With winter approaching, many people think about cozying up to a fire in their fireplaces. However, before you start enjoying those fires, it is important to ensure your chimney is clean.
You’ll need a chimney brush sized to fit your flue and enough extension rods to reach its entire length (rods come in 5- and 6-foot increments). You’ll also need a rotary drill and a weight system with ropes and pull rings. Contact Chimney Cleaning Baltimore now!
- Creosote Buildup
Every time a fire burns in a fireplace, chimneys naturally produce creosote. This dark, oily, and tarry substance is highly flammable and can easily ignite when it comes into contact with an ember or spark. Because of this, creosote accumulation is a serious threat to homes and homeowners’ safety.
Creosote buildup can lead to dangerous chimney fires that can spread throughout the home and cause devastating property damage and injuries. It can also reduce a fireplace’s efficiency by restricting the flow of smoke and heat. Luckily, homeowners can minimize creosote buildup by sweeping their chimney regularly and burning only quality firewood.
Chimney sweeping is most effective during the spring and fall when creosote deposits are still dry and easier to remove. If you are concerned about the amount of creosote in your chimney, ask your CSIA certified chimney sweep to recommend a chimney liner that will prevent future creosote deposits from sticking to the flue walls and slowing down airflow.
During a chimney cleaning, your CSIA certified chimney sweep will use a chimney brush to scrape the creosote off of the chimney lining and into the fireplace. He or she will then vacuum the creosote deposit and sweepings from the chimney before leaving. Chimneys that have extensive creosote deposits may require the use of professional cleaning equipment and chemicals.
There are three stages of creosote buildup, with each stage becoming more hazardous and difficult to remove. First-degree creosote is soft and flaky like soot, and it can be removed with a basic chimney brush. However, if left in your chimney, it can eventually harden into second-degree creosote, which is more brittle and sticky than soot and can easily ignite when exposed to extreme heat.
If it reaches third-degree creosote, your chimney is in major trouble. This tar-like substance is very flammable and looks like thick asphalt pavement. It can also drip combustible creosote into the fireplace, making it a serious fire hazard for your family and pets.
Creosote can irritate your skin, eyes and lungs when it comes into contact with your body. This is why it’s important to keep it away from your body, especially if you have a preexisting respiratory condition. Creosote is also toxic and can lead to cancer with long-term exposure.
- Debris Buildup
When you burn wood in your fireplace or stove, smoke and other byproducts rise through the chimney flue. These byproducts include unburned wood particles, water vapor and tar fog. These materials can build up on the chimney walls and cause a dangerous condition known as creosote. Creosote is a sticky, tar-like substance that is highly flammable. It can also cling to combustible byproducts, creating a fire that can quickly spread throughout your home.
Over time, creosote can clog your chimney’s flue and obstruct the flow of smoke and gases. This can put you and your family at risk of carbon monoxide poisoning, which has no odor and can cause headaches, dizziness, nausea and even unconsciousness in high concentrations. A blocked chimney can also prevent you from enjoying your fireplace as you should and could lead to expensive chimney repair.
While you can clean your chimney yourself, a professional sweep will use a special tool that resembles a giant bottle brush to scrub down the walls of your chimney. The tool is attached to a flexible rod, which helps the sweep reach all areas of your chimney. Sweeps will also wear protective clothing, including a dust mask and safety goggles. They will also use a specialized HEPA vacuum to remove all of the ash, soot and debris from inside your chimney.
Another important reason to hire a chimney sweep is that they will spot other problems during the cleaning process that you might miss. They will also be able to provide you with detailed written estimates of any repairs that are needed.
In addition to removing debris and flammable byproducts from your chimney, a sweep will also remove animal nests and other obstructions from inside your chimney. This includes everything from twigs to birds’ eggs and nests. Sweeps will also check to see if your chimney damper is functioning properly, which can prevent unwanted critters from entering your chimney. If your chimney is obstructed, they can also replace or repair your chimney liner, which will improve airflow and prevent further damage.
- Water Damage
When water comes into contact with masonry, it can cause damage that is difficult to see until it’s too late. No matter what type of masonry your chimney is made from, whether it’s clay, metal or stone, moisture can quickly lead to damage and deterioration that could threaten the safety of your home.
Leaks are one of the most common signs of water damage in your chimney. Water can corrode the metal parts of your chimney, rusting them and weakening them over time. It can also cause the bricks to erode, creating small cracks or voids in the mortar joints that can allow water into your home. The water that makes its way into your home can cause structural problems with your chimney and your home, including mold, mildew, and staining.
The only way to prevent the damaging effects of water on your chimney is to have it waterproofed. Chimney sweeps at Ceaser Chimney Service, LLC can apply a high-quality waterproofing solution that will keep rainwater and other forms of precipitation out of the brick and mortar. If your chimney has a leak, the professional can work with you to find and repair it as soon as possible.
Chimneys are unique in that they are constantly exposed to the elements – they’re standing up high, getting weathered on all sides 24 hours a day. As a result, they can experience deterioration much faster than other structures in your house.
If your chimney is leaking, you should hire a professional chimney sweep to clean the chimney and repair any leaks as soon as possible. The sweep will set up a dust containment system using plastic or tarps and a dual HEPA filter vacuum to protect your home from the mess as they work on your chimney. In addition to repairing leaks, the sweep will inspect your chimney to ensure that there are no other signs of deterioration that need to be addressed with repairs or replacements. If there are, the sweep will recommend necessary repairs to keep your family and home safe.
- Dust
As the gases and other combustion byproducts from wood fires travel up your chimney, they cool and condense along the walls of your flue. This creates a dark residue that is called creosote. Creosote is highly flammable and must be removed regularly by a certified chimney sweep to avoid a dangerous chimney fire. If left unattended, chimneys can also develop a chimney leak that can cause water damage to your home and belongings.
When your fireplace is in use, the residue can track down into your house and leave behind a dusty residue on carpets, rugs, or furnishings. Chimney dust is fine enough to penetrate deep into the lungs, where it can irritate and aggravate respiratory conditions such as bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and lung cancer in extreme cases. Regular cleaning by a professional or DIY chimney sweeping methods can help prevent the buildup of chimney dust and keep your family safe from respiratory issues.
A chimney that isn’t properly cleaned can eventually build up to the point where it reaches the second stage of creosote development. When this happens, the creosote becomes a tar-like substance that can’t be removed with a brush. At this point, you will need to call a CSIA-certified chimney sweep to remove it with specialized tools.
You should prepare for the chimney cleaning process by covering any furniture and floors you don’t want to get dirty. You will also need a sturdy ladder, a brush, a wire chimney brush, a power drill with a rotary broom attachment, a high powered HEPA rated vacuum for dust control and soot collection, and a fire extinguisher to keep on hand as a safety precaution.
Before starting the cleaning process:
- Make sure that there are no embers or live fires burning in your fireplace or wood stove and allow them to completely extinguish.
- Ensure that the chimney is cool to the touch.
- Ensure that the cleaning area is well-ventilated by opening windows and doors to promote airflow during the cleaning process.
Have one person take the chimney brush and attach it to a pulley rope system that can be operated from both the roof and the fireplace. The other person should stand safely on the ladder and remove the chimney cap, then use both ropes to operate the brush from the roof and down through the chimney, scrubbing the flue as you go. After the chimney is clean, have the person on the ladder pull the brush back up and over to the fireplace and hand it to the other person who will use it in the fireplace.