URGENT!
Due to the weather, we are experiencing intermittent power outage and loss of internet. Please expect delays and or rescheduling of appointments during this time. We will reach out to you as soon as we can. Stay warm and stay safe!
As residents of Houston, TX, we’re no strangers to the havoc that hurricanes can wreak on our homes and communities. When we know one is coming, we know to focus on securing windows, doors, and outdoor furniture, as well as ensure any emergency supplies are readily accessible. Unfortunately, one aspect that’s often overlooked is the chimney.
Chimneys are especially vulnerable during severe weather conditions – and neglecting them could lead to significant damage. The good news is that there are things you can do to prepare your chimney for hurricane season. And if you have any questions along the way? The Lords Chimney team is here to help. Call or book online today.
Regular chimney inspection services are essential year-round, but become particularly crucial before hurricane season. Hire a professional chimney company, like us, to inspect your chimney for any signs of damage or deterioration.
We can check for loose bricks, cracks in the mortar, damaged flue liners, and anything else that might make your chimney more vulnerable. Then, we’ll ensure you have everything you need to stay as protected as possible.
Another big perk of booking this maintenance now? If you book an inspection right before a hurricane – or other big storm – hits, it increases the likelihood of getting insurance coverage for any hurricane-related damages. You’ll have proof that, before the storm, the chimney was in good condition…and that any damage was in fact a result of the hurricane.
The chimney cap plays a crucial role in protecting your chimney from moisture, debris, and wildlife intrusion. Before hurricane season, inspect the chimney cap for any signs of damage or deterioration. Ensure that it’s securely attached to the chimney structure and that the mesh screen is intact to prevent debris buildup. When we come to perform your inspection, we’ll make sure to ensure all looks well, or recommend a suitable replacement, if needed.
You might also consider investing in a high-quality, hurricane-rated chimney cap designed to withstand strong winds and heavy rain. Properly securing the chimney cap will help safeguard your chimney and prevent costly repairs, so be sure to rely on a crew experts to install your new cap.
Flashing is the metal that guards the area where your roof and chimney meet up. Ensuring that the flashing around your chimney is secure before a hurricane is essential for several reasons:
During hurricane season, outdoor debris can become airborne projectiles, posing a threat to your chimney and home. Take the time to clear any branches, leaves, or other debris from around your chimney to minimize the risk of damage. Trim overhanging branches that could potentially fall onto the chimney during a storm. Additionally, secure any loose outdoor furniture or equipment that could be swept up by high winds and cause damage to your chimney or roof.
Whether chimney hurricane damage is covered by insurance depends on the specific policy you have and the extent of the damage. In general, most homeowners insurance policies provide coverage for damage caused by hurricanes, including damage to your chimney, as long as it is considered a covered peril.
Review your homeowners insurance policy to understand what types of perils are covered, and remember that, even if chimney damage is covered under your policy, there may be limits to the coverage amount and deductibles that apply.
In addition, some homeowners insurance policies may have exclusions for certain types of damage or circumstances. For example, if the damage to your chimney is determined to be the result of neglect or lack of maintenance rather than the direct impact of the hurricane, it may not be covered. Similarly, if your chimney was already in poor condition prior to the hurricane, insurance coverage could be denied. (This is why booking those pre-disaster inspections is such a must!)
Note: If your chimney sustains damage during a hurricane, document the damage thoroughly by taking photographs and keeping records of any repairs or estimates. Contact your insurance company as soon as possible to file a claim and follow their instructions for the claims process. Be prepared to provide evidence of the damage and cooperate with any inspections or assessments required by your insurer.
Preparing your chimney for hurricane season is a vital aspect of home maintenance here in the Houston, TX area. By taking proactive steps to inspect, reinforce, and secure your chimney, you can minimize the risk of damage and ensure your family’s safety during severe weather events.
Enlist the help of our qualified chimney professionals for inspection and maintenance tasks, and stay informed about emergency procedures in case of evacuation. With proper preparation and care, your chimney can weather the storm and continue to provide warmth and comfort for years to come. Ready to get started? Call or schedule online with us now.
After the holidays and the excitement of a new year settles down, the rest of the winter can feel a bit like a marathon…even here in Houston! However, the chillier weather is good for one thing: unwinding in front of the fireplace with a hot beverage in hand. …but what happens when your fireplace no longer warms the room like it used to? Is it now relegated to be but a decorative relic forever – beautiful and eye-catching, but functionally useless?
Fortunately, this is not the case. In fact, there are quite a few ways to bring back the heat you’ve been missing.
Read on to learn more about how you can boost your fireplace’s efficiency and heat production? Have specific questions that can’t wait? Lords Chimney is here to help. Reach us online by filling out this appointment request form, or give us a call at 855-504-0005.
That’s a great question – and a pretty crucial one to determine your best approach moving forward. In general, fireplaces and chimney systems can be relatively finicky, and because so much of how and why they operate happens out of sight, it can be tough to determine the cause of a heat production issue. For example, the problem might be in the quality of fuel you’re using, or it could be something with your appliance/structure itself.
That being said, here are some of the most common reasons why a fireplace is not heating well:
And while these might be some of the more common reasons your fireplace is not performing the way you’d like or how it once did, they are not the only. It’s important to get in touch with a professional to come and troubleshoot your issues as soon as you notice them. Operating an appliance that is behaving strangely or differently than normal could leave you at risk for numerous dangers, like carbon monoxide exposure or chimney fires.
Ah, yes…the fun part! Just because your fireplace might not be heating the way you’d like right now does not mean you have to bid it farewell. Quite the opposite, actually! An inefficient fireplace might be a nuisance at first, but it can also be a great excuse to re-think your space and what you’re looking to get out of your hearth. While there are some simple things you can try, if all else fails, think of this irritation as a new opportunity to increase the heat and the vibes in your living space.
Here are some tips that you can try to increase your fireplace’s heat output:
While the tips above certainly give you some things to try and a lot to think about when it comes to an inefficient fireplace, nothing replaces a professional eye’s once-over. The single most important thing you can do for your fireplace system is to stay on top of those preventative maintenance services like chimney sweepings and inspections. When performed on a regular, annual basis, these tasks can help keep you informed, as well as troubleshoot any potential problematic areas before they become an issue.
To learn more about how to make your Houston home’s fireplace heat better – or for anything else hearth-related – schedule an appointment with Lords Chimney. We’re here to make your home as castle-like as possible. Reach us through our website, or by calling 855-504-0005 – we can’t wait to serve you.
We’ve all heard a spooky story that starts, “It was a dark and stormy night…” That sentence often starts scary stories because darkness can be…well…scary. Darkness creates hazards that we aren’t ready for.
To combat the dark, we have created a lot of things that provide us light – even in dark places. Walk into a dark room, flip a switch, and suddenly you can see everything. Even, the average neighborhood provides pedestrians enough light to take walks at night along well-lit sidewalks and streets. Light is everywhere and it provides us safety.
But what happens when the light goes out? Lords Chimney knows that electricity isn’t always a guarantee. Power outages can happen suddenly and without warning, and when they do we find ourselves plunged into a dark world…and that dark and stormy night goes from a scary story to a scary and dangerous situation.
Knowing what to do when the lights go out is important for maintaining the safety of your home and the people living in it. That’s why Lords Chimney wants to provide you with some tips and tricks to staying safe when the power goes out. And if you need chimney sweep and fireplace repair services, don’t hesitate to count on us.
Let’s face it – we all leave things lying around the house sometimes…and when the lights go out those things can be disastrous. It’s hard enough not to step on your kid’s jagged LEGO bricks when you can see. Remove the lights and your floors become a minefield of clothing, toys, your latest online purchase, books, pet beds, throw pillows, and whatever else can trip you up.
Simply put, seemingly innocuous things in the light suddenly become hazards waiting to take your feet out from under you and send you into a wall when it’s dark.
Not all light requires power that comes from the electric grid, however! Quickly get light into your hands and into your living spaces. Lighting a fire in your fireplace or wood stove provides light to your whole living space. It also has the added benefit of providing a little warmth on those chillier southeastern Texas nights.
In addition to a fire, get battery operated flashlights into the hands of anyone who needs to be walking around your home. Even a candle can provide some light in a pinch!
Lords Chimney has a team of technicians that will help you maintain your fireplace, wood stove, and chimney system, so that it’s always ready for such a time as this. Having your system ready to go has so many advantages (even when there are no issues with power to your home), but when the power goes out, the light, warmth, comfort, and safety a fireplace provides makes it one of the most important tools in your belt.
Establishing communication with anyone you can will help you as you navigate what steps you are going to take during the power outage. Talking to your neighbors will help you figure out whether your home is the only one experiencing the problem or if the issue is community wide.
Using your charged up cellular service can provide you with access to outside sources that can help forecast the extent of the problem and even how long it might last. In extreme cases, having access to a radio can allow you to continue to communicate with people, pool resources and information, and give and receive help when needs arise.
The best way to make sure you take the right steps after a power outage is to make sure you are ready before the power outage takes place. While it doesn’t happen often, it isn’t abnormal for the power to go out at times. Having a few things ready for such an occasion will only offer benefits. Here’s what we suggest always having on-hand:
Equipped with these things and a ready to use fireplace or wood stove will put you in a great position to wait out the next power outage that comes your way.
At Lords Chimney, our team of experts can help you with any of your home heating appliance needs – from installing a new fireplace or wood stove to cleaning and maintaining your chimney systems. Call us today and allow us to help you make sure your home is ready to provide you with all the light and warmth you will need to make that dark and stormy night not so dark and not so scary. You can also reach out to us online!
Each year the entire globe will turn their attention to the clock as the final day of the year, December 31st winds down and January 1st of the next year kicks off. For one moment everything else seems to take a backseat to the hope that comes with ringing in the New Year.
Around the world there are a vast array of traditions and celebrations that remember the blessings of the past year and make way for a new and – hopefully – better year ahead. And many of these said traditions happen around a warm and cozy fire in the fireplace.
Lords Chimney knows how important it is that your fireplace is working the way it should, always providing you, your friends, and your family the warm, cozy, environment that you deserve. This is why we have the most highly trained, knowledgeable, and experienced technicians available for those in the Houston and Beaumont area. The traditions that you create around your fireplace are important to you and your community. That makes them important to us!
Explore some of the fireside traditions people have throughout the world. And if you need an inspection or repair scheduled, reach out to us today!
Russia boasts a unique New Year’s Eve tradition involving fire. According to Russian belief, the initial chime of midnight acts as a gateway to new beginnings, presenting individuals with a single chance to entreat the universe for their most cherished wish.
To partake, one must patiently await the stroke of twelve. Once it hits, they write their wish on a small piece of paper, ignite it, and capture resulting ashes in a champagne glass – then, it’s down the hatch before the final second of midnight elapses.
Allegedly, successfully completing this ritual within the allotted time may lead to the fulfillment of the desired wish.
In the Czech Republic, people try to get a glimpse of what might be in store for them in the new year. It is believed that you can judge how lucky or cursed you will be based on what shape is contained within an apple.
Each New Year’s Eve, family members will slice an apple in half while sitting around their fireplace. If the shape of a star surrounds the core of the apple, you are in for a lucky twelve months ahead. If the shape of a cross appears, however, you may be in for a pretty rough year.
Each December 31st in Brazil people from all over the world show up on the beaches to pay homage to Yemoja, the goddess of the sea. Wading into the shallows, these beach goers jump over seven waves as the clock counts down to midnight. Jumping these waves, while bearing gifts, trinkets, and flowers, is believed to appease Yemoja and gain for you her good luck.
Of course, after spending a chilly night in the waves, warming up by the fireplace is a must!
The most important holiday in Scotland is Hogmanay, which is a celebration of the final day of the year. Coming from ancient Celtic practices and beliefs, this holiday takes to the streets to ring in the New Year. While the celebration is technically in honor of only one day, the city of Edinburgh has extended the festivities into a three day lead up to the New Year – that makes it one of the biggest New Year’s Eve parties in the world.
Dancing, singing, fire throwing, fireworks, torchlight parades, and bagpipers blasting away through the streets all mark this as a unique and fitting holiday. Of course, party goers need places to break from the celebration and warm up – which is why many homes keep their fireplaces lit and available to the chilly party goer.
This tradition has become pretty familiar to many throughout the world. In Germany, it is considered good luck to receive a kiss at the stroke of midnight. A midnight kiss is meant to bring good luck and long lasting love to the couple who participates. And what better place to complete this act than in front of a warm and cozy fireplace?
Throughout the United States people will gather in homes, sit around the fire, and watch the festivities in New York City. When midnight approaches the countdown begins and a giant ball is dropped in Times Square marking the beginning of a new year.
At Lords Chimney, we realize that the most important traditions happen around the warmth and light of your fireplace. That’s why we make sure to provide our customers with the best service available. Call us today to schedule your inspection and cleaning, and let us help make your New Year’s Eve celebration one to remember.
When you think of Christmas, it’s hard not to imagine a warm and toasty fire crackling in the fireplace with stockings and Christmas decorations adorning the hearth. Enjoying the fireplace is a holiday tradition as old as the celebration itself!
Throughout time and across cultures holiday celebrations have centered around the hearth as fire warms the home. In the modern era, centering the holiday around the fireplace continues with the added activity of a relatively recent tradition – watching holiday movies. The movie industry goes crazy when the holidays roll around as people everywhere settle in around their home theater systems and watch their favorite Christmas flick. From Home Alone to White Christmas, classic film comes to life and leaves many people with two questions:
At Lords Chimney we don’t blame anyone for wanting to enjoy their favorite holiday movies while also enjoying a cozy fire. Lucky for you, we know a thing or two about fireplace safety – and as an added bonus, we can offer our favorite holiday movies to watch while enjoying the Yule log.
Need to book services with us? We’re here to help. Call or schedule with us online now.
In order to enjoy those movies you are definitely going to want to have a TV correctly installed in a safe place in your home. But can you install a TV directly above your fireplace? The answer isn’t as straightforward as it may seem. There are many variables at stake, and what works for one household may not work for another. Keep the following tips in mind:
At Lords Chimney we hold safety standards in the highest regard. That is why we believe that when it comes to placing anything around your fireplace you do some homework first. And, as always, before you start installing anything around your fireplace consider giving our professionals a call ahead of time. Our knowledge of fireplaces and chimneys will allow you to move forward with confidence that you aren’t putting your home in danger.
Even if you shouldn’t mount your TV above your fireplace, it is totally worth mounting a TV on an adjacent wall! That way you can still enjoy your Christmas movie marathon in front of the fireplace. The Christmas season offers some really great movies that are perfect for enjoying while sitting by the fire. Here are some classic favorites:
This is a Christmas favorite for many. The fireplace is known as a home location that brings families together. Notice the scene in this movie where Kevin, left alone by his family, sits in front of his fireplace? The lack of fire seems to give the plethora of Christmas decor surrounding the fireplace a lonely feeling. All you’ll want to do while you watch it is crawl into the TV and light that fire for poor Kevin.
Even though Harry Potter might not immediately come to mind when thinking about the holidays, Christmas plays a significant role in the setting on many occasions. While you are enjoying a fire in your fireplace, imagine being a wizard that uses floo powder to send letters or even travel through the fireplace Floo Network.
This Christmas favorite reminds us that Christmas is about way more than gifts, decorations, and good roast beast. The songs of thanksgiving and joy that come from the Whos down in Whoville help the Grinch’s heart grow three sizes in one day. Notice the fireplaces all waiting for Santa to appear only to have the mean ol Grinch come instead.
An oldie, but a goodie from the 90’s, this Christmas favorite stars Tim Allen who finds himself legally obligated to take on the role of Santa Claus after the original fell off his roof. Let’s just say he finds many unique ways to get down even the smallest chimney flues. The best part is, if you love this one, you’re sure to love its two follow-up films, as well!
This romantic comedy follows the lives of two women, Iris and Amanda, who decide to exchange homes for the Christmas holiday to escape their respective relationship troubles. While in their new environments, both women unexpectedly find love. The film explores themes of love, self-discovery, and the magic of unexpected connections during the holiday season.
Is your chimney ready for a visit from Old Saint Nick? Ensure everything is good to go by booking your chimney sweeping with us today. Call or schedule online!