by Billy Sweet | Mar 25, 2014 | Chimney Maintenance
Chimneys add a certain aesthetic beauty to our homes and help keep our families safe from the smoke and harmful gases that would otherwise leak into our homes without them. Since we value them for the protection that they provide to our families, why shouldn’t we protect them a little, too? This is where chimney caps come into play. They’re not required by and laws or codes to be on our chimneys; however, it is strongly recommend that you consider having one installed.
What Purpose does a Chimney Cap Serve?
Chimney caps keep potentially damaging obstructions from getting into your chimney. Maintaining proper draft is key to optimal performance.
It’s quite simple actually. The basic job of a chimney cap is to cover the chimney’s opening in an effort to keep water, birds and other wildlife, leaves, twigs and other debris from getting into your chimney and/or house. Water is directed away from the center and off the sides of your chimney.
Birds, other wildlife, leaves, twigs and other debris are blocked from getting to your chimney via the mesh screening on the side, thereby preventing it from becoming a giant trash can. If any of these things were to get into your chimney, they could damage the chimney and cause more problems for you down the road. On the other hand, keeping them all out can increase the lifetime of your chimney liner.
What’s Your Ideal Chimney Cap Material?
Chimney caps are made from a variety of materials – galvanized steel, copper, stainless steel, and aluminum – and can be simple or ornate. Stainless steel caps generally give homeowners the most bang for their buck, as they are not impacted by the elements as much as are the other materials.
Galvanized steel and aluminum caps can and will eventually rust and need to be replaced, while shiny, more expensive copper caps will slowly weather and eventually end up the same color as the Statue of Liberty (some homeowners may actually prefer copper’s natural patina and will be willing to fork over the extra money for it; it’s purely a personal preference).
Why Should you Have a Chimney Cap Installed?
For those who are worried about the cost associated with a chimney cap, basic caps can be found at a pretty fair price. Deciding to purchase a chimney cap and have it installed by a professional chimney technician is a choice you won’t soon regret. It’s much cheaper to add a chimney cap now than to have to repair or replace your chimney liner sooner than you’d like.
It’s also a lot cheaper to have a cap installed than to hire a pest removal specialist to remove a family of raccoons from your chimney. Unless you just really want to get a visit from Ernie “The Turtleman” Brown or the Verminators, do yourself a favor and have a chimney cap installed. The certified staff at Billy Sweet Chimney Sweep can get your new chimney cap installed in no time. Your chimney and your family will both thank you.
by Billy Sweet | Mar 5, 2014 | Chimney Maintenance
When the weather warms up, we tend to put our fireplaces and chimney systems out of mind. But before you shut your flue for the season, figuratively and literally, it’s beneficial to consider some spring chimney services that’ll help your chimney come back around to the cold months in the best shape possible.
It’s Springtime! Time to enjoy warm sunny days and let your chimney rest after enduring those cold grueling months of hard labor. Give it some spring chimney care.
So here’s something of a Spring Chimney Care Checklist to go over as your thoughts turn to T-shirts and garden blooms:
Spring Chimney Care Checklist From Billy Sweet Chimney Sweep
Ensure A Clean Chimney And A Non-stinky Spring
If you used your wood-burning fireplace all fall and winter, you doubtlessly have creosote built up in your flue. That’s just part of the equation with burning wood: You get heat, light and creosote. Some folks figure it’s best to just wait until next winter to get the chimney swept, since they’re less concerned about safety and fire hazards when not using the fireplace. But we can make some pretty strong arguments for the benefits of making a chimney sweeping appointment part of your spring chimney care checklist.
First, you’re getting that work done before the busy season, so you’ll have more options in terms of scheduling an appointment with Billy Sweet Chimney Sweep technicians, and most likely a faster turnaround time, too.
More than that, though, you’ll be improving the air in your home all spring and summer. Creosote build-up is one of the most common contributors to a stinky chimney. Creosote has a strong musty smell, and as the temperature and humidity rises, that smell can get stronger. So a spring-cleaned chimney, beyond being ready for winter ahead of time, makes your spring and summer that much more pleasant.
Check For Roof-related Damage
We all know that winter weather can take a toll on our roof, as well as the flashing where the chimney meets the roofline. Before we get into spring rains, it’s good to be aware of any flashing damage, since even something as small as caulking coming off can lead to a chimney leak.
Make Sure Animals Haven’t Moved In, And That They Won’t Be Able To
Some animals — including federally protected chimney swifts — are known for nesting in chimneys during the off-season. And when animals nest in your chimney, they bring along sounds, smells and debris that you certainly don’t want there. Inspecting your flue for nesting animals or signs of nesting animals is a smart thing to do. Preventing nesting animals, by having a quality chimney cap installed, is an even smarter thing to do.
Prep Your Masonry For Moisture
Moisture is, was and always will be the worst friend your chimney has. And during the wetter months, moisture gets a chance to give besting your chimney system’s defenses its all. There’s a lot you can do, though, to protect your system against moisture intrusion, including having Billy Sweet Chimney Sweep inspect your chimney crown and your flashing and having us apply a strong waterproofing sealant to protect your masonry.
You Can Get Through This Spring Chimney Checklist With Billy Sweet’s Help
You can get all of this spring chimney care accomplished — and more — by scheduling a chimney inspection and chimney sweeping appointment with Billy Sweet Chimney Sweep. During an inspection, we’ll check the system bottom to top and let you know if any problems are preventing your chimney from being protected and prepared for the next heating season. Just give us a call to schedule an appointment!
by Billy Sweet | Feb 17, 2014 | Chimney Maintenance, Fire Safety
Creosote can’t be prevented, but there are ways to minimize its build up and the effects it may have on your chimney and home, in general.
If you could get on your roof and look down into your chimney (we don’t recommend this), you’d see a lot of black. Wondering what that black element is inside your chimney that totally covers the inside? That’s what we call creosote and it can cause tremendous damage if taken for granted. It has all these harmful chemicals that gradually become highly corrosive and could cause fires to happen inside the chimney. Although the formation of creosote cannot be prevented, it is still best to try and minimize it.
What is Creosote?
Creosote is a highly combustible chemical product obtained by the distillation of tar. It is heavier compared to other chemical products and is famous for its antiseptic and preservative properties. When wood is burned, there is production of creosote. It sticks onto the walls of the chimney after combustion takes place in the fireplace. It is a result of incomplete combustion.
Creosote has two main types:
Generally, wood tar is known for its meat preservation purposes and is known to be nontoxic. It is also used to treat hardwood and softwood to keep them dry until such time. It has been used in the medical field as a laxative or for other purposes like as an antiseptic. Coal tar, on the other hand, contains highly toxic properties. That’s why it is exclusively used for preserving wood only.
Those are the intentional and industrial uses of creosote. It can also be found in blast furnaces, but in a chimney it is found in the flue because wood was not properly burned.
The Three Levels of Creosote Build up
When you have your chimney inspected and cleaned, sometimes our experts will need to do a more thorough cleaning and literal scraping. This happens when there is too much creosote in the chimney walls and, if left there to thicken, might cause bigger problems that will soon become a homeowner’s worst nightmare. This is why creosote build up is described in levels based on the texture, thickness and color.
The first level is still called soot because it has not yet fully developed into creosote. It’s described to be flaky and can be removed easily with a chimney sweeps’ brush. It is still reachable and does not need any special technical equipment.
The second level is already known to be creosote. It’s hard and is already the color brown or black. In this stage, our licensed sweep will have to use specially designed video cameras to check and see the extent of damage done by the creosote. There is now a need for a more durable brush to use in removing the creosote.
For the third and final level, the creosote is already very thick and is now known as glaze. There is no chance for it to completely be removed unless you destroy the entire structure of your chimney – something we all wouldn’t want to do. In this stage, the creosote is highly flammable and has a shiny black texture and with just one false move, you can say bye-bye to your hard-earned home. In this level, constant scraping is done to minimize the thickness. There is a need for bigger equipment and a specially-designed brush to use for scraping off the creosote.
The Risks
Some think that by having a broomstick, you can already remove the creosote. What we have to realize is that there are risks in trying to take matters into our own hands. The biggest risk is fire. It can spark up anytime and only trained professionals know what to do in case this happens and how to put it out before anyone gets hurt. So it’s always best to leave the dirty work to us.
With annual inspections and sweeping, your chimney will not have to endure the aftereffects of what creosote can do. Taking this important step will definitely add more years to its lifespan and the guarantee of a fully-functional, well-maintained chimney. You can contact our company, Billy Sweet Chimney Sweep, because we have the best trained professionals with the right amount of experience to show and prove to you that indeed, we can get the job done right.
by Billy Sweet | Feb 17, 2014 | Chimney Maintenance, Fire Safety
Before your certified chimney sweep comes, it’s good to know the different levels of inspection and what they do in each level.
While it is accurate to say that no two chimneys are the same, it used to also be that no two chimney inspections were the same. This meant that depending on who you hired to do your inspection and subsequent sweeping, the inspection process could be entirely different, with widely varying degrees of thoroughness. Thankfully, in January of 2000, the Chimney Safety Institute of America introduced three levels of chimney inspection and adopted them into code. This means that any chimney sweep who has been certified by the C.S.I.A. (as any sweep should be if he or she is working on your chimney) will conduct one of three levels of inspection according to exacting specifications.
The 3 Levels of Chimney Inspection
The C.S.I.A. has clearly outlined three levels of chimney inspection. Depending on the condition of your chimney and the dangers that exist inside, one of the technicians at Billy Sweet Chimney Sweep will be able to assess which inspection level your chimney warrants. Each inspection utilizes a closed circuit camera to gain a comprehensive look at the flue.
Level 1: The most basic (and most common) inspection looks at all “readily accessible” portions of the inside and outside of the flue, the heating appliance, and its connections.
Level 2: The next level of inspection is recommended when any changes have been made to the heating system. A Level 2 inspection will take a more in-depth look at the chimney and appliance and will include all parts of the chimney made accessible by attics, crawl spaces, and basements.
Level 3: The most comprehensive inspection of all, a Level 3 inspection involves the removal of some components of the chimney or the building to gain full access to the chimney. This inspection is recommended when a Level 2 inspection has indicated that there’s a hidden danger inside your flue.
Read more about chimney inspections here.
Billy Sweet Chimney Sweep is able to serve a wide swath of customers, as we have locations in Eastern Massachusetts, Southern New Hampshire, and Portland, Maine. Contact us today!
by Billy Sweet | Jan 28, 2014 | Chimney Maintenance
Have you ever wanted to know more about the mechanics of what takes place inside your chimney? Here is a useful graphic.
Explore the “why” and “how” of burning.
