Central Insurance
The leaves are starting to fall and the temperature is dropping in most parts of the country. My family and I always love a nice, warm fire in our fireplace during the cold weather months. When my family was in the market for buying a new home, one of the must have items was a large brick fireplace.
There are many different types of fireplaces – electric, gas, wood burning – but I’d like to talk about the wood burning type of fireplace. Before purchasing my current home, I had it inspected, including the fireplace and chimney, by a certified home inspector. Some homeowners may not be aware of the exposures associated with fireplaces and chimneys until it’s too late and becomes a very costly repair. A good friend of mine purchased a home a few years ago and he chose not to have the home inspected. When he lit a fire in the fireplace, he smelled a strong smoke smell in his attic and throughout his home. The brick chimney was cracked inside the attic area allowing smoke to be released inside the home – something that would have likely been noticed in a home inspection.
Another exposure associated with fireplaces and chimneys is creosote build up. Creosote is the portion of chemical products obtained by the distillation of the tar that remains heavier than water and builds up as a black oily residue inside your chimney1. When wood doesn’t burn completely, it produces soot and tarry smoke. Burning wood at low temperatures will cause incomplete combustion of the oils in the wood. As the smoke rises through the chimney, it cools causing water, carbon, and volatiles to condense on the interior surfaces of the chimney flue. When creosote is also present, it reduces airflow through the chimney and increases the probability that the fire is not getting enough air to burn at a high temperature. Since creosote is highly combustible, if it comes in contact with hot oxygen in the chimney, it could ignite causing a chimney fire. Chimney fires often spread to the main structure because the chimney gets so hot that it ignites any combustible material in direct contact with it, such as wood. Most residences are frame construction, which is highly combustible material.
To help you avoid the risk of a chimney fire, here are ten tips for wood-burning fireplace maintenance courtesy of DIY Network2:
- Have your wood burning fireplace inspected and cleaned by a professional chimney sweep at least once a year and more often if creosote builds up on the chimney walls rapidly. Depending on where you live, this can cost anywhere from $100 to $200.
- Between professional inspections and cleanings, monitor your wood burning fireplace for signs of buildup or other problems.
- Your chimney has a cap with open sides usually covered with mesh to keep rain, birds, squirrels, other animals, and debris from entering the chimney. The cap should be inspected regularly and replaced when necessary.
- Check the interior of your wood burning fireplace’s chimney for creosote buildup.
- Also watch for soot buildup in the chimney of your wood burning fireplace. Soot is softer than creosote, flammable, and should be cleaned out of the chimney regularly.
- If possible, burn hardwoods like maple, oak, ash, and birch. The advantages of hardwoods are that they burn hot and long, have less pitch and sap, and tend to cause less creosote buildup. On the other hand, they generally are more expensive than softwoods.
- Anytime there is smoke indoors from your wood burning fireplace, troubleshoot and immediately correct any problems that you find. Possible causes of smoke are a dirty chimney with creosote or soot buildup, other debris in the chimney, a damper that isn’t open or is only partly open, or wood that is not burning completely.
- To ensure wood burning fireplace safety, consider installing a stainless steel liner that will withstand even the highest temperatures and will keep the fire and its embers contained.
- To improve your wood burning fireplace’s efficiency, consider installing heat-proof glass doors to protect against heat loss and a fan or blower to direct the heat into the room. Doors are also a safety feature, since they can keep live embers from escaping the fireplace into the interior of the home. Glass doors should be cleaned regularly with a paper towel and glass fireplace door cleaner.
- Clean your wood burning fireplace’s interior, including its floor, regularly. Sweep out or vacuum up cold ashes. Wear a dust mask and gloves when cleaning the fireplace.
There can be many advantages to a wood burning fireplace, including saving money on heating costs and supplementing your main source of heat. At the same time, maintenance and service of your fireplace is of utmost importance. What are some steps you take to maintain the safety of your wood burning fireplace and chimney?
Thanks for the blog. I’m a Central agent that sent this blog to my son-in-law, the father of my two beautiful grandchildren and the husband to my only child… and a Central client. Here is his reply: I just requested a chimney sweep come out tomorrow to do a cleaning. We went back and forth since it was $175 (75 inspection 100 if it needs cleaning) but decided it was more than justified.
So know tomorrow at 3PM our chimney will be clean.
Central, thanks for your part in protecting family and property. Here is proof that your efforts are paying off.
Jan
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The pipe is the clay tile that lines within the chimney. As time goes by, the stress and worry of ordinary utilize can bring about the flue to start to crack. This can be a fire hazard, on the grounds that the splits permit warm from the fire to achieve ignitable parts of your home. An expert fireplace compass can examine the vent for harm. If they find the flue is cracked, you’ll need it repaired before you can utilize your chimney..
Fireplaces Victoria BC
I had no idea that home inspection is a great way to catch damaged chimneys. It can be very dangerous to your home and your health if chimney damage is undetected and your chimney is used often. It seems like a good investment to have your chimney inspected to ensure that your home is safe and able to retain value.
Thanks for these tips for fireplace maintenance. I didn’t realize that it’s important to watch for soot buildup in the chimney and should be cleaned out of regularly. I’d be interesting in seeing what people should look for in regards to buildup compared to a clean chimney. If you know how to identify the build up, the better you can address the problem, after all.
Thanks for the fireplace maintenance tips. My wife and I are going to have a fireplace installed this year, and we want to make sure we can care for it. I like that you mentioned to make sure you burn hardwoods because they create less creosote buildup. That would make it less damaging to the fireplace and make your chimney easier to clean.
I had never thought that the kind of wood that you burn could make such a difference in a fireplace and that it can actually decrease the amount of sap and creosote build up. Growing up, my mother would always light our fireplace with maple from the backyard and it would keep our home warm. Just like you said, it would be a good idea to put in some kind of glass door to keep that fire burning all night long. Thanks again for all the information.
Of the things that you said, what got me was your suggestion of getting the wood fireplace inspected and cleaned at least once a year to prevent creosote from building up. I have heard that a creosote buildup can cause a number of serious problems if ignored, so I will not let this happen. I will be sure to keep your tips in mind since I intend to get a fireplace installed in the house soon, and wood is one of the things that I am considering.
This article helps me so much, Thanks that i found this very informative article!
I never thought that with a wood fire that it would be so crucial to call a chimney sweep and get everything cleaned. I currently have a wood fire and I don’t know if I ever had it cleaned. I will have to look into it asap. http://easthamptonfirewood.com/services.html
Chimney fires are very real! This information is something that every home owner, renter AND landlord needs to know. Once a year is crucial if you use your fireplace at all.
As you mentioned, chimney cap is really important! We advise our people to get a cleaning and inspection done before the first burn of the season to make sure that there are no critters who have taken residence. A little squirrel could cause more heartache than you can imagine.
Keep up the good work!
The article is very informative. It’s helped me a lot. Thanks for sharing with us.
The facts have been discuss are really important. Keep doing that. Thanks for sharing
Thank you for explaining that you should get your fireplace inspected annually for any repairs. My husband and I moved into a new home with a fireplace last year and we want to keep it in good shape. I will make sure to get it inspected annually.
Nice Tips..Thanks for sharing such an informative blog with us.
Thank you so much for advising that you have your fireplace inspected by a professional annually and to keep an eye out for any buildup in between inspections in order to properly maintain it. My husband and I are custom-building a home since our 3 kids are turning into teenagers and need more space. We are thinking of installing a wood-burning fireplace for the ambiance, so I will make sure that we find a good fireplace repair company for the future.
Great! Thank you for the comment, Sabrina! All the best!
Thanks for this blog. I am planning to buy a fireplace for my home but a bit confuses on how to maintain it. Now I am very much sorted.
Wow, this is so useful! I saved this to my favorites so I can keep going back to it to improve my home!
Great article, thanks for sharing.
My fireplace doesn’t have a damper, is that normal? House was build in 1945 and we never had an issue with smoking up the living room nor did the previous owners. Just wondering if it’s necessary to have one?