Why Fall Is the Perfect Time to Schedule Your Chimney Cleaning

Sep 9, 2025

The Seasonal Importance of Chimney Maintenance

As temperatures drop and the first chill of fall sets in, homeowners start preparing for cozy fires and holiday gatherings. But before lighting that first log, it’s essential to ensure your chimney is clean and safe. Fall is the most strategic time to schedule a chimney cleaning—right before the fireplace becomes a seasonal staple.

Creosote buildup, animal nests, and debris from the offseason can all obstruct proper ventilation, turning your fireplace from a comfort into a hazard. Addressing these risks before winter reduces fire danger and improves heating efficiency.

What Happens During the Offseason

Over the spring and summer, your chimney sits dormant. During this time, it may accumulate debris such as leaves, twigs, or even animal nesting materials. Moisture buildup inside the flue can mix with creosote residue, leading to deterioration or corrosion.

When fall arrives, sudden use of an uninspected chimney can cause smoke backup, poor drafting, or in the worst cases, chimney fires. A professional inspection and sweep removes these hazards and ensures everything is functioning safely.

Why Fall Is the Best Time to Act

Prevents cold-weather fire risks by clearing dangerous creosote
Beats the winter rush when chimney professionals are busiest
Prepares your fireplace for frequent seasonal use
Avoids blockages from summer animal nests or debris
Improves heating efficiency for lower energy costs

Taking action in the fall ensures your home is safe and ready for the cooler months ahead.

Signs Your Chimney Needs Cleaning

There are clear indicators that your chimney needs attention. If you’ve noticed strong odors when the fireplace isn’t in use, or if smoke fills the room during a fire, it’s time to schedule a professional cleaning. Excess soot around the hearth or visible creosote in the flue are also red flags.

Even without visible signs, an annual inspection is recommended for most homes—especially before seasonal use increases.

Get Ahead of Winter, the Safe Way

Fall isn’t just pumpkin spice and flannel—it’s chimney season. Taking proactive steps now protects your family, saves money, and keeps your fireplace functioning beautifully all season long.

Chimney Clean Co offers professional chimney cleaning and inspection services throughout the Albuquerque area. Book early this fall to secure your spot before the holiday rush.

Smoking back

There are many fireplaces that seem to smoke back into the house no matter what is done. In our experience, the most common cause is that the fireplace simply needs to be cleaned. This is especially likely if the fireplace has gotten worse over time, that is, the smoking back is worse now than it used to be.

Several other possible causes of smoking back are problems with the damper, chimney cap, grate, firewood, or structural problems with the chimney itself. At Chimney Clean Company, we do a full inspection with every cleaning, or we can also do just the inspection if the chimney doesn’t need to be cleaned. This inspection is designed to reveal any causes of smoking back.

Broken chimneys

In the Bay Area, many chimneys were broken in the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. Usually, these chimneys are broken at or near the roof line, although sometimes they can be broken further down, even at the ground level.

We are fully licensed masonry contractors. We rebuild broken chimneys. If they are broken at the roof line, this usually entails taking the chimney part of the way down brick by brick, installing steel reinforcing bars, getting an inspection from a city inspector, then rebuilding the chimney back up around the steel rebar.

Missing mortar or damaged bricks

Over time, many chimneys develop places that are missing mortar between bricks, or damaged bricks, either inside the firebox or on the outside of the chimney. These areas can usually be repaired, either by replacing the missing mortar or replacing the bricks themselves. Items such as these can be dangerous because they can allow flames, sparks or hot gases to enter the structure of the house.

Water entry

Sometimes the metal that seals the chimney at the roof, called “flashing”, will come loose or develop leaks. In this case, water sometimes comes into the ceiling of the room and causes water spots and stains on the sheet rock. This flashing should be repaired before the water causes more damage.