As the holidays are approaching, your to-do list can be much longer than normal, especially when you plan on entertaining your family and friends. You want to do everything you can do to make your home warm and inviting to your guests. If you have children, you know that the christmas fireplace- elkton md - ace chimneymost important holiday guest to your home is Santa Claus because your kids have been asking you for the past month and a half every day if the chimney is ready for him to come inside to put gifts under the tree. Since 1986, Ace Chimney Sweeps have provided comprehensive professional chimney services to the Chesapeake Bay region, and during the holidays, we love to show our customers’ children how clean everything is for Santa after we have swept and inspected the chimney. Our team of experienced professionals has been trained and certified by industry leaders, such as the National Fireplace Institute (NFI), so you can count on us to prepare your chimney for the holidays. To help you get your chimney and fireplace system ready for the holiday season, we would like to answer some of our most frequently asked questions about our fireplace maintenance, repair, and installation services.

What should I do to get my chimney and fireplace system ready for Santa’s arrival?

To make sure that your chimney will function efficiently and safely during the holidays and throughout the winter, you need to have it professionally swept and inspected at least once a year, according to experts, and Ace Chimney Sweeps recommends that you go ahead and schedule this important chimney maintenance appointment during the spring or the summer to avoid waiting for an available date with our chimney professionals.
When we sweep your chimney, we take great care to remove all of the creosote deposits that have accumulated on the inner flue walls. Not only could this residue get Santa’s suit dirty, but professionals warn us that this natural compound is so flammable that creosote is a leading cause of chimney fires. After we have swept your chimney, we will then inspect the exterior chimney to see if there are any cracked, broken, or missing bricks and mortar joints or other types of masonry damage. If we find any problems, we will provide you with a written explanation and photographs of the damage, and we will give you a fair and honest written estimate of the repairs that we can do to make your chimney safe for Santa this holiday season.

What other holiday fireplace safety practices should I keep in mind?

Your fireplace is a popular gathering spot during the holidays, and the last thing that you want to happen is an accidental fire or some other dangerous hazard. Although it may be a tradition to hang stockings in front of your fireplace for Santa Claus to fill, you should never light a fire if anything is hanging from the mantle. Ace Chimney Sweeps recommends that you find an alternate location for your holiday stockings when you want to enjoy a fire. We also strongly recommend that you only burn seasoned firewood in your fireplace. This type of wood has been allowed to dry for at least six months after it has been cut so that it will provide cleaner-burning, longer-lasting, and warmer fires. If you try to burn wet wood, the fire will waste most of its energy-burning away the water in the wood. This leads to an overproduction of smoke, an increased acceleration of creosote deposits, and not very much heat to your home. Please do not ever burn wrapping paper, holiday greenery, or any other type of trash in your fireplace as this increases the risk of a dangerous flash fire.

I would like to ask Santa for a new fireplace. What kind of options does he have at Ace Chimney Sweeps?

If you are considering adding a fireplace this holiday season, our team of qualified experts is here to help you find the perfect new appliance for your home. In our beautiful showroom located in Elkton, MD, you will find a wide inventory of fireplaces and stoves from nationally known brands such as Regency, Vermont Castings, Hearthstone, Harman, St. Croix, Pacific Energy, and Enviro. Among these beautiful appliances, you will be able to choose the best type of fireplace for your home. Whether you would like a wood-burning, gas, pellet, or coal hearth appliance, we can show you our favorite appliances in each fuel type and tell you more about the advantages and disadvantages of each type so that you will know which works best for you. Our NFI Specialists not only can help you find the right new fireplace, but we can also properly install it so that it will work safely and efficiently for many years.

Is your chimney and fireplace system ready for Santa Claus this holiday season? Contact us today at Ace Chimney Sweeps to make an appointment with one of our professional chimney sweeps. We are here for all of your professional chimney and fireplace maintenance, repair, and installation needs.