FAQs

Regular maintenance improves efficiency, reduces dry time and energy costs, and reduces the chance of fire.

No. MJL Services does not use high-pressure sales tactics. We explain what we find, give straight recommendations, and leave the decision with you. Customers mention that specifically, again and again.

Yes. MJL Services is fully insured. You work directly with the owner on every job.

MJL Services runs Charlotte and east: Monroe, Indian Trail, Matthews, Stallings, Weddington, Marvin, Waxhaw, Wesley Chapel, Mint Hill, Pineville, Concord, Harrisburg, Marshville, Wingate, Mineral Springs, Midland, and Fairview. It also covers Fort Mill and Lancaster in South Carolina, and Mount Gilead and Norwood on Lake Tillery. If your town is next door and not on that list, call anyway.

Inspect once a year, clean whenever there is buildup. NFPA Standard 211 says chimneys, fireplaces, and vents “shall be inspected at least once a year for soundness, freedom from deposits, and correct clearances.” If you burn wood regularly, plan on a sweep each year, and sooner if creosote is reaching about an eighth of an inch. Gas fireplaces still need the yearly look, because vents, liners, and components get blockage, corrosion, and nesting. This matters even if you rarely use the chimney, because animals build nests in the flue and other kinds of deterioration can make it unsafe. And if birds or animals have been in there, have it inspected and cleaned once they are gone.

Clean tarps, a sweep of the flue, a HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) vacuum so ash stays out of the house, and any recommendations from observations during the sweep. MJL Services explains what it finds and does not invent extras.

The crown is the concrete or masonry slab on top of the chimney, covering the area around the flue openings. Its job is to shed rainwater away from the structure, keep water out of the brick and mortar, and stop the freeze-thaw cracking that happens when moisture expands inside a crack. A properly built crown has a slight slope, an overhang, and a drip edge so water runs off instead of soaking in. It is not the same thing as a cap. The cap is the metal cover over the flue that keeps out rain, animals, and debris.

Creosote is the dark, sticky, highly flammable residue that forms inside a chimney or flue when wood, coal, or other fuels do not burn completely. Smoke rises, cools, and the unburned particles and gases condense on the chimney walls. It starts sooty and powdery, turns sticky and tar-like, and can end up hard, shiny, and glazed. It restricts airflow and it is a major chimney fire hazard. Regular inspection and cleaning is what keeps it from getting there, especially if the fireplace or wood stove gets used often.

Less smoke means less creosote. Burn seasoned firewood that has been split and stored six to twelve months, and skip the smoldering low-temperature fires in favor of a hotter, cleaner burn when it is safe to do so. Keep the damper fully open while burning. Never burn trash, cardboard, treated wood, or painted wood. If you run a wood stove, do not close the air controls down so far that the fire goes smoky. Have the flue inspected on a schedule, so buildup gets caught before it turns into a hazard. And a chimney that is not properly sized or is not drafting well will make smoke linger and condense inside the flue, which is worth having looked at.

Dry, seasoned hardwood. Oak burns long and hot, hickory is very hot and dense, and maple, ash, beech, and cherry all burn well. Stay away from green or wet wood, which makes excess smoke and creosote, and do not run softwoods like pine as your main fuel. Never burn painted, stained, pressure-treated, or glued wood, or trash and paper-heavy fires. Split it, stack it off the ground, cover the top, and give it six to twelve months. You want moisture content around twenty percent or less.

The goal is to get the moisture out so the wood burns hotter and cleaner and makes less smoke. Split the logs soon after cutting, because split wood dries much faster than whole rounds. Stack it off the ground on pallets, rails, or a rack so moisture does not soak up from the soil. Stack loosely enough that air moves through it. Cover the top only, with a tarp or metal roofing, and leave the sides open so moisture can escape. Put it somewhere sunny and breezy rather than damp and shaded. Most firewood needs six to twelve months, and dense hardwood like oak can want twelve to twenty-four. You will know it is ready by the darkened cracked ends, the lighter weight, the loose bark, and the hollow sound when two pieces knock together. A moisture meter is the easiest way to be sure.

You wait, and that is the honest answer. Chimney swifts are protected migratory birds, so while they are nesting you should not try to remove them, trap them, smoke them out, or otherwise disturb them. They typically nest in spring and summer and migrate out by late summer or early fall. Do not run the fireplace or stove while they are in there, because the smoke and heat are a hazard to them and to you. Once they have gone, have the chimney inspected and cleaned, since nesting material and droppings block airflow and create fire and smoke problems, and then have a properly fitted cap or screen installed that keeps them out while still allowing safe venting. If a bird gets trapped inside the house or the chimney, contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitator or animal control rather than handling it yourself. The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission can also point you to local help.

You most likely have an impaction caused by years of buildup, or an animal or bird that has built a nest in the duct line. You should have this inspected and cleaned immediately. A bird and rodent guard should be installed to prevent further or potential issues in the future.

At least once a year. That keeps lint from packing the line, holds your dry time down, and cuts fire risk. If you do heavy laundry, have pets, run a long vent line, or you have already noticed clothes needing a second cycle, you may need it every six months instead.

Replace it. Plastic and vinyl flex duct traps lint, restricts airflow, and can melt, which is why it is not recommended for a dryer. It should be replaced with rigid or semi-rigid metal duct, installed according to your dryer manufacturer's instructions and local code requirements. Rigid metal is usually preferred, and semi-rigid metal may be acceptable in some installations. Stop using the dryer now if the duct is damaged, crushed, overheating, or packed with lint. Keep the run as short and straight as possible, and avoid screws that stick into the duct, because lint catches on them.

It means the dryer is not exhausting air properly, and you should stop using it until the vent system is inspected. Clean the lint screen and make sure it is fully seated. Go outside and check that the vent hood flap opens freely and is not blocked by lint, debris, a nest, snow, or landscaping. Look behind the dryer for kinks, crushing, disconnected sections, or plastic ducting. Do not ignore the warning, because restricted airflow means overheating, longer dry times, appliance damage, and higher fire risk. If the code stays, or you cannot see the whole line, have it professionally cleaned and inspected before you use the dryer again.

Not properly. A leaf blower may push some loose lint out, but it will not clean the whole duct line. It misses lint stuck to the duct walls, and it can pack lint tighter into the elbows and bends. It will not find a bird nest, a disconnected section, or crushed ducting, and it does not confirm the duct is venting safely. It can also be unsafe if the duct is disconnected, damaged, plastic or vinyl, or heavily clogged. Dryer vents get cleaned with proper brushes and rods, and the airflow gets tested afterward. If drying takes longer than normal, the dryer is throwing a check vent code, or you cannot see the full run, have it done professionally.

MJL Services disconnects and inspects the dryer vent connection, removes the lint buildup from the duct line with professional dryer-vent tools, clears the outside vent hood, checks for crushed or unsafe ducting, and verifies proper airflow before the dryer goes back into service.

A properly fitted cap keeps rain, animals, leaves, and debris out of the flue while still letting smoke and gases vent safely. That means less water damage to the flue, damper, firebox, and masonry, no squirrels, birds, or bats nesting in there, fewer blockages, fewer chimney odors, and less rust and freeze-thaw cracking. Many caps also carry a spark arrestor screen. A cap costs far less than the water and animal damage it prevents.

Have it looked at soon. A rusted chase cover leaks, and that water gets into the chase, the framing, and the chimney structure, which turns into an expensive repair. In most cases the fix is replacement with a properly sized, sloped, corrosion-resistant cover. MJL replaces rusted galvanized chase tops with stainless steel products.

Rust, mostly. Galvanized steel caps cost less up front, but rain, humidity, and chimney acids get to them over time, so they rust, they streak the chimney, and they need replacing sooner. Stainless steel costs more up front and resists corrosion far better, so it lasts longer and keeps a cleaner look. Stainless is usually preferred in a wet climate, or on a chimney that has had a rust problem before.

Single-flue, multi-flue, stainless, galvanized, custom caps, and chase covers. The right one depends on the size of the chimney, the number of flues, the condition of the crown or chase, and how much long-term rust protection you want.

Do not block the vent, and do not pull the nest while birds, eggs, or chicks may still be inside, because many species are protected. The vent should be inspected to determine whether the nest is active, and the nest removed only when it is legal and safe to do so. Once the birds are gone, the vent should be cleaned and fitted with a proper exterior vent cover or bird guard that keeps them from coming back while still letting air move. Call us and we will tell you what the vent needs.

Depending on the vent type and where it sits, options include covers for dryer vents, bathroom exhaust, and kitchen exhaust, plus custom bird guards. They are made to keep birds, squirrels, leaves, and debris out while still allowing proper airflow. Call and describe the vent and we will tell you what fits it.