Fireplaces

As I walk around my neighborhood at night it just strikes me how many homes in Macalester Groveland have fireplaces.  As it turned colder the smell was in the air.  This is a good reminder to have the flues professionally cleaned on wood burning fireplaces - if you are using the the fireplace regularly then every 30 to 50 fires the fireplace should be cleaned. Also make sure you have a chimney cap - In my fireplace two winters ago I was sitting in the living room and looked up at the fireplace and a baby squirrel was peering at me!  I called Nicks chimney repair who I use for inspections and he was able to come over and put on a chimney cap which  I did not even know was missing - the baby somehow how crawled back out!  Another important point is to go in the basement and look for the door where the ashes go down - make sure they are completely cool and shovel those out into a paper bag and take to the garbage. There could be years! of build up of ashes in there.