Our Company Blog

Now Sweeping Chimneys in the Land of Television

Atlas Chimney has some exciting news that we would like to share with you! Our owner, Chris Hess, has spent some time working on the set of actor Pierce Brosnan’s new AMC series, “The Son.” He’s doing this to make sure the four chimneys in his television home are working safely and efficiently. We are truly honored to add this incredible experience. Also, we want you to know that you can receive the same excellent service that is provided to “The Son.” We would like to tell you a bit more about this show and the chimney maintenance services provided.

A Multi-Generational Family Saga in the Heart of Texas

“The Son” is based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning and best-selling novel by Philipp Meyer. It tells the story of Eli McCullough, who is portrayed by Pierce Brosnan, and his family over a period of 150 years. Set in Texas, the series tells the story of how McCullough goes from a hard-working family man to a calculating and paranoid killer. McCullough builds his ranch into a business. This includes oil fields which bring him incredible wealth. Unfortunately he makes some enemies along the way, including his rich Spanish neighbor, Pedro Garcia. They use flashbacks of McCullough’s youth. This includes the Comanche war chief Toshaway who inspired his ambition. By doing this, the series shows exactly how McCullough creates his powerful family dynasty.

An Acclaimed AMC-Original Series

Comprising of 10, 1 hour-long episodes, “The Son” has received great reviews from both viewers and critics. Fans of the book will be happy to learn that the author, Philipp Meyer, also worked on writing the teleplays for the series. Also starring Henry Garrett, Zach McClarnon, and Paola Nuñez, “The Son” has been renewed for a second season! The series debuted on April 8, 2017. However, you can still watch every episode on AMC’s website.

The Best Chimney Maintenance Service in the Austin Area

Selected as the official chimney sweeper of “The Son” from our reputation in Austin, Atlas Chimney provides superior customer service to every one of our customers. All of our chimney sweeps have been trained and certified by professional organizations. This includes the Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA). You can trust us to remove every bit of creosote when we sweep your chimney to prevent it from becoming a dangerous fire hazard. During our professional chimney inspections, we make sure that there are no flue blockages or any type of damage that could put your family and your home in danger.

If you live in the Austin area, contact us at Atlas Chimney for all of your chimney and fireplace maintenance, repair, and installation needs. We promise to provide you with the same excellent service we give to Pierce Brosnan!

Proper Ash Removal

Enjoying cozy and warm fires in your wood-burning fireplace or stove comes with a few responsibilities, including cleaning up ashes after fires. This maintenance task requires a bit of safety awareness to prevent the occurrence of an accidental fire. Since safety is a top priority for Atlas Chimney, we would like to tell you more about proper ash removal. It is important to keep up with regular routine chimney and fireplace maintenance to be able to safely and efficiently burn wood fires. Following these suggestions can help you take care of this essential housekeeping task.

Wait until the ashes have cooled completely.

Patience is a virtue when you must remove ashes from your fireplace. You should wait for at least 24 hours before attempting this task. You never know when hot embers could be lurking within a pile of ashes.

Get the right tools together.

To properly dispose of ashes, you will need a metal container with a lid, gloves, and a fireplace shovel. It is crucial that your metal container have a lid to keep the ashes inside in case the container gets knocked over after it has been stored.

Scoop the ashes into the metal container with the fireplace shovel.

Once your ashes have cooled completely, Good Housekeeping recommends that you sprinkle damp tea leaves or coffee grounds on top to cover up any stale smell. Then, simply scoop up the ashes with the shovel and place them in your metal container. You will want to leave behind a layer of one inch of the ashes as this layer will help you build and maintain fires. A layer of ashes insulates and protects your firebox.

Store the metal container safely.

The best place to keep your container of ashes is outside of your home. You will want to put the container on a non-combustible surface, such as concrete or brick, to reduce fire hazards. If any of the ashes inside the container are still hot, that heat can ignite a fire if the container is placed on a wooden or other combustible surface.

If you have a wet/dry vacuum with a disposable bag, you can use it to vacuum up the ashes; however, you should wait at least four days after the fire has been extinguished to use this method of removing ashes.

Need more fireplace maintenance tips? Contact us at Atlas Chimney to find out the best ways of taking care of your fireplace.