Do you hear scratching sounds throughout your house or smell foul odors from the fireplace? If so, you just might have unwanted animals in your chimney.
However, there’s no need to panic. With our experts on your side, you can prevent these unwelcome guests from causing bigger problems. The Lords Chimney crew is here to discuss the basics of animal removal, including signs to watch out for, the risks you face, and how to protect your home from a future intrusion.
Signs of Wildlife Invasion
Having small creatures in your flue might seem harmless, but it’s best to hire wildlife removal services as soon as possible to protect the health and safety of everyone in your home. Let’s go through some of the common signs of animals in your chimney.
- Droppings: When animals build nests, they usually leave droppings around them. As soon as you notice animal waste in your fireplace, it’s almost a sure sign that you have critters living in your chimney.
Fur & Feathers: In addition to droppings, you might also notice fur and feathers on your roof or fireplace. Once you see these signs, it’s a safe bet that they’re living in your flue. Birds, squirrels, and raccoons are the most popular chimney dwellers.- Strange Sounds: Hear chirping, squeaking, or clawing sounds come from somewhere in your home? Don’t rule out the chimney – you might have a house guest on your hands.
- Foul Odors: When animals live in your flue, it can take on a distinct and unpleasant odor. You might get a whiff of urine, droppings, or the food they bring in. Worst of all, if a creature dies in your chimney, it will emit the pungent smell of decay – and attract pests too.
- Stressed or Excitable Pets: If you notice your dog or cat become agitated around the fireplace, your house might have an infestation. Pets are more receptive to other creatures than humans, so they’re likely to notice signs before you do.
If you notice any of the signs above, schedule a chimney evaluation immediately.
Negative Effects of Animals in Your Chimney
Animal removal services are the only way to remove your uninvited guests and restore your home to the calm and clean state it was in before. We’ll walk you through the ways in which these intruders can threaten your peace and damage your home.
- Increased Risk of Fire: Animal nests can cause blockages and poor ventilation. They can easily catch fire and allow smoke to back into your home. If you’ve noticed signs of birds or other creatures seeking refuge in your flue, it’s best to call a professional as soon as possible to keep your loved ones and your home safe from harm.
- Potential Spread of Disease: Seeing animals in forests and gardens may be cute, but they can be dangerous when they enter your home. While they don’t typically hurt people directly, their droppings, dander, and any pests they bring along with them can make people sick. They are particularly dangerous for people with compromised immune systems and severe allergies.
- Flue Damage: Even the littlest creatures can cause big issues throughout your chimney system. When they get into your chimney, they leave your flue vulnerable to damage from debris, water, and other pest. This can eventually expose surrounding materials to heat or flue gases, creating a home hazard – and may require your chimney liner to be repaired too.
- Clogging & Poor Airflow: Animal nesting materials are known to clog your flue quickly, and if the animals pass away inside your system, this can also cause blockages. Drafting problems not only cause your system to operate inefficiently, but can cause smoke back-up and fire hazards too.
- Inconvenience: Some animals, like chimney swifts, are protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act so, once they nest, you’re stuck with them until they leave again. You can then install chimney caps to keep them from coming back, but you can’t forcefully remove them from your home.
Ways to Protect Your Home from Wildlife Invasion
So, how do you keep animals out of your chimney? We recommend the strategies below.
Seal Your Home: The easiest and most convenient way to keep animals out of your property is to seal your home. We recommend installing a quality and properly-sized chimney cap to achieve this. It’s also ideal to close any other openings in your home, including roof vents and any small gaps and cracks in your roof or walls.- Keep Your Yard Tidy: Animals typically look for the same things that humans do in a home — protection from the elements, safety from predators, and a reliable source of food and water. When your lawn offers all of the above, it will attract various animals that might eventually find their way into your chimney. That said, things like raking leaves, picking up loose debris, and disposing of food scraps properly can make a big difference in keeping them away. It’ll also helps to make sure tree limbs are trimmed back at least 10 feet from the chimney structure.
- Schedule Regular Chimney Inspections: Homeowners are responsible for keeping wildlife away from their property, but nobody expects you to know everything about removing animals from your flue. If you suspect an animal has entered, call in a professional for an inspection right away. In these cases, the sooner you act, the better.
Book a Houston Chimney Sweeping Session Now
Trust us on this – when it comes to unwanted animal guests, prevention is better than cure. If you’re interested in putting up some safeguards to prevent creatures from entering your home, we’re here to help.
At Lords Chimney, our technicians boast unmatched experience, and we use the latest technology to keep our customers’ chimneys, fireplaces, and dryer vents in peak condition all year long.
Call us now at 832-280-9233 or reach out online to request a free, no-obligation quotation.
Are birds and other animals building nests in your chimney? This may seem harmless, but it can actually put your system and loved ones at risk. However, if you investing in sweepings, cleanings, and nest removal services, it can help maintain and keep your chimney and fireplace clean and safe. At Lords Chimney, you can count on our team to get the job done right.
The Threats Of Debris In Your Flue
If nesting or any kind gets lodged inside of your flue or chimney, you could face serious dangers when it comes time to light a fire. First of all, these materials are fire hazards. If they ignite, you could find yourself facing a chimney fire. These events can also cause extensive damage throughout your structure, which will require time-consuming and costly repair work before you can light a fire again.
Excess build up can also clog up your system, meaning smoke and poisonous gases could easily work their way into your home. If smoke does not successfully exit your chimney, you will have a smoke-filled living space. This can cause your furniture, curtains, and carpet to stink. It can also lead to carbon monoxide exposure, which can be deadly. The risk of illness, house fires, and even death increase dramatically when you have clogs and obstructions in your chimney. So why put your family and home at risk? Call our team of experts today to put your mind at ease.
How Can We Help?
At Lords Chimney, we would love to help keep your home and chimney as safe as possible. Along with nest removal, we can remove animals too. Be sure to consult with us first though. Some species, like the chimney swift, are protected by law and cannot be removed. In these cases, you will need to wait until they leave on their own, then we can come and remove their nests. We also recommend preventative measures to keep animals out of your chimney such as a chimney cap. Chimney caps are known for their ability to keep out water, but they can also keep out animals and excess debris, as well.
Finally, you should consider investing in your annual sweeping this spring or summer. Our CSIA certified technicians are qualified to remove creosote, nests, and other debris that could be hindering your fireplace’s performance. Once we have swept your system, you will be able to rest easy knowing your system and family is safe. Call on our team today, so you are all set and ready to go when cooler fall temperatures come back around!
Hearing strange noises from your chimney? There’s a good chance you have chimney swifts residing close by! Chimney swifts are one of the more common creatures you’ll see inside your chimney system. In addition, they need to be addressed differently than squirrels, raccoons, bats, or other bird breeds. Learn more about chimney swifts by reading below.
What Do They Look Like?
Chimney swifts are small birds with tiny beaks. They are darker in color, which can make them more challenging to see at night. Their necks are short, and their slim-style bodies work well with their longer and narrower wings. Something distinctive about chimney swifts is that they are almost constantly in motion.
Why Chimneys?
Why are chimney swifts more likely to rest in your chimney than anywhere else? The way their claws are designed makes it hard for them to perch like most birds. Instead, they cling to verticals walls to rest and build their nests. Some of these locations include the inside of hollow trees, cave interiors, and, obviously, the linings of chimneys.
As trees has been torn down over the years, chimneys have become more and more ideal for this species of bird. They are warm, strong, and make a great location for laying eggs and raising young.
How Do I Remove Them?
Things get a bit complicated when it comes to the removal of these birds. There has been a significant decline in the number of chimney swifts and, due to this decrease in population, they have become protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. This means that killing these birds or destroying nests that contain eggs or young, is against the law.
Due to these restrictions, any cleanings, inspections, or fireplace use must be stopped until the birds leave on their own accord. Once they migrate away from the nest, it can be removed, and you can use your fireplace as normal.
Once everything is gone, be sure to cap your chimney to prevent any further problems. Chimney caps seal the top of your chimney so that birds and other animals will not be able to enter. You may also want to have an inspection done to ensure that no holes, cracks, and other possible entry points are present.
Count On Us
If you have birds in your chimney and have more questions as far as their removal, please give us a call and we will do everything we can to help you out. If chimney swifts are present, we can get your cleaning and inspection done as soon as they are gone, so you can enjoy your fall and winter season to the fullest!
Learn more by browsing our site, then call us today to set up a time that we can work with you. We look forward to hearing from you!
Lately, we have been getting a lot of calls about animal intrusion – chimney owners unfortunately face this problem a lot! Birds and other woodland creatures love to nest in chimneys because they offer warmth and protection that’s hard to find in the wild. To resolve any issues with these pesky critters, call on Lords Chimney today – we can help you out!
Why Animals Cause Problems
Having animals in your chimney system can lead to many issues down the line. First and foremost, their nesting materials cause blockages, which then cause poor ventilation. When it comes to running a fireplace, good ventilation is a key component in ensuring everything functions as it should. Once blockages form, you’ll face smoke backing up into your home, as well as other fumes and toxins.
Another problem occurs when animals find their way in, but can’t find their way out. This is an unfortunate circumstance that often leads to death of the creature. This then causes foul odors to creep into your home and can lead to pest infestation, as well. The best thing to do is prevent them from entering at all, so you can save yourself a bunch of hassle.
The last thing we would like to point out is the inability to remove certain types of birds. Chimney swifts, for example, are endangered, meaning we are not legally allowed to remove them until they officially abandon their nests for good. If one sets up camp in your chimney, you are stuck with them – and your fireplace will be out of use until they are gone.
How Can We Help?
Animal invasion is stressful, but we can make these problems go away fast! We work hard to provide you with the best tools necessary for preventing animal entry into your home and chimney. The best solution to this problem is having a chimney cap installed. Chimney caps are great for keeping animals out of your home and in the outdoors where they belong.
We also can help with any blockages or clogs that may have already formed. Call in our experts and we’ll clear out your system in no time. Lighting fires with these issues present puts your entire home at risk. You could face toxins backing up into your living room, and your chance of fire increase significantly. It’s not worth the risk – call us in today.
What Else Can We Do?
At Lords Chimney, we don’t just protect your home from animals. We also offer repair services, inspections, installations, product replacements, and lots more! If you’re ready to learn more, please visit us online today or feel free to call and speak with one of our helpful staff members.
We have a decade’s worth of experience in the field and we are trained and certified by the CSIA. Homeowners in this area have been counting on us since we started and continue to turn to us for all of the fireplace needs. We are the best around – give us a holler today!
