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Black Goose

Chimney Sweep | Williamsburg, Yorktown, Newport News, & Hampton

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How to Protect Your Chimney Against Animal Damage

 

October 3, 2022 by primm

It’s that time of year again. The leaves are changing color, the air is getting colder, and storm season is upon us. Unfortunately, this also means that homeowners need to be on the lookout for storm damage to their chimneys. High winds and rain can cause a lot of damage, which often goes undetected until it’s too late. In this article, we will discuss some of the risks associated with storm damage and how you can protect your chimney from harm. We’ll also talk about the importance of having a qualified professional perform inspections and repairs after a storm hits. Keep your home safe and sound this hurricane season! 

Did you know that your chimney is the part of your house most likely to take wind damage? This is because the chimney is usually the tallest part of the house. No other part of the structure is sheltering it from the force of the wind, called “wind load.” Your chimney is built to easily handle the everyday gusts in your area, but strong weather events such as hurricanes, microbursts, or tornadoes can place an abnormally high wind load on the structure. In addition, the increased humidity and precipitation can cause water damage to the masonry or roof of your home. So what should you look for after a storm, and what steps can you take to protect your home from expensive damage in the first place? Read on to find out! 

The best way to protect your home and chimney during storm season is to make sure that all areas of your chimney have been inspected. This is to ensure they are free of cracks or other damage where wind and water can enter. At Black Goose Chimney we offer inspections of all parts of your chimney, from the cap and damper all the way down to the firebox. We will ensure that the overall structural integrity of your chimney is sound. A weak foundation or damaged masonry could leave your chimney vulnerable to toppling over in high winds. Other areas that we will double-check prior to a storm are: 

  • Chimney Cap – this is the ‘hat’ that sits atop your chimney to keep rain and other debris from falling down your flue. This should be securely attached to minimize the possibility of wind damage and properly fitted to keep water out of your chimney. 
  • Masonry – we will carefully inspect the bricks and mortar that make up your chimney to ensure that there are no cracks, flaky or crumbly brick faces, or places where the mortar has begun to wear away. All of these are issues that would make it easier for water to infiltrate your chimney and cause ongoing damage. ***Click here** to read our article on weatherproofing and water damage to learn more about the importance of protecting your masonry! 
  • Flashing – this is the area where your chimney meets your roof, and it should be sealed to make sure that no moisture can enter into your roof from this seam. If properly maintained, this area will be waterproof, but it can begin to wear down, separate from the chimney, or rust. 
  • Damper – this is the flap that is either at the top of your chimney or immediately above the fireplace, and can open and close to let air through or seal off the space. Your damper is an important defense against drafts and water, and should be undamaged and moving smoothly so that you can close it during a storm. 

Once you are sure that your chimney is free of damage, properly weatherproofed, and overall in good working order, you have already taken the most important steps to preparing for any storms that come your way. And when that hard weather hits, make sure the damper is closed. This will help keep out any water that makes it past the chimney cap, which is more likely to happen in high wind and driving rain. 

After a storm has passed, what dangers do you need to be on the lookout for? Some of the most obvious damages can be missing, toppled, or broken bricks. These may be easily visible, even from the ground, but can also be found in less accessible places that you might not be able to see. Tree limbs, smaller branches, and other debris commonly blow about in heavy winds and may have collided with your chimney, knocking out bricks or cracking the crown. Your chimney cap may be skewed from winds or debris, and even small areas of the cap fitting poorly can allow water to seep in. 

Some less obvious forms of damage can be leaks in the flashing and the masonry absorbing excess amounts of water. Some of the first signs of leaks can be staining or bubbling of the paint or drywall around or above your fireplace, or damp or dark spots in the attic or the underside of your roof. And if your masonry has absorbed too much water from the heavy rains and high humidity, you may notice white, chalky spots on the bricks. These are known as efflorescence, and mean that the water content inside of your bricks is high enough to absorb and redistribute salts that are naturally present in the masonry. 

By the time you have noticed larger cracks, leaks inside your home, or efflorescence on the exterior of your chimney, your home may already have sustained some expensive damage. Obvious signs of trouble can take days or weeks to appear after the damage has occurred – this is why it is very important to have certified professionals out to inspect your chimney soon after a heavy storm. Our expert technicians at Black Goose Chimney can perform multiple levels of inspection on your chimney to detect problems that are not visible to the naked eye. We will also take the necessary steps to repair any damage that we find, ensuring that your chimney is as good as new and ready to weather any storm. 

Call Black Goose Chimney at (757) 596-2298 to schedule your inspection today! Our technicians are certified through the Chimney Safety Institute of America, the National Chimney Sweep Guild, and the National Fireplace Institute. We are state licensed and provide a Workmanship Warranty as well as 24-hour pager service in case of emergency. Black Goose is the clear choice to help you protect your home this storm season, so don’t wait – call now to keep your home safe and sound! 

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Google Rating
4.0
Based on 76 reviews
Black Goose Chimney
Black Goose Chimney
4.0
Michael Levenson
I have an outside gas fire pit that needed help. Sergery came out and had it back to working great after 2 visits. I thanked him the first visit and he told me not to thank him until job was complete and I am satisfied. When completed he followed up to make sure I was satisfied since I was out of town when job completed.To me that says a lot to have pride in your work and to really want the follow up on satisfaction confirmation. That customer service and pride has been lost lately with a lot of companies and it is good to see it again. Thanks!
Jen Test
Customer service is extremely poor
Lydia Clark
My glass doors, outside of my fireplace, had gotten broken..Black Goose had to measure, and special order the doors.They replaced them and did an excellent job.
Steve Thompson
We called Black Goose Newport News to install an electric fireplace & shiplap in our family room. The space was previously used for an old fashion tv & stereo system built into the wall. They did an exceptional job filling in the space and making the room look modernized. Top quality workmanship!!!
Robin Boling
Black Goose recently came out to sweep my chimney. They ended up charging me over $300 and did an inspection saying that my chimney need all sorts of repairs. I have had other chimney sweeps out over the past 15 years and never had an issue like this. They quoted 20K for the so called repairs. I will never call them again.
Sheila J
They said I neeeded a new vent system. Did it. Did it wrong and then came back and didn’t even know they had done it
Karen Lewis
"Sergey" and his crew replaced our wood burning fireplace with a gas direct vent Valor fireplace. It was a major project with reframing and additional issues but they did an outstanding job. "Juanita" was outstanding with customer service and also Karen with the scheduling. Thank you for everything. Go Navy!
Rob Gregory
Paid for them to come out and look at my house and take measurements for a free standing Woodstove and chimney. Ghosted after that. I reached out again to ask about looking at pellet stoves to be installed and they haven’t replied back in a couple of weeks. Glad I gave them money for no reason. It’s ok because I found a better company to do the job and they didn’t charge for an estimate. I would leave a lower star review if possible.
Melissa Novak
The technicians performed a very thorough inspection of the fireplace in a home we are purchasing. They took their time, checked every inch of the fireplace, including the roof and attic. We’ll be contacting them for a gas insert!
Devin Haslam
These guys are pretty average. They gave me incorrect info, they overcharge, and their work is average quality
John Mason
Professional and efficient. Chimney and wood stove inspection, cleaning.
RWM
Admittedly this was several years ago but I scheduled them to come to Smithfield and sweep my woodstove chimney. Took a day off from work and they never showed and didn't call. When I called them they didn't apologize or care whatsoever and said I could reschedule. Of course I said no and did it myself.
Caroline Martin
so we moved into our home about a year ago, I just wanted the chimneys swept so we could start using our fire places. The lady on the phone (who was very kind) said there was a travel fee (totally understand), the inspection fee and then sweeping of two chimneys would be around $900. Ok, great. The guys come out, (who are extremely professional and kind), they do the inspection and then write up almost $33,000 in proposals of work that needs to be done to both chimneys. This is a 40 year old home and there is some mortar missing on the inside of the chimney apparently. They wanted to charge $1,400 a day for a lift when lifts we have rented in the past have been at most $500 a day. They wanted to charge $2,290 to pressure wash the chimney (do you know how small a chimney is??, I could get my whole house pressure washed for $1,500). The prices they proposed were absolutely insane. But in the end the never swept the chimneys (they confirmed they could be swept from the inside), so they charged us for the travel fee and inspection fee $500+ for nothing done. I feel so dumb.
Kirsten Shaffer
I called to get an estimate for some repairs required for our home sale, as requested by the buyers following inspection. I told the person who answered the phone our closing date and when repairs would need to be completed. A technician came over the next day. He was very polite and professional. I also told him my closing date. He indicated that I would get an email estimate and could proceed with scheduling service following that. A week after he came out, I called the office to follow up and was told that the techs were extremely busy and were a month behind on estimates. When I expressed dismay, the staff member (same person I spoke to the first time was rude and dismissive. I told them I would not be using their services and not to bother with an estimate. Two days later, I got an email from someone else indicating that the file was behind because the accountant had been out of the office, but that they’d get back to me asap. It’s now been 10 days and I’ve still heard nothing. I paid $149 for the inspection. If they were so behind, they should’ve mentioned that at the time I scheduled the inspection. The office staff was rude, and apparently they have no idea how to run a business. Do not use them.
Jose Garcia
Definitely recommend! I was informed by the home insurance that I needed a certification. I called Black Goose Chimney and expressed my needs. They ensured me that I had nothing to worry about and that they would make it happen regardless the time crunch. They squeezed me in their schedule and explained the process without hesitation. Once again Thank you!!!
John Puckropp
Technician Sergey Gardner did an outstanding job explaining and fixing my fireplace. Highly recommend!LtCol John PuckroppUSMC Retired
Victoria Terrill
I highly recommend Black Goose Chimney! Juanita picked up my phone call and was so helpful and sweet from the get-go. Joe and John C. inspected and conducted a chimney sweep on my place. Both were very professional, on-time, and great to speak with. The chimney was well beyond needing a cleaning and the did a great job. They pretty much made the chimney go from black to a light grey color (which I didn’t know was possible) and they also cleaned up after themselves. Joe and John C. were so nice and even tolerated my terrible (and overused) Mary Poppins references. I would absolutely recommend Black Goose Chimney and Joe/John C. They did a great job!
E H
My homeowner’s insurance on my new house said I needed to have my wood stove removed or they’d cancel my policy. Black Goose Chimney was able to come out and do the job within a few days, sealed off the chimney, and provided me pictures to send the insurance company. The crews who came out were on time, professional, knowledgeable, and laid down blankets to protect my floors. Karen in the office was so helpful with getting me the pictures for my insurance company.
Next Home Coastal Luxury Realty
Work for a Keller Williams agency. Needed a chimney repair on a house closing the following day. Black Goose was able to check it out the day I called and are able to make repairs the following day! Mike the tech, MORE then helpful as was Lois in the office. I highly recommend them for your chimney and fireplace needs!!
Sovonia Golden
Miriam Kotsonis
Super helpful and knowledgeable staff!
Levi Collins
Mrs. Karen was wonderful and got us scheduled right away, the service team was excellent and professional. Mr. Jim ordered our part and it came the next week, nice lady called me and they scheduled it for the very next day. I HIGHLY recommend this company for there excellent attention to detail, customer service that makes you feel like family, and quick response time.
robandpathy S
Excellent Service
William Mace
If I could give negative stars I would! These guys jerked my 80 year old mother around during Christmas when it was freezing. Someone told Mom to call these guys because the furnace was venting into the basement. A dude looking like Bob Marley shows up and says he can't fix it or even look at it because we have slate roof and they need special equipment to get up there. Ok. I get it. When can you come back? Someone will call you. No. No one called me. I called the next week. By this time mom had to sleep downstairs in front of fireplace to stay warm. I called. Dude on phone said he didn't know anything about it but would get back to me day after New Years. He didn't. I called again on Wednesday. No one answered. I left a message. Nothing.
Al Budaszewski
I had my fireplace serviced recently. They were able to restore full function to my gas fireplace and remote control without replaccing any components. They are honest, thorough, and I would do business with them again.
Skip Savell
Dorethea Johnson
They attempted to charge me an absorbent amount for money a fireplace chain cover. They qouted a me the price for it. They didn't have it in stock. When It came in. They had changed the price by more than double.
Kyle Russell
I seen a employee hit another vehicle on 64 and keep driving. Wouldn't want that integrity working at my house.
William Chandler
Very professional and thorough.
Jory Morrison
Frances McCoy-Brown
From the person answering the phone and scheduling my appointment. To the two men who came out and did a chimney check were very courteous and professional. I was provided with information that would help me make an informed decision. There was no hard sell ! I would recommend them.
Yvonne Richardson
Had my chimney and firebox repaired. they did the work in very reasonable time and did a very good job. Were on time and were respectful, courteous and professional. Cleaned up nicely also. The lady in the office was very friendly and helpful.
Bridget Sims
Brian Lucas
I paid them to perform a diagnostic on my gas logs that were not lighting. The Tech determined I have a faulty valve and told me the office would look up the part and send me a quote to replace it. That was nearly three months ago. I called the office twice during that time to remind them and got the run-around. Don’t waste your time on this company.
Amanda Wroten
Ken Nelson
Pauretta Banks
Love my fire place! They did a great job and made sure I was satisfied before they left.
Tom Jowers
High prices but as the old saying goes "you get what you pay for." In this case, quality service.
John Sims
This company helped fix our chimney after a very scary fire we had. Great quality work and very professional crew
Pamela Mason
Black Goose Chimney did a superb job for us. Their technician Joe is a pleasure to work with and is not only professional and polite, but does fantastic work! On time, great workmanship and a pleasure to work with - what more can you ask for. I would recommend BlacK Goose Chimney to anyone.
Deborah Hill
Michael Chase
What a great team. Highly professional, knowledgable and no nonsense tell it like it is workers. Sergey is a master brick layer and technician. I will not use anyone else when it comes to brick and chimney work.The owner, Jim and Kathy, front office, are absolutely great to work with. I highly reccommend this company.
William Marx
The terracota liner to the oil boiler had broken after 50 years. Jim came out and gave an estimate and managed to promptly get a crew here on a Saturday to replace it with a steel liner. The crew, Sergei and Michael, arrived on time and were quite polite, efficient and neat. The left the house in better shape than when they arrived. They took care that the 5 month old puppy was kept away from the repair materials. Michael went so far as to clear the entire roof of pine needles, not just the area he was working. Greatly appreciated. They truly went the extra mile!
Selina Tyler
James Simone
Wanted to charge a $99.00 service call for an estimate. Other companies came for free
Sean B
Don Lovis
They came out to do a dryer vent sweep. They quoted me 800.00 labor for 2 hours to fix one dryer pipe 10 ft long. Hired another company and charged 75.00. I will never use them again
Anthony Cronin Jr
Very ProfessionalShared Concern To Apply Money To Return Maximum Value With Highest Quality!
Wayne Booth
Called today to schedule cleaning two chimneys. The price they quoted was more than double other places I called. And they were booked out three weeks. The company I scheduled with was six weeks out. It was worth the wait.
Peter Henrie
Very disappointed with my experience with this company. I called to get a quote for a gas stove installed. They sent their employee who charged me $100 to quote me, this wasn't told to me on the initial call, only at the end of the onsite visit to quote. I was told it would be removed from cost of the installation however they were unresponsive to calls and emails multiple times afterwards that I gave up moving forward with them. Would sadly not recommend.
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