Chimney Inspection

Homeowners have asked chimneys.com for information on what types of flue lining systems are available for masonry chimneys and what the advantages or disadvantages are among them.

A blocked utility flue serving a gas water heater, furnace, or boiler can mean serious problems.  A blocked flue can cause deadly Carbon Monoxide back up into the home, and is the primary reason for shutting down the system when this occurs.

After seeing so many do-it-yourself projects on the DIY network, many homeowners believe that sweeping a chimney is easy, and attempt to do the work themselves to save money. That way of thinking usually ends in disaster.

As the season turns colder, our fireplaces and woodstoves will be supplementing our heat and providing our homes a warm and inviting ambiance for our gatherings.  But the burning fireplace and hot woodstove can become dangerous places for young children and pets running around our homes.

Black soot covering everyone and everything in its path as it falls out of the chimney and into the parlor is what many homeowners imagine when they think about having their chimney cleaned.  Fortunately, today’s modern chimney sweeps take precautions and use equipment that prevents this type of disaster.

The public understands the importance of having a primary care physician.  Now the public needs to be aware of the importance of having a primary care chimney doctor to annually inspect and clean when necessary any chimney in use with any heating device. The public is careful choosing its primary care physician.  That same care should be used to choose their primary care chimney doctor.

Chimney fires can reach temperatures of over 2000 degrees.  Our chimney may fail to contain this heat and radiate these high temperatures to the structure of our homes.  The combustible areas surrounding your chimney may ignite resulting in a full scale structure fire. Many homeowners think because they do not burn wood on a regular basis, there is no danger.

An annual safety inspection should be performed on every fireplace before its first fire of the year. Call a trained chimney professional who knows all the components of a chimney and fireplace to perform a visual inspection.

There are several types of odors that could detract from your enjoyment of the wood stove. Creosote has a very strong, acrid odor, generally much worse in wet weather or in the summertime when the chimney is less effective in drawing the odor up the chimney.

Hearth and Chimney technology has changed since “August West” first started advertising in Mother Earth News in the 1970s. Modern appliances are much more sensitive, have control boards, electronic circuitry and UL listing requirements. Today’s “modern sweep” needs to be part electrician, hold multiple licenses and wear multiple hats.