Our Blog

Hidden Dangers are everywhere in our world - a rock propelling through a windshield on route 128 from a truck in front of you; a defect in the automobile you're driving that later gets recalled; and a hole in your chimney's flue liner that allows the harmful gases such as Carbon Monoxide to enter your home.

Not long ago our field manager inspected a chimney in Cambridge, MA.  The customer's chimney cap had blown off and they scheduled an appointment for us to come out and inspect the chimney.  He discovered a breech or hole in the clay chimney liner about 7 feet up from the cleanout door.  It was allowing CO to leak into thier bathroom.

It was this customer's lucky day that we arrived to her home in Cambridge Ma with our inspection camera.  Using a special video camera to see the inside of your chimney flue is far more valuable and is considered a level II inspection.   We perform level II inspections on every chimney we sweep.  That breech never would have been discovered using the flashlight and mirror technique most chimney sweeps employ. 

We've been humbled by using these cameras on every flue we inspect.  Protecting our customer's lives and property is a driving force behind what we do at Billy Sweet Chimney Sweep.  Providing you with the facts from our inspection and recommending the right solution is our job. This home owner is now far beter safeguarded against the hidden dangers of her lined gas flue.

All flues need to be inspected annually per recommendation of the National Fire Protection Association and the National Chimney Sweeping Guild and because of situations like this, we continue to support that recommendation.  If the owner of this beautiful Cambridge home had not called us regarding their cap coming off, they may not have had this problem diagnosed and solved.  Furthermore, they may have spent money on just a new cap instead of a new lining system which in some cases includes a cap.  Overall, she saved her home and her family's health and we are glad to have been of service.   Today we installed her new lining system, insulated it and installed a full sized stainless steel chimney cap.

Chimney problems of all kinds can be hazardous to your life and property.  Dangerous chimneys can leak harmful gases into your home, drip creosote in between bricks, near exposed wood, and even come tumbling down upon or through your roof or onto a neighbor's property.  Chimney Sweeps in Boston and the north shore of Massachusetts have seen hundreds of thousands of chimneys that are in such disrepair, it's no wonder more regulations and mandates have not been realized over the years.

The NFPA 211 code book (National Fire Prevention Association) has changed over the years to include several safety updates, procedures, and hazards that we and other chimney sweeps must study and become not only knowledgable about but must also become expert at the diagnosis of these progressively new standards.  Not long ago, it wasn't even mandatory to install a liner in your chimney.  Now, it seems almost criminal to not have a lining system, a properly installed chimney cap and a yearly inspection service.  How do average homeowners afford all of this maintenance?

This presents a real problem.  Our business here is to solve chimney problems.  It's fairly a simple approach: If you have a chimney problem we inspect it, find the problem, document it, then propose a solution.  We give you the solution in writing with our estimates for fixing the problem.  If you don't have a chimney problem, we still inspect the chimney. The value here is that we have opportunity to keep an eye on the mortar joints, inside and out.  We realize small problems and propose to fix them before they become bigger chimney problems, saving our customers money in the long run.

These chimney problems can create other problems.  Was it the roof that caused the chimney problem or did the chimney cause the roof problem?  Well, that's like the chicken and the egg in most cases.  Fact is, chimney/roof flashing is super important.  One little thing like ice damming in the winter or some heaving in the shingles around the "not counter flashed" chimney flashing and you are risking major damage to your home.  We provide you with piece of mind through our inspection process.  The pictures we take of the inside and outside of your chimney tell a story after you've been with us for a few years and you can count on our ability to spot issues before they become huge projects.

Things you can do: 

1. Value shop for your certified chimney sweep and budget for maintenance!  

1. This means look at the services you are buying. (we inspect the inside and outside of each flue and provide you with the photos).

2. We provide you with piece of mind by physically inspecting every aspect of your chimney on a flue by flue basis.(we also insure a spotless, mess free cleaning of your chimney's flues).

3. We do not compromise our inspection process - it's your safety and your family's piece of mind. 

2. Talk to your heating specialist, the people who maintain your heating system. - We work with hundreds of local plumbing and heating specialists, we are members of several area chapters of non-profit organizations dedicated to the safe and efficient operation of your heating system.  Why do we do that? - Certified Chimney Sweeps are the only professionals actually qualified to handle the safe and efficient venting of your home's heating system.

3. Talk to your neighbors.  Who put the cap on their chimney?  Who have they used, what have they experienced?

4. You may comment below as well. 

Writing all of this down may become tedious; however, it will provide you with a basis for interviewing chimney sweeps.  On this page here, you can download a checklist that will help you evaluate a chimney sweep company's services. 

It seems funny but have you ever thought of having 1/2 a brake job or 1/2 an exhaust system replaced?  Probably for a minute, let's be honest.  Nonetheless, could you find a professional that was willing to do that work?  I don't think so.  This is why we do complete work.  We recommend fixing what's broken so that it is safe and doesn't get worse.  We recommend inspecting your chimney every year and sweeping it as necessary and we always sweep before an inspection.   We already know that soot is black, inspecting it just makes a mess.  We're interested in the chimney, once the soot is scrubbed off.

You can always call us, fill out one of our forms online and we'll assist you.  If you've visited our site before, are considering whether or not to have your chimney inspected and cleaned, please give us your business.  We will responsibly inspect your chimney, flue by flue and work with you over time to manage the results.  

So  you want a high efficiency boiler for your home to cut energy costs and join the green movement right?  Good idea!  We can help you with that.  Chimney problems caused by high efficiency boilers are becoming more common as our communities move toward more energy efficient and cost effective methods of heating their homes.  One of the biggest problems created by these new boilers is the sense of false security.  Read on to find out what we mean by that.

Whether you are using an oil, propane, or natural gas fired condensing boiler, here is one thing to keep in mind. Ice, snow, and sleet from the outside freezes your bricks.  When the condensing air inside the frozen chimney rises it looses heat quickly.  Now, it's freezing.  One customer's  chimney in Portland Maine we serviced had a thick layer of ice forming on the inside of his chimney.  We couldn't even sweep it!  When Billy put the camera inside the flue to see what was there it was actually snowing inside, not outside, the chimney.  

What can happen next is called efflorescence and it's not good for your chimney.  Ever see a nice chimney with this kind of white film, barely noticible, and positioned vertically on one side?  The root of this chimney problem has to do with the fact that the bricks' core have a concentration of salts.  When the core of the bricks on your heating system side of the chimney get wet they begin to loose their integrity and let more water in, eventually spalling the brick face entirely.  As the salts move from the core of the brick out to the edges, they leave a white deposit called, efflorescence.  If this isn't caught in time, your chimney may fall apart.  You'll need a chimney sweep whose chimney services are expert at solving complex chimney problems.  You'll need to know the condition of your chimney lining system.  Call us, your plumber or heating contractor would.

This could happen to your chimney in a short number of years with a new high efficiency gas boiler so please make sure you have your chimney inspected annually for deterioration and efflorescence.  Proper maintenence of your chimney and it's lining system avoid you the trouble and inconvenience of a future emergency situation.  

Now, let's balance this out.  We love high efficiency in almost everything.  If you choose a high efficiency condensing boiler for your home, hire us to inspect, properly line, and warranty your chimney.  Our chimney lining products are warrantied for life and even our labor is unconditionally warrantied for one year.  Don't bargain your safety away by hiring the cheaper competition. We're here for the long haul, they may not be.  Get it done now.  Get it done right, the first time.

Yes, we have a services page; however, here in our blog we can expose more of what we do.  Homeowners, heating system contractors, and property managers throughout the Boston Metro areas, Southern New Hampshire and Portland Maine are experiencing what Billy Sweet Chimney Sweep's services offer.

We ensure that the chimney your appliances vent into is swept out and free from obstructions.   We then perform our comprehensive chimney inspection that includes 3 steps: step 1. We document digital photographs of the exterior chimney, any pipe work, heating system, wood stove, or fire place; step 2. We document digital images from our chimney camera of the inside of your chimney flues; step 3. We evaluate the pictures against the National Fire Protection Association's code book (NFPA 2.11) to diagnose any potential or expressed chimney problem and then return to you a solution.   

We focus on the Inspection, why?  People die and property burns.  The U.S Consumer Products Safety Commission released this safety advisory regarding solid burning fuel appliances and very serious safety concerns.  We are the venting experts and many heating system contractors, property owners and managers rely on our inspection services to ensure that their chimneys are working properly. 

Let's face it, most plumbers don't even want to deal with the chimney.  It's too much liability and not really their niche.  We at Billy Sweet Chimney Sweep are in business to create a great opportunity for plumbers and HVAC companies.  Hire a chimney contractor that will cover the liability that exists when performing this kind of specialized work. 

It doesn't matter what appliances you want to vent through a chimney, nor does it matter what the problem is, we'll help you with taking care of any chimney problem you have. We've deconstructed several right to the basement and then built them back up stronger and more beautiful than ever!  

So what are the chimney problems your customers are facing?  What other jobs could you be on top of if you just had a company who thought your customers were important like their customers and could be contracted to handle your chimney maintainence?