It doesn’t matter whether your fireplace is used for aesthetics or heating the house, every fall is a great time to have a chimney inspection and cleaning if it needs it. If you’re changing the amount of use, the kind of fuel you burn, or your home heating venting, be sure to include a chimney inspection. A chimney fire, no matter the time of year, can be terrifying and catastrophic.

Put your chimney inspection high on your list of winter must-dos. Even if a chimney fire is short-lived, the heat can damage your mortar, wall materials, tiles, and outer masonry.  That’s lasting damage.

Have you put a wood stove back into operation for the winter? Have a professional come in to inspect venting and creosote buildup. The Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) warns that you only use seasoned heating wood in your home this winter.

When You Need Chimney Service

The CSIA recommends that you consider three levels of service depending on your existing conditions:

• When an inspector or contractor takes a walk-around your home, ensuring the chimney and flue are in optimal operating condition and free of obstructions.
• When you change the fuel, the lining, flue, or if your home has lived through a heavy storm, fire, or seismic event.
• Chimney components that require taking the system apart are damaged and need inspection and repair.

If your home matches any of these potentially risky conditions—or if you recently acquired the property—you should seek an inspection from a professional.

How to Evaluate a Chimney Contractor

The National Chimney Sweep Guild recommends annual or semi-annual inspections to prevent carbon monoxide poisonings or chimney fires.  Ask potential chimney contractors for references and check out their history in your community.

Ask for free bids on the contractor’s letterhead.  If your potential contractors are licensed, they should not be skittish about showing a license as well as proof of insurance against worker injury or property damage.

Talk to neighbors about references and find out if the work was done on time and to their complete satisfaction. Local and state better business bureaus and consumer protection agencies usually have a black list of contractors who have been sued or have ongoing complaints.

Last, the U.S. Fire Administration reminds all homeowners and renters to keep items that are not considered fuel out of your fireplace. That includes cardboard boxes and flammable liquids. And use a fire screen at all times. If you do have a fire, get everyone out of the house safely and call emergency.

It’s time to revisit the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and its energy improvements section.  In sum, Section 1121 of the act was created to offer a $1,500 tax credit for materials applied towards an energy retrofit of windows, skylights, doors, insulation and roofing.

Homeowners can earn the credit up to a 30 percent ceiling on materials. However, if you’re working with heating and air conditioning, you could receive a credit up to 30 percent of the cost and installation for a solar- powered water heater or biomass stove.  Another provision of the legislation creates a no-repay $8,000 tax credit to a first-time homeowner.

Tax Rules and a Quick Warning
The provisions of the stimulus  tripled the size of credits for upgrading your home. But you must meet Federal requirements to successfully file for the credit or return. All new HVAC systems or new windows, skylights, doors, etc., have to be installed between  January 1, 2009, and December 31, 2010.

If you’re planning on taking the credit, you must buy products that meet Federal energy efficiency requirements. Even a product identified on its label as an Energy Star certified item may not meet the regulations. New compliance levels have been set based on National Fenestration Council (NFRC) ratings for  U-Factor and Solar Heat-Gain-Coefficient values.

There are varieties of insulation products that meet lifespan and warranty requirements that you can add to your materials checklist. And roofing materials that meet Energy Star requirements may also qualify.

Insist on Paper
For each purchase you want to apply to your tax return, you’ll need the receipt, the product tag verifying its energy-efficiency ratings (Manufacturer’s Certification Statement), and a separate form provided by the retailer indicating the sale of an qualifying item.

Don’t confuse your contractor with your tax attorney. Look carefully at advertising from contractors who claim that they’ll match your $1,500 tax credit.  That’s assuming that you can qualify for one.  Remember, only certain energy-efficient renovations qualify for tax credits and include labor costs. Review the list at the Energy Star website.

Also, don’t take a contractor’s word that the materials meet the provisions unless you see the actual manufacturer’s certification tag. Any contract or work-order you arrange with your installer should itemize materials costs in a separate breakout from labor. You’ll need to save all the documentation you can for your records.

It’s worth a note that the law also set aside $5 billion in funds for weatherization assistance to qualified low-income households.