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October 26, 2011
A clean fireplace will be more enjoyable to use. It also creates a more attractive living space and will, in the end, save you money on fireplace maintenance and chimney cleaning. Be sure to follow these three tips for having a clean fireplace.
1) Burn only seasoned firewood. Put your garbage and recycling in the proper spot and keep it out of your hearth. Other objects and materials create excessive ash and soot build up, while seasoned firewood is the most efficient and safe substance to burn.
2) Vacuum the ashes and sweep the hearth area on a regular basis. Wait until the hearth has cooled for at least twelve hours and then use an ash vacuum. Remove the ashes carefully and as completely as possible. Sweep around as needed. Dispose of all debris in a safe manner.
3) Stay on top of your annual fireplace inspection and chimney cleaning. This is perhaps the most important step in having a safe and clean fireplace. It will reduce the risk of chimney fire and create the optimum burning conditions in your hearth.
Chimney cleaning and fireplace maintenance go hand in hand to help homeowners get the most out of their hearth. Enjoy the flames, bask in the heat and don’t forget to practice these three tips for having a clean fireplace.
October 19, 2011
Creosote occurs naturally when burning wood fires for home heating. Emissions naturally travel up the flue and out through the chimney. But along the way a form of condensation occurs and the tar-like liquid forms into creosote. A thorough chimney cleaning is the only way to remove creosote build up effectively and the best way to prevent chimney fires.
Creosote actually comes in a variety of forms with various appearances. It can look like soot, a powdery blackish gray substance that coats surrounding surfaces. Creosote may also look like a dark gummy substance, similar to charred marshmallows. Most often creosote is apparent in its hardest form, a dull glaze that requires the attention of a trained technician or chimney sweep.
If you see any evidence of creosote, schedule your chimney cleaning right away. Regular chimney maintenance is recommended even if creosote is not in sight, since this build up is highly dangerous for your home and family.
April 19, 2011
Highly dangerous and with the potential to inflict serious destruction, chimney fires should be avoided at all costs. Regular and professional chimney maintenance is the only defense against this hazardous situation, but getting educated about the signs and results of chimney fires will also motivate you to avoid the condition.
Signs of a Chimney Fire
Fires in the chimney are a result of a creosote buildup in the flue liner. If you haven’t had your regular chimney maintenance done the risk of fire is much higher. Once they are ignited the fires make loud, cracking noises. You are likely to see the smoke pouring heavily out of the chimney and may even spot some flames peaking from the top. Often your neighbors or people passing in the street spot the signs of a chimney fire.
Although these may seem like obvious signs, there is another scary fact about this dangerous condition. Slow burning fires make much less noise and may not be so easy to spot. They do, however, create incredibly high temperatures similar to the loud and obvious fires.
Results of a Chimney Fire
Both types of fire (silent and spectacular) can melt metal inside your chimney, damage the mortar and tiles or damage a metal flue liner beyond repair. Even those products designed to withstand 2100 degree temperatures may be challenged and damaged when a fire reaches even higher temperatures.
Experts admit that the first chimney fire in your home may not cause any damage, especially if it is over quickly. But then the second fire can easily burn down your home due to the damage inflicted by the first fire.
It’s important to understand that a well maintained chimney will have little to no risk of fire. Without creosote, a chimney fire will be without fuel and regular chimney maintenance will remove the creosote. Schedule your maintenance appointment now, before the risk becomes too much and a fire breaks out.
March 29, 2011
As the weather warms up and the fireplace and wood stove cool down you may put the thought of chimney maintenance in the back of your mind. But there are many benefits to taking care of chimney cleaning in the spring. Not only will you be treating your hearth better, but the advantages will also spread to your entire home.
Scheduling
Many homeowners fit their chimney maintenance in during the fall, just before the heating season begins. Scheduling your local chimney sweep can get difficult at that time of year. But the spring is a different story. Your home will take priority and the professional sweep will have plenty of time to answer your questions and do a thorough job.
Cleanliness
The smells of your fireplace get significantly worse during the summer. But when the flue is swept clean those odors are eliminated and your home is fresher and cleaner. And getting the build up off of the chimney liner as soon as possible reduces the chance of corrosion. When creosote and other emissions are left on the liner moisture can create much more damage, leading to seriously expensive repairs.
A Leg Up
Perhaps the biggest benefit to spring chimney cleaning is the chance to catch problems early. Just after the heating season is over is the ideal time to detect wear in the system, allowing for plenty of opportunity to tackle the repairs. Maintenance contractors have time to schedule you in, parts are available and repairs can be done well in advance of the next heating season, leaving you with peace of mind.
Schedule your chimney cleaning for this spring and enjoy all of the benefits of an easier schedule, a cleaner home and the peace of mind that comes when repairs are well looked after. Chimney maintenance is a great idea this spring.
March 1, 2011
You’ve been enjoying your fireplace or wood stove all season long, logging in hours and hours of comfortable warmth. But are you tuned in and knowledgeable about creosote and the importance of chimney cleaning? Check out these top five signs that your chimney needs a cleaning and make sure your fireplace or wood stove will deliver comfort for years to come.
Sign 1 – A Noticeable Build Up
Even an untrained eye can spot creosote build up. Have a look up your damper and note whether there is any visible build up. If you can see a layer of black soot or a dark substance that is 1/8 to 1/4″ thick it is time to call in a chimney sweep for a thorough cleaning.
Sign 2 – Damper Dust
Getting a shower of debris when you open and/or close the damper is also a sure sign of creosote. Only a certified chimney sweep can get that cleaned up properly.
Sign 3 – What Are You Burning?
If you are regularly burning new wood (freshly cut or unseasoned firewood) there is a very good chance you will need frequent chimney cleanings. When new wood is burnt on a daily basis (as it can be in main home heating systems) your chimney will be well served with three or four cleanings throughout the winter months.
Sign 4 – An Inspection Tells You It’s Time
You may be advised after an annual chimney inspection that a cleaning is due. And it’s best not to ignore that advice. Cleaning your chimney prevents fires and other damages that can cost many thousands of dollars in the end.
Sign 5 – Your Memory Fails
Think back to the last time you had your chimney cleaned. If you can’t remember when that was (and even if you rarely use your fireplace or wood stove), it is way past the time for a cleaning.
Any and all of these are major signs that you are due for a chimney cleaning. Give the pros at Fireplace Village a call to book a cleaning appointment today.
January 6, 2011
Your fireplace is meant to be a place where you and loved ones can cuddle up and spend quality time together. Therefore, keeping your home warm and cozy during the winter is important for the continued comfort of the entire family. To ensure this never ends, both annual cleaning and repairs are necessary to lengthen the life of both your fireplace and chimney. The only problem is when is a cleaning required over a repair and vice versa?
Chimney Cleaning
As you may know, it is imperative that chimney cleanings occur at least once a year to prevent safety hazards. It’s completely fine to clean your chimney more often than once a year, but annually is the minimum amount of times it should be kept cleaned.
A cleaning is best completed by a professional to ensure accuracy, safety and to help you stay dirt free. Because creosote builds up within your chimney, it is necessary for it to be removed to prevent chimney fires and the need for future repairs. Regular cleanings can help reduce the amount of chimney repairs you will need in the future.
When do you choose a cleaning over a chimney repair? A chimney cleaning is simply regular upkeep of your chimney system due to its regular use and containment of smoke, heat and hazardous chemicals. All chimneys require it and without stringent cleanings your chimney may become a danger to you and your family.
Chimney Repair
Chimney repairs are often directly related to insufficient chimney cleaning or maintenance. Although many chimney repairs are caused by incorrect or improper chimney cleaning, the consequences of not performing chimney cleanings or chimney repairs are somewhat different.
A few consequences of not completing proper chimney repairs are:
- Leaks resulting in loss of heat from your fireplace or home heating system
- Heat loss can cause unnecessary money loss for you and your family
- Structural instability throughout the roof of your home and chimney
- Mild safety and health concerns due to too much clearance for smoke or not enough clearance
- Cracks or damaged chimney caps can allow animals, debris and weather to enter your home unexpectedly
In the end, the best decision is to stay on top of both chimney cleanings and chimney repairs to prevent unnecessary costs and safety issues for your family. Never perform a chimney cleaning or repair without first addressing your personal safety. Consult a professional or hire a chimney sweep for professional chimney cleaning in Maryland or wherever else you may need assistance. It’s important to make sure your chimney is in tip top shape, but never at the expense of your well-being.
December 29, 2010
Cleaning isn’t always the most fun thing to do around the house, especially if it takes awhile and can make you very dirty as a result. It is easy to forget your chimney needs to be cleaned now and again as well because the problem is mostly hidden high within your chimney where no one can see. This can actually result in a few problems if you don’t maintain a clean chimney. Learning a few reasons why chimney cleaning is important for the continued safety and health of your family, as well as the continued structural stability of your chimney.
Chimney Cleaning
- Carbon monoxide: Probably the most important reason on this list is the continued safety of you , your loved ones and your pets. If a chimney is left dirty for extended periods of time it begins to build up heavy layers of creosote. This can alter the flow of carbon monoxide out of the house causing it to pour into your home.
- Fire: A creosote build-up can also cause fire, which is more dangerous because chimneys allow for the quick spread of fire throughout a home. The fire can quickly ignite the entire inside and outside wall of one side of your home. Not to mention the amount of smoke the fire would be spilling into your home, damaging the air quality of your home.
- Overall air quality: A clogged unkempt chimney can cause excess smoke to pour into your home and not properly escape from the top of your chimney like it should. This won’t likely be an overwhelming amount of smoke, but enough over time to affect the air quality of the entire household if you don’t have a clean chimney.
Chimney Repair
Knowing why it matters to keep your chimney clean is really important for the overall safety of your family. To continue to protect your family be sure to have your chimney cleaned annually, using warning signs like buildups of soot or smoke inside the home as an indicator to when you need to clean your chimney sooner rather than later.
The last thing you need to make sure of when cleaning your chimney is if you’re going to hire a certified chimney sweep or do it yourself. If you do it without the help of a professional you will save money overall, but the job is messy and time consuming. On the other hand a professional chimney sweep will do the job efficiently and quickly without causing you undue hassle, it’s just won’t be as cheap as doing it on your own.
December 15, 2010
Clean chimneys don’t catch fire. Chimney fires are caused when the creosote present in the chimney ignites. A chimney fire can be small, and over quickly, or raging. Either way a chimney fire can damage your chimney, and your home.
It is very important to clean your wood or pellet stove venting system annually, preferably at the end of the burning season. Wood Ash absorbs humidity and forms Lye which is corrosive to the stove and venting system. All pellet appliances should be cleaned at the end of the burning season, per manufacturer’s guidelines. The humidity in the air during the summer months is absorbed by pellets inside the unit causing them to break down and expand which can jam the pellet feed system.
The National Fire Protection Agency recommends that all chimneys be inspected annually. But some chimneys may need to be cleaned more often, some less. How often a chimney needs cleaning depends on the type of fuel and how it is burned. All burning fuels leave a deposit in your chimney, including oil furnaces.
New Hampshire and Massachusetts do not have a licensing requirement for chimney cleaning or sweeping. Massachusetts does require a home improvement license if the chimney professional is also doing masonry work in conjunction with the cleaning.
Fireplace Village provides chimney and venting system cleaning, maintenance and inspection service. Contact Fireplace Village today to schedule your annual chimney and venting system inspection and cleaning.
December 10, 2010
- A good chimney fire once or twice a year is all the chimney cleaning you need. Yes, a chimney fire does burn up the creosote in the chimney, because that is it’s fuel. It can also crack the flue and allow the fire to spread through the walls of your home, and/or sparks from the fire can catch your roof on fire. You cannot control chimney fires.
- I use chimney sweeping logs, salt or other chemical means to keep soot from building up in my chimney, so it doesn’t need sweeping. These products can reduce the buildup of creosote but do not remove everything, and can actually cause “sheets” of creosote to loosen and fall onto your smoke shelf, piling up and causing a chimney fire. If you look at the directions for any creosote destroying log or chemical it clearly states that this does not replace professional chimney cleaning. And never ever use a chimney sweeping log in a wood stove, you may cause permanent damage to your stove.
- I burn hardwood only, or seasoned wood, so it burns clean. Nothing burns clean. Some things burn cleaner than others, and may reduce the need for frequent sweepings, but if it burns it is carbon based and if it is carbon based it does not ever burn completely and perfectly. Also most firewood vendors that advertise “seasoned wood” aren’t actually delivering it. To properly season (dry) wood it must be cut, split and stacked for 1-2 years. It cannot start drying until it is split (the bark prevents that from happening). We use a very easy to use moisture meter that can give you a reading on the moisture content of any log. The optimum firewood moisture content is 20%. The best way to buy firewood is to buy next year’s supply this year, stack it, cover it and leave it alone.
- I clean my own chimney. We believe that chimneys should be cleaned by professionals with experience and the proper tools. We have removed sticks, rods and brushes from chimneys that homeowners have used to clear blockages.
- The best time to clean my chimney is in the fall. Actually the best time is in the spring, when you are done using it. Soot has corrosive properties. Any corrosive properties are going to eat away at your chimney, in the summer when it gets humid it will have a nasty smell, and then when you need your heating system you may have to wait to get it cleaned. It is less busy in the spring so you don’t have to wait as long for an appointment, and if the inspection does uncover a problem you have plenty of time to fix it. It is especially important to clean pellet systems annually and preferably in the spring, leftover pellets can swell and burst from summer humidity and actually shorten the life of your appliance. All pellet manufacturers require a professional servicing at least once a year.
- It’s too late to get my chimney cleaned once it is winter /snowing. Chimneys can be cleaned any time of the year.
Fireplace Village provides chimney cleaning, repair and maintenance service year round.
November 17, 2010
Your family depends on heat for comfort and safety all winter long. When something is that important you need to make sure that things are done right and your home is protected. That’s what shopping at a one stop hearth shop will give you.
Not only should you look for a hearth retailer that has a wide selection of the best names in the business – like Heat N Glo, Jotul, Napoleon, Hearthstone and Vermont Castings – but you also need to have the service to back those appliances up. Find a hearth shop that will install the models they carry. At Fireplace Village we have enjoyed decades of solid business relationships with these same manufacturers, both selling and installing their quality products.
Many times a hearth dealer or stove shop will not be able to help you with installation related difficulties unless they have installed the unit for you. This makes it highly valuable to find a one stop stove shop that has both the selection and service you need for a lifetime of warmth and comfort.
Have a look at Fireplace Village for the ideal fireplace, wood stove, gas stove or fireplace insert to suit your home. Trust in their qualified installation staff, certified service technicians and licensed chimney sweeps to help you maintain your hearth for life. Established and offering full service, FPV is valued by homeowners across New England.
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