Your fireplace offers cozy warmth to heat your home in winter, but did you realize that it can also be very dangerous to your home and family? Cracked linings, deteriorating mortar, and creosote buildup are all common problems that can lead to health and fire hazards. These problems may be hidden from your casual glance, but a thorough inspection by a professional chimney sweeper will reveal these and other chimney and fireplace issues. That’s why annual chimney inspections are so important. With prompt repair, you can get your fireplace back in great working order and enjoy it safely for years to come!

Chimney Inspection

Chimney inspection is a simple, noninvasive visual assessment of the key elements of your fireplace and flue system. We recommend having a chimney inspection as part of your annual chimney cleaning. Your chimney sweep will check for cracks, deterioration, or other problems with the flue, crown, brick, mortar, and flashing as well as the firebox and damper. Sometimes a video inspection is conducted to ensure there are no problems in hard to see areas. If problems are detected, it is important to have them addressed promptly. Issues involving cracks, mortar, and weather-based damage will get worse the longer they are left uncorrected.

Chimney Repair

Cracks, leaks, and other problems can lead to house fires, carbon monoxide poisoning, and potentially dangerous situations, so it’s important to follow up your chimney inspection with all necessary chimney repairs. Chimney repair is always a job for professionals, so be sure that you use a qualified technician for complete, correct repair to keep your house and family safe. Common chimney repairs include brick repointing, relining, and cap installation.

Chimney Repointing and Brickwork Repair: If the mortar in your chimney is eroding, it needs to be repointed. The mortar is essentially the glue holding the bricks in place, so if it begins to deteriorate, the bricks are no longer solidly held together–your chimney may crumble or collapse! Chimney repointing ensures that the bricks remain in place and your chimney’s structure stays sturdy. Missing or broken bricks should also be replaced to keep your chimney looking and working great. Mortar repointing and brick repair not only address aesthetic issues, but they can also resolve chimney leaks and prevent deterioration.

Chimney Relining: Many older chimneys are lined with fireproof tiles or clay, but these materials can crack because of chimney fires and other problems. Once cracked, your chimney liner can no longer do its job of protecting your chimney from extreme heat and preventing carbon monoxide leakage. This tile or clay liner should be replaced with a modern stainless steel lining for optimum protection.

Chimney Caps: Chimney caps keep water and animals out of your flue. Both can cause major damage and prevent your chimney from drawing correctly, so it’s important to have a chimney cap installed. We highly recommend screened caps to keep birds, bats, and other animals out of your chimney.

If your fireplace is damaged, it’s also important to have it repaired immediately. While many fireplace repair issues are simply aesthetic, you don’t want to take any chances! Structural and other safety risks are possible with a damaged fireplace, so be sure your chimney professional inspects and repairs your fireplace as well as your chimney.

For safe fireplace function, have an annual fireplace and chimney inspection. By following through with all recommended repairs, you can rest easy knowing that your fireplace and chimney pose no danger to your home or your family!

Cozying up to a crackling fire is one of the rituals of wintertime. From gathering around on Christmas morning to warming yourself on a chilly day, our fireplaces form a central part of our winter memories and daily life. Yet, what we rarely consider is that our fireplaces and chimneys can also be a danger to our homes and families! When creosote is allowed to accumulate in flues, dangerous chimney fires can result; however, protecting your family is as easy as having your chimney cleaned annually! Read on to learn more about the hazards of chimney fires and how to keep your home safe.

Dangers of Chimney Fires

A chimney fire occurs when built-up creosote in your chimney ignites. Creosote is a byproduct of burning wood-made up of smoke, hydrocarbons, tar fog, and other substances-that can condense and accumulate inside your chimney. And, unfortunately, creosote is highly combustible. Chimney fires can be violent and loud, or they can be slow and smoldering. Both kinds of these fires burn at extremely high temperatures, so even though your chimney and fireplace are designed to safely contain wood-fueled fires, creosote-fueled chimney fires can cause serious damage. The Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) reports that chimney fires burn around 2,000°F and can “melt mortar, crack tiles, cause liners to collapse and damage the outer masonry material.” This deterioration of the chimney’s structure may create an opening that allows the fire to reach the combustible parts of your house: its wood framing, wallboard, and interior structure. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s (USCPSC) August 2008 report, an estimated 24,500 house fires were caused by fireplace and chimney fires in 2005. Tragically, these fires were responsible for 20 deaths.

Chimney Sweeping

The good news is that chimney fires are preventable! Simply call your local chimney sweep for a cleaning and inspection. These professionals can evaluate your chimney for structural damage, deterioration, or problems caused by an unnoticed chimney fire as well as clean creosote build up out of the flue, smoke chamber, and other chimney areas.

Most chimney sweeping companies also provide chimney and fireplace repair, so if the inspection turns up any problems you can quickly and easily have them taken care of. Common chimney repairs include installing or replacing the cap (which keeps water and animals out of your chimney); replacing bricks; repairing mortar; and chimney waterproofing (which helps prevent damage caused by the freezing and thawing cycle). All of these repairs are necessary for optimal chimney function and will help keep your chimney in good working order.

Remember, chimney sweeping is a job for professionals. Even experienced do-it-yourselfers should rely on the expertise of a chimney sweep: the inspection is almost as important as the cleaning, so it’s crucial to have a pro-they know what to look for! And be sure that you hire a qualified chimney sweeper. Not all states require licenses, so you may want to stick with CSIA certified professionals to guarantee experience, training, and quality.

Homeowners should consider yearly chimney sweeping mandatory, especially if they burn more than a cord of wood a year. The simple truth is that dirty chimneys cause chimney fires; if you keep your chimney clean with regular sweepings and have any problems repaired promptly, you will more than likely never have a chimney fire. So to safely enjoy your fireplace this winter, contact a chimney sweeper. Chimney sweepings are relatively inexpensive, only take a couple of hours, and can make the difference between a safe chimney and a ticking time-bomb.

Matt Gallo