When Is the Best Time to Have Your Chimney Swept?

To paraphrase an old saying, “The best time to have your chimney swept is in the spring. The second-best time is now.”

Ideally, chimney sweeping should be scheduled soon after the weather starts to clear up and your chimney and its parts can be easily accessed. This also goes for inspections and repair work.

The Chimney Guys of Pataskala, OH, would like to tell you why spring is the optimal time for chimney cleaning.

First, There’s the Weather

Ohio chimney sweep crews can and do work on chimneys in the dead of winter, but they prefer not to. Why?

• Snow and ice make for slippery roof surfaces.
• High winds and low visibility create risky working conditions.
• Chimney caps, masonry, flashing and other exterior parts of a chimney are hard to work with when they’re frozen.
• It’s cold, and the only people who like the cold are kids with ice skates and sleds.

Summer is Good, But People Are Busy

In a perfect chimney-company world, every day would be a summer day. Unfortunately, a lot of homeowners get busy during the summer and sometimes find it hard to conveniently schedule chimney cleaning when they’re home and available.

Most chimney crews are active all year long, including during the summer, and they can’t always accommodate precise scheduling between the picnic, the company barbecue, the trip to Aunt Hazel’s, the Little League playoffs and whatever else fills a summer schedule.

Waiting Until Fall for Chimney Sweeping Can Be Problematic

The fall weather is often good for chimney cleaning, and homeowners usually aren’t all that busy. But chimney sweep companies usually are busy – often extremely busy – because so many people like to wait until the last minute to get their chimney work taken care of.

In the summer, you might have to hope that chimney companies can accommodate your schedule; in the fall, you might have to accommodate theirs in order to get someone out before the cold season starts.

Another reason fall isn’t ideal for chimney cleaning and service

Assuming you can get a technician out to your home in the fall, what happens if he or she finds some problems with your chimney that will need repair work?

If you think it’s hard scheduling a basic chimney sweep and inspection job in the fall, try scheduling a time-consuming chimney rebuild or a chimney relining project.

Wintertime Emergencies

As we said, most chimney crews work year-round and are available in the worst of winter to take care of emergency chimney situations. If you have a problem with your chimney during the days of ice and snow, don’t hesitate to call your chimney service company.

But when it comes to chimney cleaning and basic safety inspections, everyone will be better served if you schedule this work in the spring.

Call Your Local Ohio Chimney Experts All Year Long

The Chimney Guys is ready to help with all your chimney needs, no matter what time of year it is. If you weren’t able to schedule a chimney sweeping during good weather, call us during bad weather – because this work really needs to be done to help your chimney operate more safely and efficiently.

Anyway, we have plenty of warm clothes and gloves. We’re ready for it.

Reach a chimney expert by phone or get in touch through our contact form.