By Christy Sundet
As the seasons turn cold, we start to put our summer “toys” away and start getting ready for the Minnesota winter. As you’re moving your lawn mower to the back, making room for your snow blower, don’t forget to get your woodstove and chimney ready for winter. If you burn wood, your wood stove and chimney will be doing the most work during the cold months. Here are a few tips on getting both ready for the long winter months.
- Clean out any ashes remaining from last winter.
- Schedule an annual cleaning and inspection.
Having a professional inspect the chimney will make certain that there is nothing blocking the chimney and there aren’t any cracks or water damage that you can’t see.
- Check your smoke & carbon monoxide detectors (this may be a good time to change batteries)
- Repair any cracks in your chimney.
- Install a chimney cap, if needed.
Water can damage your chimney; it can leak down the walls of your flue damaging the liner.
