Chimney Cleaning and Repair

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Common Defects In Masonary Chimneys

Loose Bricks
Missing Mortar
Cracked Crowns
Leaky Flue Liners
Smoke and Water

Clean chimneys don't catch fire. Make sure a CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep TM inspects your solid fuel venting system annually, and cleans and repairs it whenever needed.

Your sweep may have other maintenance recommendations depending on how you use your fireplace or stove.

CSIA recommends that you call on certified chimney sweeps, since they are regularly tested on their understanding of the complexities of chimney and venting systems .

In Older Neighborhoods some Chimneys have not been used in many years. We specialize in revamping your old fireplace systems. As well as experts and installing new systems.

VIDEO INSPECTIONS

In newer homes with no visible flaws or for insurance documentation (when requested) a video inspection is often performed.

Video cameras may be used to examine the interior of any chimney system, but on 40-50 plus year old homes, you may want to use a more traditional visual inspection. This method reveals gaps and cracks in a chimney system without the use of a video camera. If you do have an older home, spending the money a video scan might better be applied toward making necessary repairs, then it would to get a better look at a flawed system.

HOW CHIMNEY FIRES DAMAGE CHIMNEYS

Masonry chimneys. When chimney fires occur in masonry chimneys - whether the flues are an older, unlined type or are tile lined to meet current safety codes - the high temperatures at which they burn (around 2000' F) can "melt" mortar, crack tiles, cause liners to collapse and damage the outer masonry material. Most often, tiles crack and mortar is displaced, which provides a pathway for flames to reach the combustible wood frame of the house. One chimney fire may not harm a home. A second can burn it down. Enough heat can also conduct through a perfectly sound chimney to ignite nearby combustibles.

Pre-fabricated, factory-built, metal chimneys. To be installed in most jurisdictions in the United States, factory-built, metal chimneys that are designed to vent wood burning stoves or pre- fabricated metal fireplaces must pass special tests determined by Underwriter's Laboratories (U.L.). Under chimney fire conditions, damage to these systems still may occur, usually in the form of buckled or warped seams and joints on the inner liner. When pre-fabricated, factory-built metal chimneys are damaged by a chimney fire, they should no longer be used and must be replaced.

WAYS TO KEEP THE FIRE YOU WANT... from Starting One You Don't!

Chimney fires don't have to happen. Here are some ways to avoid them :

Use seasoned woods only (dryness is more important than hard wood versus soft wood considerations)
Build smaller, hotter fires that bum more completely and produce less smoke
Never burn cardboard boxes, wrapping paper, trash or Christmas trees; these can spark a chimneyfire
Install stovepipe thermometers to help monitor flue temperatures where wood stoves are in use, so you can adjust burning practices as needed
Have the chimney inspected and cleaned on a regular basis

SIGNS THAT YOU'VE HAD A CHIMNEY FIRE

Since chimney fires can occur without anyone being aware of them ... and since damage from such fires can endanger a home and its occupants, how do you tell if you've experienced a chimney fire?

Here are the signs a professional chimney sweep looks for:

"puffy" creosote, with rainbow colored streaks, that has expanded beyond creosote's normal form
warped metal of the damper, metal smoke chamber, connector pipe or factory-built metal chimney
cracked or collapsed flue tiles, or tiles with large chunks missing
discolored and distorted rain cap
creosote flakes and pieces found on the roof or ground
roofing material damaged from hot creosote
cracks in exterior masonry
evidence of smoke escaping through mortar joints of masonry or tile liners

If you think a chimney fire has occurred, call a CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep TM for a professional evaluation. If your suspicions are confirmed, a certified sweep will be able to make recommendations about how to bring the system back into compliance with safety standards. Depending on the situation, you might need a few flue tiles replaced, a relining system installed or an entire chimney rebuilt. Each situation is unique and will dictate its own solution.

WHAT TO DO IF YOU HAVE A CHIMNEY FIRE

If you realize a chimney fire is occurring, follow these steps:

1) Get everyone out of the house, including yourself
2) Call the fire department

If you can do so without risk to yourself, these additional steps may help save your home. Remember,however, that homes are replaceable, but lives are not:

1. Put a flare type chimney fire extinguisher into the fireplace or wood stove

2. Close the glass doors on the fireplace

3. Close the air inlets on the wood stove

4. Use a garden hose to spray down the roof (not the chimney) so the fire won't spread to the rest of the structure

5. Monitor the exterior chimney temperature throughout the house for at least 2 or 3 hours after the fire is out