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Over 20 years
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Houston
281-497-4000

Beaumont
409-240-0013

Houston 281-497-4000
Beaumont 409-240-0013

Summer Stink And Your Chimney

If you own a fireplace, you may notice some bad odors creeping into your home as outdoor temps rise and humidity increases. Dealing with these nasty smells is never fun. However, Lords Chimney has solutions for you! Learn more below. Afterwards, contact us today to see how we can help you out!

✔️ Scheduling a Cleaning

sweeping brush coming out of a masonry chimneyFirst things first, you’ll want to get your annual cleaning scheduled. This is so that any soot, creosote, or other debris is properly removed. By doing this, it ensures your fireplace is safe for regular use. In addition, it can do a lot when it comes to minimizing odors! You see, all of these materials smell less than ideal. When negative air pressure sweeps down your chimney, it brings these nasty odors with it! Remove creosote and say good-bye to a lot of the nasty smells you’re facing.

When scheduling your cleaning, you’ll definitely want to ensure your sweep is CSIA trained and certified, like the staff at Lords Chimney. Count on us for care you can trust!

✔️ Control Air Pressure

While a cleaning will definitely help, you still may find yourself facing some issues with smell. To put a final stop to this, you’ll need to find a way to control the air pressure in your home, so that outside air doesn’t keep coming down your chimney. Introducing new air somewhere else in the home (i.e. opening a window) may help, but that still doesn’t always solve the problem.

We recommend installing a top-sealing damper. This will seal off your chimney, so that downdrafts are no longer a problem. Top-sealing dampers also keep bad weather, animals, and dirt/debris out of your chimney, ensuring your entire appliance in better condition all year long.

At Lords Chimney, we have the products you need! We sell and install top-sealing dampers, and we will be sure to set you up with the right size for your specific situation. Trust in our experts to set you up right!

✔️ Avoid Water Issues

Excess moisture and water in your chimney can trigger some big issues and bad smells, so taking the proper precautions and investing in preventative maintenance beforehand may help eliminate bad odors. There are lots of things we can do to keep water away for good. Replacing your chimney cap, fixing your flashing, rebuilding your crown, tuckpointing, and waterproofing are all effective services that stop moisture from entering your chimney system.

✔️ Check for Animals

a woman grabbing her nose because of a bad odorSometimes, the issue doesn’t lie with high temperatures or humid days at all. It’s not uncommon for animals to nest in your chimney, especially if you haven’t used it much lately, and sometimes these animals wind up stuck. If a critter passes away in your flue or chimney, you’ll definitely face some serious odors. If your system has been recently cleaned, and you know everything is sealed up tight, consider this option.

Fortunately, there’s an easy, affordable, and effective way to ensure animals stay out for good. By having our team of experts install a chimney cap, you guarantee yourself high-quality protection at a price that won’t break the budget. Chimney caps are placed over the flue, so no animals can work their way in, and they are known for keeping out water and excess moisture, too.

Still Have Problems? Give Us a Call

If you have tried everything, and you are still noticing nasty odors, there are still a few things that may be going on. Excess moisture, decaying animals, and debris build-up/clogs are all reasons why your chimney may stink. It’s best to hire a professionally trained chimney expert to assess your situation and locate the true cause of the issue.

We want to help! Let us find what’s causing stink in your chimney and help you resolve it. You don’t need to deal with chimney issues any longer. Let us set you up right, so you can enjoy your fireplace to the fullest all year long! Call on our staff today or visit our website to learn more. We can’t wait to serve you!

Benefits Of A Top Sealing Damper

Benefits Of A Top Sealing Damper Image - Houston TX - Lords ChimneyWhen it comes to efficiency, the kind of fireplace you have makes the biggest impact on how well your fireplace burns. However, there are ways for homeowners to improve their fireplace’s efficiency – without buying a brand new heating appliance. One way to improve efficiency and save energy is by installing a top sealing damper.

Throat dampers vs top sealing dampers

The majority of fireplaces have what are known as throat dampers. Throat dampers are metal plates that are located at the top of the firebox, separating the fireplace from the chimney. Throat dampers are opened and closed using a lever or pulley when the fireplace is being used. Because the only the firebox is protected from outside air, a chimney cap is needed in order to keep animals, moisture, and debris out of the chimney system.

Top sealing dampers, on the other hand, sit on the top of the chimney where a chimney cap is traditionally located. This location allows them to function as both a damper and a chimney cap; when the damper is closed, moisture, debris, animals, and outside air cannot enter the chimney. When opened, the top of the flue is still protected and smoke is able to freely vent up and out of the chimney.

Benefits of installing a top sealing damper

While installing a top sealing damper might seem unnecessary if you already have a functioning throat damper, there are a number of benefits to this chimney upgrade. The following are three of the many benefits of installing a top sealing damper.

  • Safety: Using a top sealing damper can help protect your chimney system from problems such as animal and debris entry. This is extremely important as it can help prevent chimney blockages; in addition to increasing the risk of chimney fires, chimney blockages can cause incomplete venting and a backup of smoke and gasses such as carbon monoxide into your home.
  • Easy maintenance: Because they are located at the top of the firebox, traditional throat dampers are easily damaged by exposure to heat from the firebox. This can cause them to lose their seal and create drafting issues in the fireplace. Top sealing dampers, however, prevent downdrafts entirely by sealing off the entire chimney shaft. Likewise, as the air temperature within the chimney is less likely to drop during the winter, warming the flue is often unnecessary with a top mounting damper.
  • Energy savings: Top sealing dampers do more than just benefit your chimney system; they can also benefit your wallet! Because the chimney is not open to the outside, the air inside the flue does not experience temperature fluctuations based on the weather. This means that the rooms surrounding the chimney are also less likely to go up and down in temperature; by maintaining a more constant temperature inside, your HVAC system runs less and, in turn, leads to lower energy bills.

Installing a top sealing damper can help your fireplace burn more safely and efficiently, all while saving you money on your monthly energy bills. For more information on how a top mounted damper can benefit you, contact Lords Chimney today!