A fireplace is the focal point in any room. You probably love lighting a new fire in it every day, and enjoying the warmth and calm that follows. Here at Chimney Champions, we love fireplaces and are dedicated to keeping chimneys and fireplaces clean. We also love to provide some tips and tricks for homeowners. So, if you’re tired of venturing back and forth from the woodpile to your fireplace, here are our indoor firewood storage ideas. You can thank us later!
I occasionally come across situations where a chimney should not be swept. Sometimes the deterioration is so bad that sweeping a chimney could actually cause a collapse of the system and only make matters much worse. Here are some good examples: A chimney is no longer safe, the customer is aware, but wants to use the system anyway – I will not sweep that system because first, I want the customer to realize the severity of the situation and that they are putting their life in danger. Two is liability. Let’s say, heaven forbid, a chimney fire occurs after I swept the system. Who becomes liable? You guessed it.. A chimney is no longer safe and the customer was unaware – While it is not a fun conversation, safety is my number one priority. This is when we go over options and hazards associated with the chimneys current condition. A … Continued
If you live in a multi-family condo or apartment you may have a situation where several flue systems are sharing one common space. The concern when this happens is that all parties need to maintain their chimney system to help ensure the safety of everyone in that shared space. This is not always the case and typically the property management company does not have definitive guidelines for maintenance or unsafe systems. The example above is one common situation where four condos are sharing one chimney chase. The condo inspected had a system that was no longer safe for use and using the system could have led to fire and or carbon monoxide entry into the condo, or even adjacent condos. Currently, the only proactive prevention you can take is to make sure you have the appropriate amount of smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in your home and always have multiple … Continued
Already in 2019, I have inspected three homes where a 8″ chimney cap was “installed” into a 10″ flue termination. The obvious is that the person installing these chimney caps knows exactly what is going to happen eventually, along with the water intrusion damage that will occur when it does happen. What isn’t obvious is that a chimney cap was incorrectly installed and even the active water intrusion can be hard to spot until it progresses. This drone image shows a 8″ cap that was at one point installed into the 10″ flue termination. As you can see, the end result is wind removing the chimney cap, sometimes turning it into a giant metal frisbee (huge liability issue). When you are having your chimney cap replaced ask for proof of measurement. This issue could not be seen from ground level (it was blocked by the shroud) and the client was … Continued
It may not be one of the most exciting things to do (kinda like having your car worked on), but performing regular maintenance on your dryer venting system is essential for safety and also extends the life of your dryer. Consider this, a dryer vent is only four inches wide and even with 1/2″ of buildup around the inside of the vent, your dryer vent is now only flowing through a three inch opening. As the dryer vent becomes more and more restricted, it causes the dryer to work overtime and the additional buildup of lint can easily cause a dryer fire. The danger can be even greater if you are using gas dryer, you now add in the extra hazards of carbon monoxide and potential gas leaks. In summary, always be proactive about dryer maintenance and always make sure a professional is servicing your system such as a CSIA … Continued
So you may have heard me talk about clearances to combustibles once or twice before but here is a quick example of what the heat does to combustibles and how it can start a fire. As heat is absorbed by a combustible, in the form of radiant heat, it slowly breaks down the ignition temperature that is needed to ignite the combustible. the process is called pyrolysis which is the thermal decomposition of a material through elevated heat. Ignition temperature of wood can drop to as low as 300 degrees after long-term exposure to heat! One very key thing to also remember with ignition of the combustible is that it will ignite without any direct contact with flame. Here is a example in fast forward: 1. Initial break down of wood from heat As you can see, the Wood is not touching any flame throughout the timeframe. 2. Ignition temperature … Continued
So this was a particularly scary inspection to say the least! The back story is that the client was having issues with water intrusion leaking onto the ceiling around the chimney. Let’s make this one interactive… Starting in the attic I see that getting to the chimney area is not going to be easy! After maneuvering around and crawling on the trusses/insulation, I make it to the chimney. The moisture meter and infrared imaging pick up active water intrusion below the flashing so that part was solved pretty quickly. Now for the scary part.. The chimney was supported by wood framing that had been impacted by the water intrusion and was beginning to come apart! Literally a ton of bricks in the attic that were barely supported from below. Definitely and tough fix and more importantly a life safety concern 🙁 Yet another reason to have your chimney inspected by … Continued
Let me start off by saying everyone should have multiple ABC rated fire extinguishers throughout their home for safety. A fire extinguisher is something that you hopefully never have to use, but can save your home or life in the event of a fire. What does the A B C stand for? A – Trash, Wood, and Paper Monoammonium phosphate is the main ingredient in the fire extinguisher that will help smother this type of fire. B – Flammable Liquids Monoammonium phosphate and sodium bicarbonate work together to help extinguish a fire involving flammable liquids. C – Electrical Equipment Again, both Monoammonium phosphate and sodium bicarbonate work together to help extinguish a fire involving electrical components. – How to use a fire extinguisher – The recommended method is the P.A.S.S. technique. Below is the step by step technique directly from OSHA: PULL… Pull the pin. This will also break the tamper seal. … Continued
Here is a scary answer, it depends on property owner. During one of my inspections today, I had what was supposed to be a sweep only of a fireplace at a vacation rental. To start, I refuse to ever do a sweep without an inspection, even if the homeowner insists that they only want a sweep of the system. Upon initial inspection, here is what the renter would see (and probably think it was safe). During my initial inspection I started noticing immediate red flags and started inspecting further. After ten minutes I had found that the flue liner was deteriorated, combustible debris was inside of the exterior metal surround, and the liner had disconnected towards the top of the system! Using a fireplace during a vacation can be a relaxing experience and create a wonderful ambiance during the holidays, but can also quickly become a serious safety issue. In … Continued
One concern I see on a regular basis is the lack of regulation with fireplace installations, including new construction. For reference here is the warning label clearly print on the flue system for the installers to follow: As you can see pretty simple to follow but rarely adhered to. As you can see this is just one example of violations to clearances to combustibles I find regularly. Cardboard insulation baffles leaning against the flue system, a fresh air vent against the flue liner, and a natural gas line that has been run past the flue system 🤦♂️. Any system new or old, I highly recommend having your fireplace inspected by a CSIA certified professional before use!
