Sheep are best known for flocking and will run together as herds because there’s safety in numbers. This works great for sheep but works against homeowners for their home maintenance, especially in preventing fire hazards due to chimneys and fireplaces.
It’s common knowledge that you never call for maintenance on your air conditioning on the hottest day of summer and you don’t even attempt to call an appliance repairman to fix your kitchen stove on Thanksgiving Day. Not only will you pay a lot more money but you will wait more than a few days before getting a service. Maintenance is best done to prevent break-downs, especially break-downs during inopportune times.
The rule of thumb for timing on any home maintenance is: DON’T BE A SHEEP! This certainly applies to any service within the chimney industry, whether this is a chimney inspection, a chimney sweeping or any chimney repairs needed.
The chimney industry is extremely seasonal and, in most parts of the United States, the busiest time of the year is from September through February. Don’t be a sheep and call a chimney professional at the first cold snap of the year. Better to maintain your chimney on a preventative basis during the off-season.
The best time of year to have your chimney inspected is after you finish using it for the last time of the year, typically in the spring. Not only will the prices be the lowest at that time of year, but you can usually schedule a chimney sweep appointment within a few days to a week. This also allows more than enough time to do any repair needed long before the fire-burning season starts up in the Autumn.
So don’t be a sheep. Get your chimney inspected, swept if needed and repaired during the off-season. That way, when you light up your fireplace for the first time in the Fall, you’ve got peace of mind and can sit back on a cozy night and thoroughly enjoy your fireplace.