Services
Chimney Sweeping
Eric Herrmann, a CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep, has the best equipment and uses the best methods to ensure every chimney is as clean as can be at every job. If you have a fireplace, wood stove, pellet stove, oil heat chimney flue, or gas heat chimney, it should be swept at least once a year (or more for heavy use). The result of a chimney that is maintained and swept is less deposits of combustible creosote, which can cause a chimney fire and leave you with bigger problems like smoke damage in the home or expand to a structure fire. Creosote is also corrosive which shortens the lifespan of your chimney by eating away at the materials if it isn’t removed. Having to replace a chimney can cost thousands of dollars and it saves money over time to avoid this problem by having Black Dog Chimney Service getting you cleaned up. Every chimney sweep also comes with a Level I inspection, as required by NFPA 211 and the Chimney Safety Institute of America.
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Fireplace and Chimney Related Inspections
Eric is a certified Fireplace Inspector (Fireplace Investigation, Research and Education). In addition to having your chimney swept, it is beneficial to have every accessible inch of the system inspected. Level II, and Level III inspections, as described by NFPA 211 are all available by request, and many situations it is professionally required that a chimney technician recommend a higher degree of inspection based on certain things he may find. This will help create more certainty for the customer regarding the safety of their system. Special camera systems that go inside the chimney flue give access to parts of the chimney that cannot be seen looking up or down the flue, with an assessment being made of the condition by a professional. This will create more confidence for the homeowner in using their system by having it evaluated by someone they can trust.
This is a photo taken with our ChimScan chimney camera inside a masonry fireplace flue. This was a very old house that had an unused thimble on the second floor connected to the same flue. In the old days, they used room heaters on the second floor and would connect stoves to a centrally located chimney. This old thimble was never sealed properly, and connecting two solid-fuel appliances to the same flue is a safety hazard. This fireplace had many additional issues, and the homeowner was advised not to use the fireplace unless extensive repairs were made.
Drone Inspection Services
Additionally, Eric Herrmann is an FAA Part 107 Certified commercial drone pilot. This is useful for inspecting chimneys in houses that have slate or wood shingles, steep roofs, tall roofs, etc. that would otherwise require complex scaffolding setups to access. Our drone captures phenomenal photos that will save customers time, money, and safety risks getting the top of the chimney inspected. This technological advancement makes the job easier on everybody!
While our expertise is in the chimney industry, we offer drone services to other companies such as roofing contractors, real estate agents, etc. to gather inspection photos and videos for professionals of other industries to analyze.
Chimney Liner Installation
Installing stainless steel liners for heater exhausts will improve performance and safety. Oil and gas are both fossil fuels. The exhaust gases of these heating systems contains both condensation and acidic gases, a combination that is highly corrosive to clay flues. It often creates a condition called “spalling”. This deteriorated condition can block the base of the chimney and cause deadly carbon monoxide to leak into the home.
The best way to correct this is with a properly sized stainless steel liner. This will prevent the chimney itself from crumbling down over time by keeping corrosive gases from the exhaust contained inside a properly sized stainless steel liner until it terminates from the top. Installing liners will help heaters run more efficiently and will save customers money in the long run.
Gas and Pellet Service
This will help ensure the longevity of customers’ appliances by having trained eyes cleaning and tuning them as needed. Appliances that are taken care of will last longer and limit malfunctions which can lead to expensive or inconvenient problems. There are many expensive and highly inconvenient problems that arise with these appliances that could have easily been prevented with hiring a competent and knowledgable chimney professional to service them annually. Additionally, many pellet stove owners are unaware of the daily, weekly, or monthly maintenance that is intended for the homeowner to complete that is necessary to keep their pellet stoves running longer, safer, and more efficiently. The regular maintenance required for pellet stoves can be found in the manufacturer’s owner’s manual. Keeping up to date with pellet stove makes the chimney professional’s job easier, and keeps us from visiting too frequently!
