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| ATTENTION!!! "CENTERVILLE CHIMNEY SWEEPS AND MASONRY, LLC" IS GOING THROUGH A NAME CHANGE! WE ARE NOW "STEWARTS SWEEPS AND MASONRY" YOU MAY HAVE NOTICED THIS CHANGE IN OUR VARIOUS ADVERTISING AVENUES, SBC YELLOW PAGES AND THE JB DOLLAR STRETCHER MAGAZINE! WE ASK FOR YOUR PATIENCE THROUGH THIS PROCESS! |
| A special note! We've come across information through some of our customers, through other advertising and our own research of some competitive chimney service companies that advertise or claim that they are "licensed, bonded and insured", are "your local expert" or make claim of a certain number of years in the business. It's always in your best interest to check out the company you have in your home. Ask for proof of these claims, ask the company to provide the paperwork that states they are "licensed, bonded and insured". We provide documentation of every claim we make. We are fully insured and pay into the Workman's Compensation fund that not only protects our employees but you as the homeowner. Sometimes "saving a few dollars" isn't worth the risk later! |
| What We Do We are a full service chimney/fireplace company that is family owned and locally operated. We offer a full range of services, including chimney cleaning. See our services page for more information on the products and services we offer! |
| WHAT'S THAT SMELL?! The sour, sickly odor is the smell of creosote. One solution is to have your chimney cleaned and to install a chimney cap to prevent water from entering the chimney and reacting with the creosote. |
| ROOM FILLING WITH SMOKE?! Is your damper open? If so, open a nearby window a crack for a minute or two until the fire is going well-then close it. Also try warming the flue by taking a rolled up newspaper, lighting it and holding it up in the damper area. |
| CREOSOTE BUILDUP! Slow smoldering fires and/or the use of unseasoned wood can create "cool"smoke and weak draft. The smoke condenses and sticks to the chimney's interior forming highly flammable creosote! The key is to burn small hot fires using hardwood-this should minimize creosote accumulation and maximize heat output. |
| EFFICIENT BURNING TECHNIQUES! Keep fires burning hot with flames, not smoldering with a lot of smoke. Be careful not to add too much firewood. In a fireplace, keep the top of the flames visible below the fireplace opening. In a wood stove, keep the flames confined to the wood stove itself. It's better to add smaller wood loads more often than to cram alot of wood trying to get an all day burn. |
| EASY TIPS FOR STARTING YOUR FIRE! 1. OPEN THE DAMPER! (THIS IS FORGOTTEN MORE OFTEN THAN MOST PEOPLE CARE TO ADMIT!) 2. YOU WILL NEED 3 INGREDIENTS! a. TINDER- (crumpled up newspaper makes the best tinder). You may also use small twigs. b. KINDLING-Large twigs, small branches and small splits of wood (1/4"-1" thickness) THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT INGREDIENT FOR BUILDING A FIRE! c. FUEL-Use only well-seasoned hardwood! Look for split, dry wood that has been stacked for several months. Loose bark and cracks in the ends are signs of seasoned wood. 3. STARTING THE FIRE! a. Arrange two small to medium sized pieces of firewood on the grate and place some tinder between the logs. b. Now cover the tinder with several pieces of kindling (THE MOST IMPORTANT ELEMENT) c. Now place two more pieces of firewood on top of the kindling and two more at right angles to these two. Leave some space between the logs for air circulation. 4. WARM UP THE FLUE! a. For fireplaces, warm up the flue by holding a piece of rolled up, burning newspaper in the OPEN DAMPER REGION for 10-15 seconds. This helps the flue establish a good draft. b. Light the tinder. Within minutes you should have a nice hot fire! |
| IMPORTANT DO'S AND DON'TS! DO check the manufacturer's guidelines for your wood stove or insert! DO use seasoned hardwood! DO use commercial fire starters if you like. They eliminate the need for tinder and reduce the amount of kindling required. DON'T use charcoal lighter fluid or other flammable liquids! These are extremely dangerous! DON'T use coal in a wood stove or fireplace unless these are specific written instructions-they burn, but not safely. DON'T burn artificial logs in a wood stove, unless they are specifically designed for wood stove use. Artificial logs can dirty the chimney faster than regular wood, and can be hazardous in certain situations. DON'T burn treated lumber, trash or anything other than wood in your fireplace or wood stove. |
| HOW TO AVOID CHIMNEY FIRES!! CREOSOTE IS THE MAIN CAUSE OF CHIMNEY FIRES! A BUILDUP OF CREOSOTE IS HIGHLY COMBUSTIBLE AND CAN RESULT IN A CHIMNEY FIRE. TO MINIMIZE CREOSOTE: a. BURN ONLY SEASONED WOOD b. DO NOT BURN TRASH IN A FIREPLACE OR WOOD STOVE c. DON'T ALLOW THE FIRE TO SMOLDER d. CONTACT US TO CLEAN YOUR CHIMNEY REGULARLY! |
| WHAT TO DO IF YOU HAVE A CHIMNEY FIRE! GET EVERYONE OUT OF THE HOUSE! CALL THE FIRE DEPARTMENT! DON'T CLOSE THE DAMPER! IF YOU HAVE A FIREPLACE WITH GLASS DOORS, CLOSE THE DOORS AND THE VENTS. IF YOU HAVE A WOOD STOVE, CLOSE THE DOORS AND THE AIR INLETS. IF THE FLAMES ARE VISIBLE AT THE CHIMNEY TOP, HOSE DOWN THE ROOF, BUT NOT THE CHIMNEY. SPRAYING WATER ON A HOT CHIMNEY COULD DAMAGE IT. CALL US BEFORE USING IT AGAIN, EVEN A SMALL CHIMNEY FIRE CAN DAMAGE THE CHIMNEY, MAKING IT UNSAFE TO USE. THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO DO IS TO MAKE SURE YOU AND YOUR FAMILY GET OUT SAFELY! YOUR LIFE IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN PROPERTY! |
| Our company objective To create and maintain excellent customer relationships, to strengthen our community by promoting safety and striving to achieve and maintain a level of professionalism that is unsurpassed in our profession. |