Chimney Repair - Em & Em Chimney

Learn More About Chimney Repairs!

If you’re like millions of other American homeowners, you probably don’t schedule maintenance for your chimney as often as is recommended. If you need a quick fix chimney repair in Long Island, call E.M. & E.M. Chimney and Masonry at (516) 806-5123; and for further information, check out the following resources.

• It’s important that your chimney is checked for potential problems at least once a year. For more information, take a look at this page from Chimney.com.
• Is your fireplace blowing smoke into your living room? Learn all about the health effects of smoke inhalation at eMedicineHealth.com.
• Nearly 6,000 people a year die from falling in or around their homes. For more startling statistics, visit this page from the Home Safety Council.
• If you attempt to clean your own chimney, you will likely be exposed to creosote. Learn about the possible health risks at CreosoteCouncil.org.
• Do you want to learn more about your home’s foundation? Visit this page from HowStuffWorks.com.

Operate Your Wood Stove More Efficiently!

Even in the age of high-tech furnaces, wood stoves are still a very popular home heating option. However, wood stoves all across America aren’t operating as efficiently as they could be.

In this short video from the Washington State Department of Ecology, viewers learn how to properly operate a wood stove. Though you may associate smoke with fire, the presence of smoke is actually evidence of the wood in your stove burning improperly. To keep your wood stove working efficiently, it’s important to use dry fuel and keep your system clean.

If your in need of a chimney repair in Long Island,  contact E.M. & E.M. Chimney and Masonry. With over 15 years of experience in the chimney business, we can handle any problem your chimney encounters. Call us at (516) 806-5123 for more information.  

The Relationship between Your Foundation and Chimney

Few homeowners have a working knowledge of the anatomy of a chimney and how it relates to their homes. To help you better understand how your home is constructed and how your chimney repair can best be maintained, here’s a brief overview of the relationship between your home’s foundation and your chimney: 

• Construction Basics
  At the base of your home is a concrete foundation that promotes stability, houses support beams, and encases much of your home’s plumbing. Since tall brick chimneys are extremely heavy, they are often given a foundation of their own to prevent the main foundation from cracking. This second foundation can either be installed with the home or added later.  
• Risk of Separation
  Since the foundation of a chimney pushes a lot of weight onto a relatively small surface area, it is often at great risk of shifting, causing the chimney to lean away from the house. Separation of the foundation is especially likely if the chimney is old or if the bricks were stacked improperly. The soil beneath the chimney’s foundation can settle gradually, causing slight separation that worsens with time.
• Problem Prevention
  As a chimney leans more and more, the risk of collapse grows ever higher. As you can imagine, this can be quite a disaster, especially if the chimney is near to a neighbor’s home, a roadway, or a pedestrian walkway. To prevent serious damage and potential injury, call a team of chimney experts to examine your home’s foundation and to make the appropriate adjustments.

If your chimney is leaning even slightly, contact E.M. & E.M. Chimney and Masonry. Our experts can easily set your chimney right again before it requires serious repairs. We can also provide any chimney cleaning, repair, or maintenance services that you may need. Call us today at (516) 806-5123 to get started.

Potential Problems with Do-It-Yourself Chimney Cleaning

As a homeowner, you probably feel a great sense of accomplishment when tackling home maintenance jobs yourself. While certain jobs are relatively simple and can be accomplished with minimal risk, other jobs, such as cleaning the chimney, are best left to the professionals. Here are a few of the problems you’re likely to encounter if you attempt to clean your own chimney:

• Health Hazards
  Since cleaning the chimney requires working on the roof, there’s always the risk falling from a great height and injuring yourself. In fact, DIY chimney cleaning is partly to blame for the nearly 6,000 annual falling-related fatalities in the United States. As you clean the chimney, you also risk kicking up large plumes of soot and creosote which can enter your lungs and cause severe respiratory problems.
• Unforeseen Issues
  Though you may be confident in your ability to clean your chimney, there’s no way you can detect every potential problem without the proper equipment. Professional chimney sweeps not only clean chimneys, but also scan the inside of chimneys using high-tech camera equipment. If you clean your chimney yourself, you won’t be able to tell whether your chimney is cracked or suffering from some other potentially dangerous structural issue.
• Extra Expenses
  Though most people who attempt to clean their own chimneys do so for the savings, DIY chimney cleaning is actually a financial gamble. You might be able to clean your chimney sufficiently, but you might also do significant damage to your chimney, your home, and your health. For the best results, always hire a professional chimney sweep for your cleaning needs.

If it’s been a while since your last chimney cleaning, contact E.M. & E.M. Chimney and Masonry today. Our experts will provide quick, effective, and inexpensive chimney cleaning whenever you need it. We’re also fully qualified to perform any and all repairs that your chimney may require. For more information, call us at (516) 806-5123.

Keep Your Family Safe in Your Home!!

Head to the following websites to learn more about how different types of fuels affect your chimney and the dangers that may arise from an improperly maintained chimney. Contact E.M. & E.M. Chimney and Masonry at (516) 806-5123 for further information.

• Visit The New York Times online to read an article about soot and its health effects. Soot is commonly produced by diesel engines, coal factories, and homeowners’ fireplaces.
• Check out EPA.gov to learn more about how to select and properly place a CO detector for maximum safety and efficiency.
• Learn more about the dangers of carbon monoxide on this page from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
• Keeping safe this winter means taking the appropriate measures by cleaning vents and chimneys. Find out how one family put safety first on Realtor.com.
• Get the important facts about chimney fires, their causes, and prevention techniques on this page from CSIA.org.