While most homeowners are aware of the need to clean and inspect their flue if they use a wood burning fireplace or stove, many are not aware of the importance of cleaning and inspecting their flue when gas furnaces and other gas heating appliances are involved.
Employing the services of a qualified chimney sweep is essential for maintaining the safety of your home. A professional chimney sweep not only cleans your flue, which can prevent the build-up of hazardous creosote as well as obstruction from nesting animals and debris, but he will inspect your chimney as well. A thorough inspection of your chimney is vital in order to prevent ghastly costs and safety issues that could result from untreated damages that might be lurking in your chimney. Failure to have your chimney swept and inspected by a qualified sweep can result in:
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Many homeowners are unaware that an annual professional chimney inspection and cleaning is essential in order to ensure the safe operation of their fireplace, even if the fireplace is rarely used. Employing the services of a knowledgeable and experienced chimney sweep is not always as easy as it sounds, however. Since all chimney sweep services are not created equally, there are some questions that you can ask to ensure that you are receiving the highest quality of services.
How does it get in the chimney and why is it dangerous?
When you burn wood in your fireplace or wood burning stove, it creates pollutants- often in the form of gases and small particles. The gases are expelled from the burning wood with the smoke. When the gases cool to a temperature that is below 250˚ F, they will begin to liquefy, combine and condense. When they combine and condense they create what is commonly referred to as creosote- a foul smelling corrosive that is extremely combustible. Read more
Before picture of zero clearance fireplace in disrepair.
After picture of the fireplace repaired with all new panels.
Here is a minor repair to the top of a chimney of a house we did in orange County.
Chimney Top repair before
Chimney Top repair After
Work we did on an old fireplace where we did replacement panels in zero-clearance fireplace.
This is a stainless steel chimney cap and top damper. Top dampers are a way of effectively handling cold air down drafts that occur on masonry chimneys in the winter. the plate fits snugly against the fiberglass gasket.
We also use top dampers to prevent bees from making hives in chimneys, which is a common occurrence.
This chimney repair is a repair we did as a result of the La Habra earthquake.
Chimney damage before
Chimney Repair After
This chimney cap is rusted at a home along the coast. We replaced the rusted chimney cap.
