A well-maintained fireplace provides warmth and beauty to your home. When an unpleasant odor is emitting from it, it can ruin the atmosphere and give the residents a headache. There can be several reasons why your fireplace or chimney smells bad; a reliable chimney sweep talks about some of them here.
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Creosote Buildup: If your fireplace smells like tar or asphalt, it is probably coming from a creosote buildup on your chimney walls. This is the most common reason for weird chimney odors, and it can get worse during the warmer months when homeowners crank up their air conditioning to fight off humidity. To inspect and clear out your chimney, call in your local sweeps.
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Negative Air Pressure: While a home being weathertight is a good thing, it can also have a negative effect of causing drafts to reverse in the chimney. Such a backdraft can send bad odors from outside into your living space. A simple, short-term solution to this problem is to open a window. However, unless you want to keep your window in the living room open all the time, let a chimney repair specialist take further action, like installing a top-sealing damper.
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Excess Moisture: Are the smells you are noticing musty? This is likely a symptom of excess moisture. Water leaks can damage chimney linings, cause rot and rust, and speed up deterioration throughout masonry structures. Your solution may be as simple as installing a chimney cap or top-mounted damper, but bigger repair work like a crown rebuild may be in order.
Batts’ Chimney Services is a premier source of high-quality chimney cleaning and dryer vent cleaning services. Our certified team promises to increase the efficiency of your fireplace and keep your home safe. Call (256) 906-1139 in Northern Alabama, (205) 828-3899 in the Greater Birmingham area, or fill out our convenient online form to schedule an appointment.