The daily battle for a chimney sweep, staying clean

January 20, 2019 | A Day in the Life

Daily and Long-Term Hazards Staying safe is a constant concern for a chimney sweep. Not only are we on roofs, in attics, and crawl spaces, we also have to worry about the hazardous long-term effects of creosote to our bodies and prevent inhalation and interaction as much as possible. Creosote is a natural byproduct of combustion but it comes with a nasty side effect for humans with long-term exposure to it, cancer. Skin cancer, lung cancer, and testicular cancer are the most common for a chimney Sweep to content with. Skin cancer from constant cleaning and repairing systems covered in creosote and let’s not forget clothing. Lung cancer from inhaling creosote while sweeping a system or even after the service with soot floating around in the work vehicle. Testicular cancer you would think would be the strange one but take into consideration the amount of creosote that can get trapped … Continued

Inspection of the day – gas fireplace troubles

January 20, 2019 | A Day in the Life

With the addition of my home inspection background, I have seen a few occasions where after closing the sellers take what they can out of a house and even swap out the appliances! During my chimney inspection today, the same situation occurred and the sellers even took the decorative logs from the fireplace 😢. My best recommendation on that end would be to hire a home inspector that is very thorough and also uses a program called recall check where the serial numbers are stored for the appliances in case of a future recall. It can help not only in the event of a recall, but also if someone tries to take and swap out appliances. Onto the inspection. Issue one: The home was in the process of being set up for liquid propane but the fireplace had not been converted from natural gas for use with propane. If the … Continued

Carbon Monoxide

January 13, 2019 | A Day in the Life

Let’s talk about a very serious topic, Carbon Monoxide (CO). Carbon Monoxide is a odorless, tasteless, and colorless gas that can be deadly to humans and animals. Carbon Monoxide is a natural byproduct of combustion and one of the purposes of why things such as fireplaces, gas dryers, and furnaces have venting systems to get deadly gases out of the home. According to the CDC, each year more than 400 Americans die from unintentional Carbon Monoxide poisoning, 20,000 visit the emergency room, and over 4,000 are hospitalized. This a a staggering number that could be drastically reduced with the installation of Carbon Monoxide detectors in the home. Symptoms of Carbon Monoxide poisoning – Dizziness – Feeling weak – Headache – Upset stomach – Vomiting – Confusion – Chest pains Symptoms are often described as “flu-like” and sleeping or drunk individual are more likely to die from Carbon Monoxide poisoning … Continued

A day in the life – Can’t beat the views

January 12, 2019 | A Day in the Life

A Chimney Sweep in Jacksonville has a dirty and sometimes dangerous job but you really can’t beat the views. It can be easy to get caught up in the everyday hustle and bustle and forget what is truly important in life. Sometimes it is necessary to take five minutes and just sit back and reflect and in my opinion a rooftop can be the best place to do that (just don not fall off)! Sometimes the only unfortunate thing is the beautiful view on the way home is observed in exhaustion from a hard days work! View or no view it may sound corny, but I have been lucky enough to find something in life that I truly enjoy and I appreciate every single customer that has hired and trusted me to make sure their fireplace was safe for their family to use. My repeat customers will notice that during … Continued

Metal surrounds

January 12, 2019 | A Day in the Life

Popular around the 1980’s, the metal surround can be seen throughout Jacksonville and Northeast Florida. Some of these systems are still operational and one potential hazard of the metal surround is its tendency to trap combustibles around the flue termination, something that can be a huge potential fire hazard. A typical metal surround: Now for a look inside the surround: This is what I typically see around the surround, keep in mind this is a high heat area where the flue gases terminate. Here is where it gets a little more complicated.. some surrounds have exposed outer flue liners so if you try to clean the surround out without dismantling the upper section, you can push debris into the liner where it drops down towards the interior fireplace and is now stuck between the liners! Another potential issue that comes up with this design is they do not come with … Continued

Don’t forget about kickout flashing

January 12, 2019 | A Day in the Life

One common issue I see is where flashing is replaced on a chimney with replacing the kickout flashing. In Florida we have to constantly battle water and considering the amount of water that runs off of a roofline, kickout flashing can divert thousands of gallons of water over time. Here a something that you might find very interesting. During a rain storm that dumps one inch of rain if your have 1,000 square foot of roof, over 600 gallons of water will run off! Jacksonville Florida receives over 50 inches of rain per year so that is over 30,000 gallons of water coming off of your roof per year! Let’s have a look at the long-term impact of forgetting this key element: The first two photos show a chimney chase that had developed large hole following the pathway of travel starting where the kickout flashing is missing. Here is another … Continued

A quick tip for potential homeowners

January 12, 2019 | Training and tips

Sometimes I come across a situation where the sellers have either painted the attic (white most of the time) or try to keep me from inspecting the attic area. The is a instant red flag and once I gain access, typical I find a lot of damage. Just a few instances of severe attic damage from a previous fire and one attempt at hiding the damage by painting the attic. Always make sure the attic is inspected when buying a home, it could potentially cost you thousands of dollars!

Drone inspections with pets on location

January 10, 2019 | A Day in the Life

A few things to take into consideration when inspecting with a drone, does the client have pets and will the pet be upset or possibly destroy your drone. The safest option is to have the client bring the pet inside since most animals have not seen a drone before and the reaction to it could be bad. For example, a few years ago when I got one of my drones I was testing it in my back yard. My wife let the dog out while I was flying the drone and it led to one pissed off French Bulldog! One last thing to mention if you are a drone owner. Territorial birds can and will quickly destroy your drone. If you see a swarm of birds chasing your drone or a larger bird of prey getting close to your drone, bring it down quickly!

Ever wonder what it looks inside a masonry chimney?

January 10, 2019 | A Day in the Life

Due to a collapsed top crown, here is a good look. This shows what eventually happens when deterioration wins the battle against a chimney crown. Once we reach this point massive amounts of water intrusion and further damage becomes priority. Please take care of your crown before it reaches the point of no return.

Gas starters in a factory built fireplace

January 10, 2019 | A Day in the Life

This is a interesting one that I always get pushback from both home owners and gas installers.. While gas starters may be allowed in masonry systems, they are not approved for factory built fireplaces and could lead to over firing of the system and insurance issues if a fire occurred. Factory built (pre fabricated) fireplaces are a UL listed appliances and only approved parts can be used in these systems. It may be a convenient way to start a fire but it is not worth the risk!

mike the chimney guy