Behind the Scenes of a Dryer Vent Cleaning: Why It Matters More Than You Think

September 5, 2025 | Dangers!

Dryer vent cleaning is one of the most overlooked yet essential maintenance tasks in any home or business. While it may seem like a minor chore, neglecting your dryer vent can lead to serious safety risks, higher utility costs, and reduced appliance efficiency.In this article, we’ll take you behind the scenes of a dryer vent cleaning—what it involves, how fires can start, and why regular maintenance is critical for protecting your property.What’s Hiding in Your Dryer Vent?Each time you dry a load of laundry, small fibers—known as lint—are released from your clothing. While your lint trap catches some of this material, a significant amount passes through and begins accumulating inside your dryer’s exhaust vent.Over time, this buildup can include:Lint and fabric fibersDust and pet hairDebris from outside (leaves, dirt, insects)Bird or rodent nests near exterior vent openingsThis debris not only restricts airflow but also creates a highly flammable environment behind … Continued

The Best and Worst Types of Wood to Burn in Your Fireplace — And Why It Matters

August 18, 2025 | *Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)

There’s nothing like the warmth and crackle of a real wood-burning fire. Whether it’s for ambiance or home heating, your fireplace can be a cozy focal point — but only if you’re burning the right kind of wood.Using the wrong firewood can result in excess smoke, poor heat output, creosote buildup, and even dangerous chimney fires. Below, we break down the best and worst types of wood to burn — and why choosing the right firewood is so important for your safety and comfort.Best Types of Firewood for a FireplaceThe best wood for burning is seasoned, dry hardwood. These woods burn longer, cleaner, and produce more heat with less smoke.1. OakOak is one of the most popular firewood choices. It burns slowly and produces steady, high heat. However, it must be properly seasoned — usually 12 to 24 months — for best performance.2. MapleMaple burns cleanly and gives off good … Continued

How to Get the Smell of Smoke Out of Your Home

September 29, 2024 | *Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)

There’s nothing like cozying up to a crackling fire on a chilly evening. But your evening plans can quickly go awry when you first light that fire, and smoke fills the room. What do you do when this happens? Chimney Champions is coming to the rescue! This happens more often than you might think, so we’ve got some pretty good solutions to get the smell of smoke out of your home.

4 Types of Chimney Hurricane Damage to Watch For

August 21, 2024 | Chimney Repairs

As a Floridian homeowner, preparing for the potential damage hurricanes can cause to your property is essential. One area people forget is the chimney. Unfortunately, chimneys are vulnerable to hurricane damage due to their height and exposure. But would you be able to spot hurricane-related damage? Chimney Champions is here with just a few things to look for regarding chimney hurricane damage.

Why Gas Fireplaces Come with Carbon Monoxide Detectors

2 Reasons Gas Fireplaces Come with Carbon Monoxide Detectors

May 12, 2024 | Chimney Basics

Gas fireplaces have become popular in Jacksonville, FL, for homeowners looking to add a little warmth and ambiance to their living spaces. However, burning gas in your home comes with some risks, which is why gas fireplaces come with carbon monoxide detectors. Here at Chimney Champions, our NFI Certified chimney specialists replace these often, yet many homeowners still ask why they have to have one in the first place. Keep reading to learn the top two reasons why gas fireplaces come with carbon monoxide detectors.

4 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Burn Charcoal in Your Fireplace

January 11, 2024 | Chimney Basics

Your home’s fireplace is the perfect place to cozy up at night, especially when there’s cooler weather in the forecast. However, there are some things you need to understand when it comes to choosing the right material to burn. Unfortunately, not everything is meant to be burnt in your fireplace, including charcoal. However, some people do, and it’s obvious during sweeps. So Chimney Champions feels it necessary to revisit four reasons why you shouldn’t burn charcoal in your fireplace.

3 Fireplace Mistakes You’re Probably Making

September 9, 2022 | Chimney Basics

Many people enjoy the cozy ambiance and warmth a fireplace provides during the winter or even on those cooler summer evenings. However, if you’re not using or caring for your fireplace correctly, you may be costing yourself money and causing damage to your home. So, Chimney Champions is here to help you avoid these three common fireplace mistakes so you can keep yourself and your loved ones safe.

3 Fireplace Safety Tips for Kids

November 15, 2021 | Chimney Basics

Having a fireplace in your home requires responsibility and safety precautions, especially if kids are in the house. While your fireplace isn’t dangerous when used correctly, it does have the potential to be deadly. Yearly inspections from Chimney Champions can help prevent most fireplace accidents and issues, but there’s still more you can do. To help keep you, your family, and your home safe, pass along these three fireplace safety tips to your kids.

3 Signs of a Chimney Fire

November 10, 2020 | Chimney Inspections

On average, there are roughly 25,000 chimney fires every year, causing more than $125 million in damage. Still, many homeowners don’t realize that they need to have chimney inspections performed regularly. It’s very likely that you’ve had a chimney fire and haven’t even noticed. That’s where the team at Chimney Champions comes in. We can inspect the entire structure of your chimney and tell you whether or not you’ve experienced a fire in your chimney.

Ropes Training – Raising the Standard of Safety

July 7, 2019 | A Day in the Life

Long time, no updates! We have made it a top priority this year to attend as many hands on training classes as possible to stay at the top of the industry. One of the most important classes we have attended so far this Summer is ropes training and safety. Jim Brewer is a legend in the chimney sweep industry and our team recently made the visit to train with him at the Fire Service & Codes Enforcement Academy in Bell Buckle, Tennessee. The two day class went over basic safety precautions, proper ways to protect a clients roof while using ropes, knots, and most importantly hands on training at the Academy. The reality of our industry is that most sweeps are inspecting a home or performing a repair alone. Using the old style OSHA safety harness, if you fall off a roof alone you have no way to self rescue … Continued