How do you keep critters like squirrels and raccoons from building nests in your chimney?

I think you have come to the right place for help with this issue. Most people have heard about Chimney Sweeps but might not realize that not only do they clean your chimney, they also have a whole host of products and services to keep your chimney and home safe and clean.

Read the following quote from an article entitled, "23,600 Reasons to Have Your Chimney Serviced."

The Chimney Sweep's Role

The primary job of a chimney service professional is to aid in the prevention of fires related to fireplaces, wood stoves, gas, oil and coal heating systems and the chimneys that serve them. Wood burning heating systems, in particular, require careful monitoring and skillful operation.

Chimney sweeps install, clean and maintain these systems, evaluate their performance, prescribe changes to improve their performance, and educate the consumer about their safe and efficient operation. The basic task of a chimney sweep is to clean chimneys. Cleaning means removing the hazard of accumulated and highly combustible creosote produced by burning wood and wood products.

(And here is the part you have been waiting for)

It means eliminating the build-up of soot in coal-and oil-fired systems, it means getting rid of bird and animal nests, leaves and other debris that may create a hazard by blocking the flow of emissions from a home heating appliance. In doing their primary job, sweeps also function as on-the-job fire prevention specialists. They are constantly on the lookout for unsafe conditions that can cause home fires or threaten residents with dangerous or unhealthy indoor air quality.

There are a lot of things you can do yourself if you are handy. Some of the most important things to do is to check the exterior of your chimney and look for any loose, broken or missing mortar joints. Even a small opening will allow birds and small critters to get into the chimney and build nests. So, seal off, and point up any mortar joints or seams around the chimney that you can find. Do a thorough inspection and make sure you get it all.

After you have taken care of these problems, you need to make sure that there are no nests inside the chimney. If there are, then you will have to remove them. Once you have done that, you should install a good chimney cap or screen to stop critters from re-entering the area again. Screens work great and they are easy to install.

I hope this helps. Rick

Rick Maselli is Founder and Editor of Showroom411.com