5 Ways Your Chimney Can Burn You!

  "Nothing is foolproof to a sufficiently talented fool." 

1. GLAZED CREOSOTE. Glazed creosote can be hard like obsidian or gooey like warm caramel. Hard glaze must be chipped out. Gooey glaze requires chemicals to remove it. Both are Highly Flammable. Creosote can ignite as low as 250 degrees and burn at nearly 2000 degrees F. This heat can crack masonry, melt mortar, warp metal, and ignite combustibles in proximity to the chimney.
   
   Glazed Creosote normally is a result of poor burning habits, which we can help you painlessly change.
   
   It may also be caused by: damaged or misinstalled chimney/appliance systems.  
2. DAMAGE. How can you know when a chimney is ready for retirement? Nothing lasts forever - including your chimney system. Water, heat, earth movement, freeze-thaw cycles and other factors will eventual wear the chimney out or suddenly damage it. Part of being a professional chimney sweep is knowing how to listen to the chimney. There are tell-tale signs which explain what sort of shape it is in. We will document what we see and give you a written report with photos of everything we see. There is no 'guessing' about your job.
     
3. IMPROPER INSTALLATION. 80% of structural fires related to hearth appliances and chimneys are from improper installations. Who checked your installation? Your well meaning relative, neighbor, or friend? We have a customer who nearly died from carbon monoxide poisoning because her boyfriend 'knew' how simple it was to install a gas log set and saved her a few hundred dollars. He just didn't know what size it should be or that the chimney was misinstalled and hindering the flow of gases.
    
   Understanding proper installations means knowing a broad range of chimney brands, building techniques, and both current and antiquated codes and standards. You don't gain this knowledge your first day on the job. A professional sweep must know how different brands of parts were meant to be used - or know how to find out. Flue Season technicians are trained inspectors and installers, as well as certified chimney sweeps. We've passed our exams. We also have a written curriculum for training that our techs go through before your home is entrusted to their care. Our 'experience' is tested!  
4. MISUSE. It has been said that, "Nothing is foolproof to a sufficiently talented fool." Masonry chimneys and steel stoves are sometimes thought to be indestructible. Who determines what is normal? Who owned the system before you bought the house? Was he a fool or a careful and considerate user? Get it checked out before you use it - show where your talents really lie! 
5. MALFUNCTION. Why does it smoke? Houses are subject to the laws of physics. For example: Hot air rises and cold air sinks. The physics of a particular house, the interaction of other air systems in the house such as HVAC, kitchen and bath vents, how windy it is and from what direction it is blowing, or even an open upstairs window, and  other factors can influence the performance of a natural draft wood or gas vent. Nests, boiled creosote, occluded spark arrestors, dead animals, can also block a flue.
    
   We can solve the problem. We are REALLY good at it - guaranteed!