You sit by the fireplace, crane your neck, and you can just see the top of the chimney. You will see some cracks in the terracotta lining here and there, but most importantly, you can clearly see the perfect square of the sunny sky, which is staring at you.

You think you are ready. You believe that you are happy to use your fireplace, and now cold days and cold nights are coming.

But are you? Or your fireplace — or your wood stove, or your oil burner, for that matter — does it really need a round of cleaning and maintenance?

Look again. See the cracks in the clay lining? Those need your attention. If the lining breaks off, a small pile of discarded tiles in a fireplace or wood stove will be the least problem you will encounter. If the fragments don't fall off completely, they just stick out obliquely from the inner wall... well, the vents of your chimney are beginning to be blocked. This will become a fire hazard.

Eben Talmage owns Black Jack Chimney Sweep in Kennebunk, Maine. He uses this scene as an example to illustrate that if you own a chimney or wood stove and are trying to make sure that the upcoming season goes smoothly, you need to have a pair of eyes .

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Talmage pointed out that do-it-yourself or DIY methods are common in rural communities, but when it comes to caring for parts of the house that have potential safety hazards, it is important to educate yourself. Talmage says that a chimney is like a car-if you are not a mechanic, you may want to find one before you lift the hood yourself.

"If you don't know what to look for, it's dangerous to do it yourself," Talmage said.

This is where professional chimney sweepers can help. Talmage is one of them. He said that the chimney inspection and cleaning cost approximately US$250, the inspection fee is US$150, and the cleaning fee is US$100. He also mentioned the American Chimney Safety Institute, whose website provides resources and education, and can even point you to the sweeper closest to you.

Talmage said that it is important to check for cracks in these tiles and for bird and animal nests in the chimney—and, of course, to deal with creosote.

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According to Tarmac, creosote deposits are "basically unburned particles when wood is burned." He added that they are a tar-like substance that can cover the inside of your chimney and become "Roman candles" while waiting. Like those cracked terracotta bricks, creosote is also a fire hazard.

Cleaning logs can solve creosote and other problems, right?

"Generally speaking, they don't," Talmac said.

According to Talmac, when clean logs are burned in a fireplace or stove, they release a chemical that only binds to creosote deposits and changes its composition.

"Cleaning the logs will change but will not remove the creosote," he added. "Although they were not injured, they did not help much."

Priddy Chimney Sweeps, a company that serves Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C., said that when creosote is in the first stage and is only flaky and can be brushed off, cleaning logs can fight creosote well as a "quick fix." , Which details the effectiveness and limitations of cleaning up logs on its website. According to Pridi, in the second and third stages, you may want to call a local professional cleaner.

"By the second stage, the flakes contain tar," the company explained. "You need to contact a professional chimney sweep to solve this problem."

If creosote is allowed to reach the third stage? It becomes a real glaze.

"You need to replace the chimney lining to remove everything," Priddy Chimney Sweep said.

Talmage said that the flue needs to be cleaned once a year, or at least one inspection. Talmage's certified American Chimney Safety Institute agreed and cited the direct method provided by the National Fire Protection Association.

The association stated: “Chimneys, fireplaces and vents should be inspected at least once a year to ensure that they are intact, free of deposits and correct clearances.” “If necessary, they should be cleaned, maintained and repaired.”

The institute claimed that this is a national safety standard.

"It takes into account the fact that even if you don't use your chimney often, animals may nest in the chimney, or there may be other types of deterioration that make the chimney unsafe to use."