With winter coming on, you may want to make sure that you can light fires in your fireplace. Before you do that, you need to make sure that your chimney is in good shape. Each year, many fires are started in chimneys because they aren't properly cared for or aren't ready for winter. So, what can you do to make sure that your chimney is all ready for winter?

Get It Cleaned

One thing that you can do is make sure that you get your chimney cleaned out. Cleaning out your chimney will get rid of all the soot and creosote that is left over from past fires. Those things are flammable. Cleaning your chimney will also make sure that any debris from outside that might have worked its way into your chimney is gone. If you don't have a screen over the top of your chimney, things like twigs and leaves can get blown into it. You can also get animals nesting in there. 

Exterior Inspection

Another thing that you can do to make sure that your chimney is ready for winter is to have an exterior inspection done. The inspectors are going to look at certain things. For example, they are going to look to see if the chimney is pulling away from your house. That's a sign that your chimney isn't in good working shape and that you shouldn't use your fireplace until you can get it repaired. The people inspecting your chimney are also going to check to see if there are any loose bricks or mortar in your chimney or if you are missing any bricks and mortar. If there are, the inspectors may be able to replace them or tell you what your options are. You might also ask if they can install a screen over your chimney if you don't already have one. 

Check the Liner

Your chimney has a liner or sleeve inside of it. It's usually made out of something like firebrick. It helps to keep sparks and such from jumping into your house. If you are worried about your liner, this would be a good time to get it checked out. The chimney sweep may be able to check it out for you. 

If you have a fireplace, you may want to have fires in it during the winter. In order to do that, you should make sure that your chimney is in good shape. Contact a company that offers chimney services to learn more.