Tag Archives: creosote

Benefits of Spring Chimney Sweeping

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5619399505_cfabffe1fe_zTraditionally, the autumn months are considered to be the busy season for chimney sweeps, right before the colder months of winter in which people would begin to utilize their chimneys the most. That is the very reason why it may be difficult to find a chimney sweep available in the fall due to the high demand. We recommend that you consider hiring a chimney sweep in the spring instead. Here are a few benefits of hiring a chimney sweep in the spring instead of the fall that you may have overlooked.

Better Schedule:

Waiting until September to hire a chimney sweep may lead to a longer wait time to schedule an appointment. By scheduling a chimney sweep in the spring, you will have a better schedule to work with when hiring a chimney sweep. They will work around your availability instead of the other way around.

Decrease Odors:

Heavy use of the fireplace will lead to creosote and ash in the chimney. Cleaning your chimney early in a year will eliminate the strong odor left behind from the creosote and ash.

Chimney Damage:

Creosote is acidic by nature. When the acid comes into contact with moisture, it can cause deterioration of the chimney’s interior. This may be avoided by removing the creosote from the chimney after heavy usage.

Repairs and Maintenance:

During your annual chimney sweep and inspection, the chimney professional will make sure that all parts of your chimney are in proper working order. If your chimney is in need of repair, the spring season will give you enough time to hire a professional to make those repairs before having to use it again.

Cost Effective:

Chimney service companies frequently offer discounts for chimney cleaning and repairs in the spring. Take advantage of discounted rates to save you money.

5 Tips to Prevent Chimney Fires

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The cause of chimney fires stems from creosote buildup inside of the chimney when wood
burns inside of the wood stove. If you don’t know whether or not if you have creosote buildup in your chimney, it often looks like a gummy substance with a 102114829_63409c3f44_bfoul smell. The danger of creosote is that it’s extremely combustible. Creosote can create a coating inside your pipes and chimney liners. This is the main reason why chimney’s and pipes must be cleaned and inspected periodically. To identify a
potential chimney fire, the sounds of crackling or popping is a sign of a chimney fire. Here are some tips that will help you prevent chimney fires.

Periodically Clean Your Chimney: If your stove is not consistently drafting well and smoke is being pushed downward instead of up and out of the chimney, it is a sign that you need to have your chimney swept and inspected. If someone you know is an experienced contractor, then purchasing a brush and an extension rod to clean your chimney may be a great investment, but please do not attempt to clean your chimney yourself and call a professional.

Burn Dry Wood: Burn only dry wood and not wet or fully cured wood in your fireplace. Burning dry wood does have its own benefit such as creating more smoke. Burning wet wood leads to a faster buildup of creosote in your chimney.

Burn Harder Firewood: Firewood that comes from hardwood trees are the best for fireplaces. Avoid using really sappy pine trees or woods that usually do not burn. Burning the wrong firewood can lead to a buildup of creosote.

Regularly Use the Fireplace: Frequently using your fireplace will also prevent the buildup of creosote. There are tools that are available to gauge when you should use your fireplace and when you should close the flue.

Creosote Removal: There are products that are available that will help remove creosote from your chimney. Creosote remover powder can help remove the creosote in your chimney by burning the powder in your wood stove and turning the creosote into powder. Note that this method should not take the place of a full chimney sweeping but will help reduce the presence of creosote.