by Billy Sweet | Sep 29, 2014 | HeatShield
The fireplace in your home has steadfastly provided you with warmth and an ambient, crackling background on chilly evenings. In return, you have lovingly followed through with an annual chimney sweep to keep your fireplace functioning. Unfortunately, a sweep might not catch the hidden damages inside your chimney. The flue tiles lining the inside of your chimney suffer the most neglect because you cannot see them without a through video inspection of the inside of the chimney. If these tiles are cracked, missing mortar, or completely absent, you can have a serious safety hazard on your hands. Luckily, all of these issues can be easily resolved using the HeatShield system.
Flue tiles are heat resistant units that line the interior of your chimney. They protect the masonry structure from the smoke and heat and guard the combustible materials in your home from starting on fire. If the flue tiles in your chimney are damaged or missing, you are putting your safety at risk. The corrosive products of a burning fire can cause damage to the masonry structure, meaning that a burning fire is slowly deteriorating the integrity of your chimney. In addition, flue tiles protect the combustible materials in your home, like dry wall and wooden beams, from catching fire. In a study done by the National Bureau of Standards, a fire in a unit with an unlined chimney resulted in adjacent woodwork lighting on fire within 3 ½ hours.
To protect your home from structural or fire damage, you need to have a professional assess the condition of the flue tiles in your chimney and repair any damages with HeatShield. If your flue tiles are only missing mortar, the simple fix involves applying HeatShield flue sealant to the interior of the chimney using a custom made application blade.
The Resurfacing System is used for flue tiles with missing mortar and other superficial damages. The professional will apply a special primer to prepare the surface for the HeatShield, then a fine layer of HeatShield flue sealant will fill in all cracks, crevices and holes. Upon the final application, the flue lining is as good as new.
Finally, some chimneys are missing entire sections of flue lining or do not have a flue lining at all. Before burning a fire under this chimney, you need to have a professional install a HeatShield lining. First, a layer of HeatShield flue sealant is laid against the bare masonry. Next, custom fit steel fabric is fitted against the sealant. The final step is to apply another layer of HeatShield flue sealant over the steel mesh to form a strong, heat-resistant flue lining.
All of these applications must be performed by a professional chimney service certified to properly use HeatShield products. If you live in the North Shore or Boston, Massachusetts area or the Portland, Maine area, contact Billy Sweet Chimney Sweep for a professional consultation.
by Billy Sweet | Aug 25, 2014 | Chimney Maintenance, chimney sweep
Now that summertime is coming to a close and the kids have returned to school, we can enjoy shift into fall. The time of year filled with changing colors, crunchy leaves and pumpkin carving has begun, in addition to the promise of cooler weather. While the first few days of fall might warm up in remembrance of a sizzling summer, the weather will eventually cool off. Before you know it, snow will cover the ground in the midst of a furious New England winter.
Usually, now is when everyone shuts off the central air conditioning and opens the windows to keep everyone comfortable in the house. For many, starting up the fireplace is a passing thought in the back of their mind, but sooner or later the time will come to build that first fire. These same people who fail to remember their fireplaces until high time must battle the busiest season to find a service person who is free to inspect and clean their chimney.
Instead of rushing right before your holiday get-together to have your chimney cleaned, schedule a date for regular maintenance now. Starting in fall, the chimney cleaning services are swamped, and it lasts through the holidays. Many companies book up several weeks in advance at this time, and as the weeks go by and the temperature drops, any snow and ice may make it impossible to get on the roof anyway.
Call Billy Sweet Chimney Sweep today to make an appointment to have your chimney swept and inspected. Billy Sweet Chimney Sweep works out of Eastern Massachusetts, Southern New Hampshire, and the Portland, Maine area.
This business provides reasonably priced chimney sweeping services in addition to inspections that meet the most up to date codes set by the National Fire Protection Association. Along with each inspection, Billy Sweet offers a courtesy video scanning of the inside of your chimney with Chim-scan products. You receive a comprehensive overview of the condition of your chimney with this closed circuit video inspection, and it aids you in making the right decision on repairs and updates.
You should have your fireplace and chimney inspected once every year, but especially if you recently moved into a new house, your fireplace has been inactive for an extended time or if you have run into any problems with the fireplace. The freeze-thaw cycle of a New England winter and any water leaks into the masonry may result in structural harm to the chimney, which needs to be inspected annually. If a fireplace has lay dormant for some time, such as since it was used last winter, pests like birds may have made a home of the chimney and created an obstructed vent. Lighting a fire in a fireplace with a clogged vent poses serious risks to your house and family.
With summer wrapping up and fireplace time quickly approaching, right now is the best time to make your chimney sweep and inspection appointment with Billy Sweet Chimney Sweep.
