News 12 First @ Five -- November 18, 2008

Daisy Percival is hard at work preparing fireplaces and chimneys just in time for the cold snap. But she says many people wait to the last minute to think about cleaning and sometimes they wait too late.

"A number of things can go wrong with chimneys so it's very important that you have your chimney annually inspected," said Daisy of Lucky Dale's Chimney Sweeping.

And that's exactly why Richard Percival is getting his chimney cleaned; because he plans to use it for the very first time this season.

"You don't know if a squirrel built a nest in it or what's happened over the course of the summer so I'm curious to see what happens," said Richard.

When you're using your fireplace for the very first time, you want to make sure you're using the right burning material. Using a hard wood like an Oak is best but the one wood you don't want to use is pine wood because it can lead to some serious issues.

"Pine wood is a soft wood and has a lot of creosotes, like oils in it and that stuff is going to stick to the fireplace and when you light it; all that stuff is going to catch on fire in the chimney and it'll go to the roof line and catch it on fire," said Lt. Carlton Bradley of Augusta-Richmond Fire Department. He says taking a few precautions can be a life saver.

Daisy says a lot of people use sweeping logs in the place of actually having someone come out. She says they help, but they don't do the job.

"They don't remove all the buildup from your chimney. What it does is breaks down the hard glaze to a powdery substance and it makes is easier for us sweeps to brush it away," said Daisy.

And for Richard, the logs are no longer an option. He says even though he hardly ever uses his fireplace, he highly recommends the treatment for others ready to light up for the cold weather.

To get your chimney and fireplace cleaned can cost anywhere from $159 to $225.00. It can get pricey, but it's a small price to pay before you start heating your home for the winter.