https://ahillcstl.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Group-of-preschool-student-and-teacher-holding-hands-and-walking-to-home.jpg 1250 2000 AbstraktMarketing /wp-content/uploads/2023/09/FULL-AHI-LOGO-179-300x263.png AbstraktMarketing2024-07-23 15:33:542024-10-08 15:24:29Fall Home Maintenance Checklist: Getting Your House in Order During Back-to-School SeasonProblems With Animals in Your Chimney?
If you suspect you have animals in your chimney, you need to ensure their timely removal or you could end up with damage to your chimney. Approved Home Improvements is here to help you with a solution.
Animals in Your Chimney: The Warning Signs
You’re Hearing Sounds Coming From Your Chimney
If you hear noises like scratching and clawing coming from your chimney, it’s a strong indication that you have an animal living in your chimney. You might even hear the sound of a bird or other animal falling down the chimney.
You See Animals Entering Your Chimney From the Roof
Any time you see animals entering or hanging around the top of your chimney, it’s a sign that you could have animals living in there. They could be birds, bats, raccoons, or any other animal that can fly or climb.
You Find Animal Droppings at the Bottom of Your Chimney
Finding animal droppings inside your wood stove or fireplace is a strong sign that some type of animal is living inside.
You Find Acorns or Nuts at the Bottom of Your Fireplace
If you have a fireplace full of acorns, nuts, or anything similar, you probably have squirrels in your chimney.
The Damage Animals Can Cause to Your Chimney
When animals start living in a chimney, they usually start nesting with materials that obstruct it. This prevents smoke from rising up and out of the chimney, meaning it can even go back into your home.
In addition to this, animals nesting in your chimney can damage your flue. Given enough damage, you may not be able to use your chimney at all until it’s fixed. This is not the type of problem you want to deal with in the winter if you rely on your wood stove or fireplace for heat.
What to Do if You Have Animals in Your Chimney
There are several things you can do to get animals out of your chimney. However, smoking them out with a fire is never a good solution. You don’t want to kill the animal, and if they’ve made a nest in your chimney, it could be a fire hazard.
Call a Wildlife Specialist
Depending on the type of animal and how many there are, you might need to call a wildlife specialist. Otherwise, you can try to scare the animal(s) out by shining a flashlight up the chimney and making noise. If that doesn’t work, close your fireplace doors and then open your damper so that the animal will fall into the base of your fireplace. This way, you can catch the animal and take it outside.
Install a One-Way Door
Another solution is to install a one-way door so that whatever is living in your chimney can get out, but can’t get back inside.
Provide an Escape Route
To get squirrels out, you can dangle a long rope into the fireplace and attach it to your roof at the top. Squirrels will climb the rope to get out. However, you’ll need to remove baby squirrels manually.
Spray Raccoons Out
Use a product referred to as “raccoon eviction fluid” to get raccoons out of your chimney. This spray contains a scent from a male raccoon that will tell a female raccoon she is in danger, forcing her to relocate with her babies. You don’t have to worry about raccoons not being able to climb out of your chimney—they’re amazing climbers and are strong enough to scale even the slipperiest of chimneys.
AHC Can Help Keep Animals Out of Your Chimney
If you’re looking for ways to prevent animals from getting into your chimney, we can help.
First, we’ll repair your masonry and vents. Mice tend to find their way inside through cracks in masonry and vents. Call us for a chimney inspection and we’ll see if you need some chimney repair. If your masonry is in bad shape, you might need to have some tuckpointing done. We can also install a chimney flue cap to keep animals out.
We’ll also clean your chimney on a regular schedule. It’s recommended to clean your chimney at least once a year, but more often if your fireplace or wood stove is your main source for heat.
If you’d like your chimney inspected or repaired, contact us for a free quote.
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