Our Company Blog

Why Does My Chimney Stink?

As we head into another hot and humid Austin summer, you may start to notice stinky smells coming into your home through the fireplace from the chimney. At Atlas Chimney, we get calls every summer from customers asking why their chimneys stink so badly, and we are here to help the Austin area with keeping their homes smelling fresh and sweet during the hottest months of the year. We have been dealing with stinky chimneys for over 25 years, and we know what the most common chimney odor sources are. Although the unpleasant chimney odors are entering your home because of draft issues (which we can take care of for you, too), the source of these smells can be several things inside your chimney. We would like to tell you a bit more about why your chimney stinks and how we can help solve this smelly problem.

Do you smell bad barbecue or asphalt?

If the odor smells like a grilling disaster or a road crew paving, the source of your chimney odor is soot and creosote. These byproducts of combustion can accumulate into large deposits over the winter when you use a wood-burning fireplace, stove, or insert. As the weather gets warmer, the scent of creosote and soot gets stronger. Not only is creosote stinky, the Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) names it as the main cause of chimney fires. The best way to get creosote and soot out of your chimney is to have a professional chimney sweeping. Atlas Chimney agrees with the CSIA that every chimney needs to be swept and inspected annually. Scheduling an appointment with our CSIA-certified chimney sweeps in the spring or summer will not only reduce your risk of a chimney fire, but you will also be protected from smelling creosote and soot in your home.

Is the odor a rotting, decomposing smell?

When you do not have a chimney cap professionally installed on top of your chimney, you have an open hole that allows water, leaves, sticks, and other debris to fall easily down into your chimney. If you are noticing a musty, dirty, and decomposing smell, the odor source, is a mixture of standing water on the smoke shelf, which is mixed with leaves, dirt, and other debris. Unfortunately, birds, bats, squirrels, raccoons, and other wild animals can also easily get into uncapped chimneys, and these critters can become trapped and die inside the flue. If you have noticed chirping, scratching, and other animal sounds a the smell is a strong rotting and decomposing odor, the source is probably a dead bird or animal in your chimney. To keep everything out of your chimney and protect your home from invasions of water, birds, and other wild animals, Atlas Chimney offers our professional chimney cap and animal covers, sales and installation services. Even if you already have a chimney cap on your chimney, it could be damaged if it has been there for years, so our CSIA-certified chimney experts can check out its condition during the annual inspection and sweeping to see if it needs replacing to keep your chimney and home safe.

Summer is the best time to schedule your annual chimney sweeping and inspection with Atlas Chimney! Contact us today to easily arrange a visit from our CSIA-certified chimney sweeps on the date that is the most convenient for you with no waiting

Fireplace and Chimney Tips When Buying a Home

For homebuyers, a fireplace can be one of the most important features in a new home. Many people will not even consider a new home without a fireplace. However, it is very important to be sure the chimney and fireplace system works safely and efficiently before you sign the contract to buy the home. While there are certain things you can look out for, you need a professional chimney inspection to be absolutely certain the system has no hidden dangers. In fact, modern fire safety codes from the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) require that a Level 2 chimney inspection take place for real estate transactions. Atlas Chimney has years of experience in providing all three of the NFPA’s levels of chimney inspections, and we can check out the chimney in any house you wish to buy. You can trust us to give you an honest assessment of the condition of the chimney and fireplace. We would like to tell you some other things you should be on the lookout for when you are shopping for a new home.

Check out the firebox.

One of the parts of a fireplace and chimney system that you can closely examine is the firebox, or the interior of the fireplace. According to HouseLogic, you should be looking for any cracks, gaps, or other signs of wear in the firebox’s lining. If the steel body of the firebox is visible through any part of the lining, you will need Atlas Chimney to professionally repair the firebox to prevent excessive heat from causing damage to the home.

Look for smoke stains.

If you see smoke stains on the ceiling of the room where the fireplace is, there could be cracks or gaps between the hearth and the firebox that are allowing smoke to escape. This is a common problem in older homes caused by the hearth settling. You may also find smoke stains above the fireplace opening, which is a sign of a damaged damper. Atlas Chimney can easily solve both of these problems.

Notice the size of the fireplace grate.

You do not want a grate that is more than two-thirds of the size of the fireplace opening. Why does the size of the fireplace grate matter? If your grate is too large, you may add too much wood to the fireplace, which will cause oversized fires that can overheat the fireplace. This problem is easily solved by replacing the grate with a smaller one.

The most important thing to ensure the fireplace and chimney system in a new home is safe is to schedule a professional chimney inspection. Contact us at Atlas Chimney to arrange an appointment today.