WINTER WEATHER ON THE WAY...IS YOUR CHIMNEY READY?

Winter is on the way...have you had your chimney inspected? Cleveland Pope is owner of "The Chimney Sweeps" and has been cleaning chimneys for 18 years. "Its a dirty job, but I love it,". He says its important to maintain your chimney for fire safety reasons. With colder weather and the holidays just around the corner, his schedule is packed..in fact hes backed up six to eight weeks. "I recommend to all of my customers to call me in the spring and summer months. Everyone calls around the holidays. I can still meet in time for christmas, but it`s too late to have your chimney inspected before Thanksgiving," says Pope. Dothan generally has mild winters, therefore its best to get your chimney inspected once a year to ensure your family`s safety. "By cleaning your chimney regularly, the owner will be more aware of any problems and we can prevent anything from beoming a serious problem," says Pope. The Meredith family says they plan on having a lot of fires this holiday season. Pope checked out their fireplace and found what he calls "normal". A few cracks in the bricks here and there, but nothing he cant fix. "As long as he inspects it and fixes the repairs, we will feel alot better about the whole situation," says Meredith. Depending on the type of unit you have, chimney sweeping will cost anywhere from $125 to $250. To some, that may sound like a lot, but the assurance of knowing everything is okay is priceless. "There are some things in homes that you just can`t replace...pictures, sentimental items from family members, so lets not take that chance," says Pope. JANA JACOBS-REPORTER WDHN 18