Our Company Blog

Is a Storm Collar Right for You?

As a home or business owner you want to take all reasonable measures to prevent damage to your chimney system. If your home or business has a pre-fabricated chimney, you will need a storm collar, sometimes called a chimney collar.

Courtesy Jerry Isenhour

What Is It?

A masonry chimney will have a chimney cap on top of the masonry that keeps the outside OUT. The chimney cap is designed to allow smoke and gas to vent out, but keep moisture, weather, debris, and animals from entering the chimney opening. The chimney cap fits specifically onto a masonry chimney.

Similarly, the storm collar, or chimney collar, is specifically designed to fit over a pre-fabricated chimney. Unlike the chimney caps which fit to the top of the masonry chimney, the storm collar fits over the chimney piping of a pre-fabricated chimney. It should be professionally installed, and works with the flashing to keep the water running away from the chimney and roof intersection as well as to keep it out of the chimney opening.

Do You Need a Collar?

The short answer is YES. If you have a pre-fabricated chimney you need a storm collar. This is not an area where home owners should cut corners. Without the collar, weather and debris can fall into your chimney, allowing for accumulation of soot and debris that eventually restrict air flow. This will slow the ventilation of hot gases and can cause chimney fires. It can also cause a smoky fireplace as well as make it harder to start and keep a fire burning hot. When you depend on your fireplace of stove for home-heating, it is important to make sure it is efficient.

Benefits

Our CSIA Certified Chimney Sweeps at Chief Chimney Services have experience in the Long Island, New York area since the 1980s. We are familiar with the climate, seasonal patterns and risk factors of having a chimney system in the area. We recommend storm collars to our customers with pre-fabricated chimneys and provide expert installations, repairs, and replacements of these products. Long Island can have heavy snow and strong gusts of wind, especially during fire-burning season. Providing the same function as a chimney cap, a storm collar:

• Prevents animal inhabitation, so that animals aren’t nesting (or dying) in the chimney, causing obstruction.
• Prevents water damage that wreaks havoc on a masonry chimney, and can cause creosote buildup in pre-fabricated chimneys.
• Prevents wind gusts and draftiness that keep the smoke and gas from rising up the chimney as it should.
• Prevent flue blockages. Covering the chimney can prevent flue blockages for all the reasons mentioned above, and more. When the chimney is unprotected, debris can also fall into the chimney opening, causing blockages.If you’re ready for your annual chimney inspection and have questions or concerns about your chimney and storm collar, a Chief Chimney Services expert is standing by. Call or schedule an appointment today.

CSIA Expands its Certification Offerings with New Master Sweep Credential

Indianapolis, IND – During the 2016 National Chimney Sweep Guild Convention held in Orlando, FL, the Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) announced the addition of the Master Chimney Sweep designation to its current line of nationally-recognized credentials.

The Master Sweep credential represents the highest level of educational and ethical achievement in the chimney sweeping industry. In contrast to the Certified Chimney Sweep credential, which is awarded solely on meeting certain educational requirements, the Master Chimney Sweep will be awarded through an application and vetting process conducted by the CSIA Board of Directors. Among other requirements, Master Sweep applicants must be current CSIA Certified Chimney Sweeps who have held that credential for at least ten years.

CSIA Board President, Mark Stoner, makes it clear that earning the Master Chimney Sweep credential is more a privilege than a right. “This credential identifies the best of the best”, said Stoner, “the individuals hand-selected for this honor have consistently proven themselves in the industry and have truly gone above and beyond in their efforts to stay at the top of their field.”

As part of the surprise announcement, the Master Sweep credential was awarded to two individuals: John Pilger of Smithtown, New York, and Dennis Dobbs of Fort Payne, Alabama.

For additional information regarding the Master Sweep credential, including requirements for application, please email the CSIA at office@csia.org.

Chimney Inspections: A Job for the Professionals

There are D-I-Y pallet projects, and there are serious property safety precautions and maintenance. When you’re talking about your chimney system it is too important to cut corners. While some things affect the comfort and aesthetics of your chimney system, there are other things that affect the safety, efficiency, and life of your chimney system.

If you use a furnace or fireplace in your home or business, there is almost nothing more important than your regular chimney sweeps and annual inspections. If your appliance or chimney has not changed, and you plan to continue use in the same way you have, then a level 1 inspection should be appropriate. However, there are three levels of inspections offered by certified chimney sweeps, and it’s important to learn which one you need!

Because Chief Chimney Services places our clients’ safety as top priority, we recommend regular chimney sweepings and annual inspections. There are reasons to schedule a level 2 and 3 inspection as well, and home owners who make safety a priority, make chimney inspections a priority.

When to Schedule Your Inspection

A level 1 inspection is a routine inspection recommended annually, and required by many home owners insurance providers. In a level 1 inspection a Certified Chimney Sweep will assess all working parts of the chimney system that are readily-accessible. This inspection is recommended if there are no changes to the system or the fuel, and is to assess the structural soundness, check for flue obstructions, creosote levels, and the overall condition of the chimney system.

A level 2 inspection is recommended if you have made any changes to your chimney system or if it’s suffered any damage: if you’ve changed fuel types, had your chimney relined, experienced a change in efficiency or function, or experienced a fire or earthquake, you need a level 2 inspection. In a level 2 inspection an experienced technician will perform all the parts of a level 1 inspection with a more thorough eye, assessing all accessible parts of the chimney. Because it is a more thorough assessment the technician may need access to basement or attic areas in order to inspect the areas around the chimney system.

Chief Chimney Services utilizes a CCTV (closed-circuit television) video camera as part of a level 2 inspection, along with a detailed report for the benefit of the home owner, future buyers, and insurance providers.

A level 3 inspection may be recommended by your inspector if a problem is discovered in a routine inspection. A level 3 is the most in-depth inspection and includes removal of parts in or around the chimney system to gain access to the problem. During a level 3 inspection Chief Chimney Services has removed a small section of plaster around the chimney system, and has had to remove the crown of the chimney for example.

A trained professional will access the problem areas of your chimney system in the most efficient way possible. Safety is of the utmost importance to us, and we want to ensure your safety and proper use of your chimney system while limiting the inconvenience to your home or business.

When it’s time for your inspection look no further than Chief Chimney Services, whose professionalism and experience knows no comparison in and around Suffolk County, New York. Schedule your inspection today.