOCAL BUSINESSES

Your online reviews help the members of your community find the best possible professional service providers. They are also are very beneficial to the businesses themselves. Atlas Chimney truly appreciates every customer review we get, even the ones that are negative! This is because the feedback helps us to a better job of serving our customers. Although it is always great to read about our customers’ positive experiences, we find the negative reviews to be valuable lessons! It shows us what we need to do better in order to be the best chimney company in the Austin area.

Share your experiences with Atlas Chimney on our online review pages! You are helping us be able to provide the best customer service possible. In addition, you are also giving your community a valuable resource. If you live in the Austin area, contact us for all of your chimney maintenance, repair, and installation service needs!

What Does a Storm Collar Do?

Keeping water out of your chimney is a very important task for homeowners. This is because of the amount of damage that can be caused by water penetration, according to the Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA). To be successful with this task, you have several options of preventative measures to take that can protect your chimney from water damage. One of these options is a customized flashing system. This keeps water from entering at the point where the chimney meets the roof.

If you have a prefabricated chimney, your flashing system should include a storm collar. This is similar to a chimney cap on a masonry chimney. If you live in the Austin area, Atlas Chimney specializes in protecting both masonry and prefabricated chimneys from water penetration damage. We offer several preventive services, including professional storm collar and customized flashing installation. Now, we would like to tell you more about the importance of storm collars.

What is a storm collar?

A prefabricated chimney is different from a masonry chimney because it exhausts through a metal pipe instead of a masonry structure. A storm collar is a circular piece of metal that fits on the round pipe of a prefabricated chimney just above the flashing system. It serves the important purpose of keeping water from rain and melted ice and snow from being able to enter through the opening where the pipe comes out of the flashing system.

How do I know if I need a new storm collar?

Unfortunately, even the most durable storm collars do not last forever. Over years of exposure to the elements, they can suffer from corrosion damage which can lead to the metal cracking and breaking apart. This can create gaps that allow water to enter your home. You may notice water in your attic or even see water stains on the ceiling by the fireplace. These are both signs that your storm collar should be replaced by a professional chimney technician.

Why do I need a chimney professional to install my storm collar?

A storm collar should be professionally installed. This ensures it will provide the proper protection needed to keep water out of your chimney. You can trust Atlas Chimney to correctly position the collar onto the pipe before screwing it into place. We will also waterproof the upper edge of the collar with sealant. That way water cannot leak in between the collar and the chimney pipe.

A storm collar can protect your prefabricated chimney from water leaks. Contact us today at Atlas Chimney to schedule an appointment for our professional chimney collar installation services!