Our Company Blog

Schedule Your Dryer Vent Cleaning Today

If you haven’t scheduled a dryer vent cleaning in the last twelve months, you should schedule one now. Emptying the lint trap is not enough to prevent a lint buildup in the vent. Plus, a buildup of flammable lint can cause a dangerous fire! According to the United States Fire Administration there are 2900 dryer vent fires annually. Thus resulting in 5 deaths, 100 injuries, and $35 million in property loss. At Chief Chimney Services we believe any dryer vent fire is one too many. That’s why we strive to provide our customers with services to prevent it. Dryer vent cleaning as well as public education is the best way to decrease the number of fires, deaths, injuries, and property loss.

Prevention as Priority

It’s important for homeowners to recognize the signs of a dangerous dryer vent clog. This is especially true if you’ve failed to schedule the necessary cleanings. If you have noticed any of the following, you should call a Certified Dryer Exhaust Technician® (C-DET).

• Your dryer takes more than one cycle to adequately dry a moderately-sized load of laundry. This is your first indicator that there is a clog in the ventilation system. Homeowners often assume the load is too big, the clothes are too heavy, or the dryer is too old, but this isn’t the case. Industry professionals say that a clothes dryer has a clog if it’s less than three years old and takes more than one cycle to dry a load.
• Your dryer heats up your laundry room and feels hot to the touch. Your dryer and vent is designed as a closed unit that vents solely outdoors. The vent should carry the excess heat, lint, and water vapors outside. If the dryer vent is adding heat to your home, or feels hot to the touch, it most likely has a clog preventing proper ventilation.
• You find moisture on surfaces of your dryer, walls, and ceilings in your laundry room. Your dryer vent should vent water vapors outdoors. If your dryer causes this moisture on surfaces in your laundry room or home, there is most likely damage to the vent, which will compromise airflow and cause a dangerous buildup.

Schedule Annual Dryer Vent Cleanings

By scheduling annual dryer vent cleanings, you prevent problems that cost you money, health, and life. Your expensive appliance will become worn out twice as quickly if it takes two cycles to dry a load. Laundry will take twice as long, and you will spend twice as much on utilities and replacing clothes dryers in your lifetime. Instead of your appliance lasting the ten years it should, it will last only 3-5 years.

Have Your Appliance Professionally Installed

A store delivery is not a professional installation. A dryer exhaust technician can install your dryer vent with the appropriate materials, within safety regulations, and correctly sized. When you have the vent professionally installed, you have the information to present to the proper authorities in the event of a fire caused from malfunction or other issue.

Use the Clothes Dryer Properly

Follow clothes dryer safety tips and user manuals in order to further insure your family’s safety, and to safeguard your investments.

Schedule your dryer vent cleaning today by calling 631-863-2460 today!

Masonry Repairs and Tuckpointing

Your chimney is designed to outlast your house. However, neglecting maintenance and natural occurrences can cause chimney problems that shorten its life. A long winter, for instance, can damage masonry. This is especially true if the chimney hasn’t been properly waterproofed.

Water and Your Masonry

Masonry is constructed of many materials that are adversely affected by water. Unfortunately, even a small amount of water can cause big damage, especially during winter. When water penetrates the masonry, it is subject to a freeze/thaw cycle that damages the chimney’s structure. The water freezes when temperatures drop, expanding and busting the masonry. Afterwards, melting when temperatures rise, allowing the water to flow deeper into the damaged masonry. This process is repeated until it causes serious damage!

Common Masonry Damage

• Spalling – The freeze/thaw cycle causes spalling. This means the mortar cracks and falls away and bricks flake, thus leaving holes in your chimney.
• Water Damage – Water damage can vary from serious, structural issues to simple stains on the interior or exterior of the chimney system.

Chief Chimney Services has been serving the Suffolk County area for over 20 years. During spring inspections, our technicians often find winter damage that require repairs.

Chief Chimney Services Repairs Your Masonry

• Tuckpointing – Perhaps the most common masonry repair our technicians see is tuckpointing. Our skilled masons remove damaged mortar and bricks and replace them with new mortar for a clean, restored look. This process can be tedious because the new mortar must match the old in consistency, strength, and color. Failing to match the mortar perfectly can mean weaker masonry!
• Rebuild – Less common that tuckpointing, but still important, is the masonry rebuild. For the chimneys that have been grossly neglected or badly damaged due to natural disasters or fire, our masons can rebuild them beautifully.
• Firebox Repair – The firebox withstands the most abuse and often gets the least attention. The firebox keeps the fire in its place, though, so you need it to do its job, and do it well! During your chimney sweep, our technician can spot a problem before it becomes a hazard, and plan accordingly.
• Chimney Crown Repair – The chimney crown also withstands abuse, topping your chimney and keeping out weather and critters. The crown can become damaged because it hasn’t been waterproofed, because of age, or because it wasn’t properly constructed. Whatever the cause, Chief Chimney Services can replace it with a recast chimney crown that is beautiful and functional!

When it’s time to close out your chimney for the off-season, you want to make sure it’s ready for fall. Don’t spend your summer fretting over your chimney repairs. Get your inspection this spring so you can schedule necessary repairs as well. At Chief Chimney Services we put our customers first, and we want your chimney to be ready and safe for fall.

Schedule your appointment now!