Tag Archives: chimney

Birds in Chimneys

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Birds on top of chimneyAs I’m sitting in my office working, I can hear the high-pitch chirping from some obviously newly-hatched baby sparrows just above my office window. I’m not surprised by the chirping. I’ve been watching the mama bird building her nest on a ledge just above my window for several weeks. During her time building her nest, every time we walk below her nest, she quickly flies away, only to return when we are out of sight. I don’t mind the nest, nor the sound of the constant chirping of the chicks. I don’t even mind the bird poop below the nest on our walkway. It’s the circle of life and I love it.

Apparently, I’m not the only one who is dealing with new nests during the spring. We’ve been getting a lot of phone calls from homeowners who are concerned that birds are coming into the chimney. Here’s some information that you need to know.

Are the birds INSIDE the chimney?

“Are the birds INSIDE the chimney?”  That’s not a dumb question. Just because you hear bird noises coming from the chimney, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they are INSIDE the chimney.

Prefabricated chimneys have a metal flue pipe with a termination cap at the top. Birds like to hang out at the top. Their chirping through the metal flue pipe creates what I call the “Megaphone Effect.” We chimney sweeps have gone out to homes many times because homeowners insist that these feathered friends are inside the chimney, only to determine that they are just hanging out at the top. The good news is that no birds are inside the chimney.

Once the birds get into your chimney

The bad news is that if birds do get inside the chimney, they’ll fall down on top of the closed damper or behind the damper in the area called the smoke shelf. Then the bird gets trapped. Once the bird lands in the smoke shelf, it’s extremely difficult for them to get out on their own.

Once the bird has flown into your chimney, that chimney is now considered its natural habitat. This makes it a felony for anybody to remove the bird or active nest from its natural habitat without a special wildlife permit. Due to the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918, there is a potential $15,000 fine per bird, nest, or egg as well as possible jail time and confiscation of any equipment or tools involved with the removal of said birds.

Chimney sweeps have been targeted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as frequent violators of these federal laws. Many chimney sweep companies simply didn’t realize that it’s against the law to remove birds from chimneys and what kind of potential heavy fines they are opening themselves up to. For that reason, we recommend contacting animal rescue organizations who have the wildlife permit.

After the birds are gone…

Chimney CapThe best way to deal with birds getting into your chimney is prevention. Once birds are gone from the chimney and the nest has been abandoned, we recommend having the chimney inspected and swept to remove any nesting material. In addition, installing a chimney cap will prevent future birds as well as rodents and other critters from entering the chimney.

To find a qualified chimney sweep company to install a chimney cap, make sure you use a CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep through the Chimney Safety Institute of America.

We have a responsibility as humans to care for our wildlife. We can live in harmony with these precious creatures. Soon enough, I know I’ll miss that sweet chirping just outside my office window.

Roof rats love your chimney!

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A chimney cap will prevent roof rats from entering a homeEven if homeowners don’t use their fireplace, there are still very important reasons to have a chimney cap.

This last week, as a chimney sweep, I received a record number of phone calls from people who had critters in their chimney.  This time of year here in San Diego, during the rainy season, it’s not uncommon to get these phone calls.  Critters are always looking for a dry, warm, dark place during the rain.

Here in San Diego, in many cases, these critters are roof rats. Once they get down the chimney, they land behind the damper in an area called the smoke shelf. Once they go down, it’s difficult if not impossible for them to find their way back up the chimney. If your damper is open, it’s easy for the roof rats to find their way into your home. Not good!

Birds are also a problem

In addition, this is about the time of year when birds are finding places to nest. If a bird gets in a chimney and builds a nest, it is illegal for any person to remove a bird or an active nest without a special wildlife permit, according to the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918. You have to wait until the birds and chicks leave the nest permanently on their own or until the birds die. If the birds die inside the chimney, the smell is disgusting.  Even worse, the leftover nest carries dangerous diseases such as histoplasmosis.

As of March, 2020, here is a comprehensive list of 1,093 species of birds covered under this Act. This list even includes pigeons!

This Act is one of the oldest wildlife protection laws on the books.  According to the MBTA, “It is a misdemeanor to violate any provision of the Act with punishment of a maximum fine of $15,000 or imprisonment up to six months or both…” unless you have a special permit issued by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

The best way to prevent birds, and other critters, from coming into a chimney is with a chimney cap.

Four other very important reasons for a chimney cap

In addition to preventing critters from entering your home through the chimney, there are four other important reasons to install a chimney cap.

A chimney cap, because it has a spark arrestor mesh, prevents hot flying embers from landing on your roof, on your neighbor’s roof, in dry brush or on solar panels and cars.

Chimney CapA chimney cap with a solid lid on top will prevent most of the rain from entering the chimney. Over a long period of time, rain that enters the chimney will land in the smoke shelf and can then rust out a damper and deteriorate a chimney from the inside out.

A chimney cap prevents leaves and other debris from falling into the chimney from the top. Leaves and debris are a combustible material and can create a potential safety hazard in a chimney.

Downdrafts can create smoking problems. Installing a specially-designed windcap will prevent smoking problems caused by downdrafts.

If your chimney does not have a chimney cap, it’s a good idea to install one. Call a CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep today to install a chimney cap to prevent those “unwelcome visitors” from entering your home!

Problems with an Unlined Chimney

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The top of an unlined chimneyAs a chimney sweep, the most important part of a chimney that we inspect is the flue lining. In many older homes, there is no flue lining. This type of chimney system is referred to as an unlined chimney. According to the Chimney Safety Institute of America, “Never use a chimney that does not have a liner…”

What is an unlined chimney?

Simply stated, an unlined chimney is a chimney without a flue lining. The flue lining is a pipe that can be made from terra cotta, pumice or stainless steel. The flue lining should go from the very top of the chimney down to the bottom, to the smoke chamber above the firebox.

Depending on the region of the United States where you live and what building codes were in place at the time the chimney was built, flue linings have been required since the early 1900’s. However, here in San Diego, we see unlined chimneys as late as the 1950’s. In the 2016 California Residential Code, Chapter 10 – R1003.11 it states specifically, “Masonry chimneys shall be lined.”

In the 1940’s and again in the 1980’s, the National Bureau of Standards performed tests on unlined chimneys. After testing for just 3½ hours, the woodwork adjacent to the unlined chimney caught on fire. The test was abandoned at that point because the unlined chimney failed to perform its function. The researchers concluded that “building a chimney without a lining was little less than criminal.”

Interior of an unlined chimney
Looking down an unlined chimney, there is no flue lining

The mortar joints between the bricks in an unlined chimney also fail. Many masons in the early years of building unlined chimneys added a lot of sand to the mortar. The mortar is like the glue that holds the bricks together. As the mortar in the joints gets older and deteriorated, the mortar joints fail, becoming sand. This creates gaps and holes in the mortar joints inside the chimney. These gaps allow heat, gases (such as carbon monoxide) and embers to penetrate and transfer to surrounding combustibles such as the wooden infrastructure of the home.

Without a lining, an unlined chimney “can no longer contain the elements of combustion.” When we see unlined chimneys in our customer’s homes, we recommend not to use the chimney until the chimney has been repaired.

How do you know if you have an unlined chimney?

Perhaps you had a home inspection done when you purchased your home. What most home buyers don’t realize is that home inspectors do not inspect flue linings. You cannot depend on a home inspection to determine if your chimney is lined or unlined. This is why it is essential to get a separate chimney inspection by a CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep BEFORE you purchase a home. Here’s how to find a CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep.

A CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep will not only be able to determine if your chimney is lined or unlined, but will also be able to inspect the condition of the flue lining if you have one. Again, the flue lining is the most critical component of your entire chimney system.

How to repair an unlined chimney

Assuming the chimney is structurally sound, the chimney can be relined, although new methods may be found in various parts of the United States.

Relining a chimney is where a metal pipe is installed inside the chimney structure to become the new flue lining. In most cases with these older systems, the firebox is rebuilt at the same time. Typically a top-mount damper is installed along with a flue cap.

Prices for relines vary from region to region. Chimneys in poor condition may also require additional extensive repair before relining.

If the unlined chimney is not structurally sound, a reline may not be a consideration. In that case, tearing down the chimney and rebuilding it with either a new masonry chimney or installing a prefab system would be the only other option.

First things first, have your chimney flue lining inspected by a CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep to make sure you don’t have an unlined chimney!

[Photo credits: Rick Pocock]

What is a Masonry Chimney?

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A masonry chimney on the exterior wall of a home

Just like automobiles that have different manufacturers and models, the same goes for fireplaces and chimneys.

Here in Southern California, there are primarily three different types of open fireplace systems–1) masonry chimneys; 2) prefabricated, factory-built systems; and 3) Rampart General Pre-Cast systems. Since I’ve already addressed Rampart General Pre-Cast systems in the past, this post will be about the masonry chimney.

The History of the Masonry Chimney

These masonry systems have been around for many centuries and are tried and true. They are constructed on-site with bricks, stone, concrete blocks and mortar. Masonry systems are built by hand, brick by brick. If the system is built properly and maintained regularly and there are no extenuating events (such as earthquakes and wildfires), they will last a century or more. In fact, it’s not uncommon to see masonry chimneys still in use in houses built in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Unfortunately, due to the high cost of labor, these systems haven’t been constructed since the mid-1980s here in Southern California except for in high-end, custom-built homes.

For a fireplace to work properly, there is a formula involved in building a masonry chimney system. Some of the factors in this formula have to do with the height of the chimney, the diameter of the flue pipe, and the height/width of the firebox opening. If a system isn’t built properly, the chimney will never draw properly and will have ongoing smoking problems.

Components of a Masonry Chimney and Fireplace

It’s important to know the various components of a masonry chimney:

Flue cap – The chimney cap consists of spark arrestor material with a solid lid. It provides three primary benefits: 1) It prevents embers from getting on the roof; 2) It prevents birds, rodents and other critters from entering the home through the chimney; and 3) Flue caps with solid lids will also prevent most of the rain from coming down the flue lining. Without the solid flat lid of the cap, rain would land in the smoke shelf which may cause damage to the damper and may deteriorate the firebox.

Crown – The crown is a concrete or mortar surface at the very top of the chimney structure. Its purpose is to direct water Masonry chimney componentsaway from the structure. A crown can also be referred to as a “wash” or a “splay.” A cracked crown will allow moisture to get into the chimney structure, eventually creating cracks in the chimney structure.

Flue – The flue is the passageway from the firebox to the top of the chimney structure. In a masonry chimney, the flue is lined with a flue lining typically made from terra cotta, pumice or metal.

If the flue lining is cracked, broken or if the mortar joints are missing between the flue tiles, the system cannot be used because of heat transference or deadly carbon monoxide leaking into the house. There are three primary methods for repairing cracked flue linings–1) relining the system with a stainless steel pipe; 2) installing a stove insert with a metal pipe to the top of the chimney structure; or 3) a poured cement, cast-in-place system.

In addition, older systems may not have a flue lining at all (which is referred to as an “Unlined Chimney”). In this case, the system cannot be used until it has been repaired.

Flue tiles – A flue lining inside a flue is basically a vent pipe. This pipe is not one solid pipe. In most cases, the pipe (typically terra cotta or pumice) is made up of pipe sections called flue tiles. Each flue tile (pipe section) is anywhere from 12″ to 24″ tall. In between each flue tile is the mortar. There should not be any gaps or voids in the mortar joints.

Smoke Shelf – A horizontal shelf located behind the damper to prevent down drafts and to collect debris that has fallen down the chimney.

Damper – The device that opens and closes so that heat is not lost from the home when the fireplace is not in use. Some dampers can be installed at the top of the chimney flue.

Lintel – A horizontal metal piece that extends over the entire width of the firebox opening at the top of the firebox opening. It is a structural part of the firebox. Here’s important information on why you never want to remove a lintel.

Firebox – The area of the fireplace where the fire is burned.

Exterior Hearth Extension – The area that extends in front of and to the sides of the firebox opening. The exterior hearth extension should be made from non-combustible materials and should be differentiated from the rest of the room’s flooring.

Ash Dump – Not all masonry systems have an ash dump. This is the area below the firebox where the ashes can be swept down into. A firebox with an ash dump will typically have a metal plate in the firebox’s floor. This metal plate can be opened to brush the ashes below.

Clean-out Door: The clean-out door is located on the outside of the chimney structure near ground level to clean out the ashes from the ash dump.

Unlined Masonry Chimney

Before the early 1900s, masonry systems were not constructed with a flue lining. We refer to those systems as “Unlined Chimneys.” According to the Chimney Safety Institute of America, “Never use a chimney that does not have a liner or has a damaged or improper lining.” [Public Safety Bulletin issued by the Chimney Institute of America: The Importance of Flue Lining in Your Masonry Chimney.] Here in San Diego, however, we have seen unlined chimneys as late as the early 1960s.

When these unlined systems were originally built, the masons used a material called parging (like stucco). They hand-coated over the bricks and mortar joints inside the chimney flue. With time, age and usage, this parging material has worn away, leaving the bricks and mortar joints exposed. In addition, back then the masons used a lot of sand in their mortar. Eventually, these mortar joints disintegrate, leaving gaps and voids. This creates a potentially dangerous situation.

If the unlined chimney is structurally sound and there are no other issues with the system, the system can be “relined.” This is a method where a stainless steel pipe is installed inside the chimney structure. However, if the metal lining is not installed properly or is undersized, the fireplace can be dangerous and/or will not ever draw properly.  Relining a chimney should only be done by a licensed and qualified chimney professional.

Make sure to use a CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep to inspect your system and sweep it if needed. If your masonry chimney is maintained, it will give you warmth and comfort for many years, decades and maybe even centuries to come.

Caveat: Chimneys are built differently in various regions throughout the country. What is common in one region may not be common in another. This information provided here is based on what we see in Southern California.

What do Trees have to do with Chimneys?

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Pine tree too close to chimneyHow many times do we, as chimney sweeps, advise a customer to contact someone that does tree removal services, a landscaper or a gardener? More often than you think!

The rule of thumb is to keep trees at least ten feet from the top and at least two feet below the top of the chimney. Certainly, no branches should ever overhang the chimney.

Here are eight very good reasons why

1) Branches overhanging a chimney will drop leaves and needles inside the flue, causing a fire hazard. In our experience, pine needles can be the worst.

2) Branches too close to the top of the chimney can catch the tree on fire.

Brown leaves on trees3) Trees too close to the house are a gateway for animals and insects to crawl on top of the roof and enter the home through the chimney. Something similar happened in our very own home so I speak from experience. One night we heard something on top of our roof. We went outside and saw a raccoon peering down at us from the edge of the roof. He had climbed up on the roof from the tree next to our house.  Only the chimney cap prevented the raccoon from entering the chimney.

4) Smoking problems when using your fireplace can be caused by a tall tree next to the top of the chimney causing downdraft issues.

5) The roots of a large tree can uproot the foundation of the chimney and can create a cracked slab in the concrete foundation of the house.

6) The smoke and gases from the fire going up the flue will affect foliage on the nearby tree, singeing the leaves and even killing a tree.

Ivy and trees on top of chimney7) Ivy and other vine-like vegetation growing on the chimney may look beautiful but will damage the masonry and will leave permanent unsightly marks on the chimney after removal. Also, ivy can eventually travel and grow inside the chimney, creating a fire hazard.

8) During heavy wind-driven storms or thunderstorms, overhanging tree branches can break off and damage the top of the chimney and the roof, causing expensive repairs.

Of course, a chimney cap will help in some of these cases but not all. It’s far better to keep trees away from chimneys.

A Chimney Cap is Essential, Even During The Summer

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Many people think that the sole reason for a chimney cap is to keep the embers from starting the roof on fire; however, there are so many other benefits to a chimney cap, even during the hot summer months.

A chimney cap will keep the critters out!

About a month ago, I received a panicked call from a woman who was looking out of her living room window and saw a raccoon scurrying along her neighbor’s roof and entering her neighbor’s chimney. After witnessing this, she immediately called us to install a chimney cap on her own chimney. It’s not uncommon for raccoons to enter chimneys, even in urban areas. She even took a photo of the raccoon and sent it to me! (See photo below.)

Get to know these creatures…

Without a chimney cap, a raccoon can enter a chimney
Photo credit: C. Black

Female raccoons will seek out open chimneys to climb down and create a nest to have their babies. In fact, 85% of the time when there’s a raccoon inside a chimney, it’s a female raccoon. The smoke shelf in the chimney (behind the damper) provides a safe, dark place away from predators. Male raccoons are a major predator to the babies because males consider the kits as more male competition.

Raccoons are more active during the spring, summer and autumn and tend to be nocturnal animals. Females usually give birth in April or May and will have up to eight kits at a time but typical litters of two to four are more common. Once the babies arrive, removing a raccoon becomes more difficult because you’re then removing not only the mother but her kits as well.

When the kits have reached five months of age, kits will venture out with their mother to learn how to climb and hunt. Kits become independent anywhere from 8-12 months of age.

The downside to raccoons

Raccoons carry dangerous infectious diseases such as Raccoon Roundworm, an intestinal roundworm found in their droppings that can infect other animals as well as humans. Raccoons can also be infected with rabies. They have sharp teeth and will typically not attack unless they feel threatened or cornered or if they feel their kits are at risk.

Removing raccoons from chimneys

Mama raccoons are fiercely protective of their kits so removal should be done by trained animal removal professionals! Here’s a comprehensive nationwide directory for professional wildlife trappers.  These animal removal experts can use special trapping systems that can be mounted to the top of the chimney flue.

Do not light the fireplace to smoke out the raccoon! Not only is this inhumane but the smoke and heat will kill the mother and kits, making it harder to remove the dead animals from the smoke shelf area. Also, to light the fire, you have to open the damper which may encourage the raccoon to come into the home instead of up the flue pipe.

Use a rope with knots tied about one foot apart and throw the rope down the chimney, tying the rope to the top of the chimney. This rope needs to be long enough to reach the bottom of the chimney into the smoke shelf behind the damper. The rope will help the raccoons and the kits to climb out of the chimney. Keep in mind that a mama raccoon can be heavy so make sure the rope is strong enough and tied off properly at the top.

Place repellent in a bowl inside the firebox.  Repellents can be Cayenne pepper, or a bowl of ammonia, or a commercial dog or cat repellent such as “Dog-Gone” or “Boundary” which can be found at most pet stores. If you have a tight damper, the smell may not penetrate into the smoke shelf area, in which case you may have to throw the repellent down from the top of the chimney.

In addition to the repellents, place a radio inside the firebox during the day. Also try scaring them out by using a broom to make loud noises inside the fireplace. These creatures don’t like loud noises. Putting a bright light or flashlight inside the firebox may also make the raccoons uncomfortable since raccoons are nocturnal animals.

After the raccoon leaves

Once a raccoon leaves the chimney, which will typically be at night, cover the top until a chimney cap can be installed. Be sure that all the kits are gone as well before covering the top. You don’t want to trap the babies inside.

In addition to raccoons, chimney caps will keep out birds, roof rats, squirrels and other critters. Unfortunately due to the wide mesh of the cap that is required by code, chimney caps will not keep bees from entering the chimney to build a hive.  Here’s more information about bees and bee removal.

Chimney caps are very important!

Chimney caps not only prevent animals from entering your home through the chimney, they prevent embers from landing on a roof or in your trees, causing a fire. The caps with a solid lid at the top will also prevent most of the rain from coming into the flue which can deteriorate the chimney from the inside out.

Contact a CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep to install a chimney cap today, before you get an unwelcome critter in your chimney!

 

 

 

Chimney Sweep girl

DIY Chimney Sweep

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Chimney Sweep girlAbout once a year, I receive a phone call from a homeowner who wants to sweep his own chimney. The first thing I say is, “You will only do it once.” Here are 5 reasons why, if you try to sweep your own chimney, you will definitely call a professional chimney sweep the next time!

1) IMPROPER CHIMNEY SWEEP EQUIPMENT

The proper chimney sweep equipment is expensive. Some people mistakenly think that you can use a regular home vacuum cleaner to vacuum the fireplace ashes. Even a ‘shop vac’ vacuum cleaner will potentially create soot and dust to blow back into the room because standard vacuum cleaners don’t have the special filters that prevent the fine particulates of soot from getting through the filter. These fine particulates of sooty and oily dust can leave a dark residue on carpet, furniture and window coverings, creating permanent damage to your home. You will forever be cleaning the black sooty residue from every nook and crevice in your home. In addition, because home vacuums are not designed for soot, you will ruin your home vacuum cleaner.

Another situation is in the case of prefab fireplaces. These systems require a very specific type of brush. Using improper brushes or brushing with too much force will potentially disconnect or damage the pipe, requiring replacement of the flue pipe. Once the flue pipe is disconnected, you’ve compromised the joint and the entire flue system must be replaced.

2) CREATE EXPENSIVE DAMAGE

Not long ago, I received a call from a Do-It-Yourself homeowner who decided to clean out his free-standing stove. He took apart the pipe and realized that he had gotten in over his head because he didn’t know how to put the pipe back together. Because he took the pipe apart incorrectly, the pipe had to be replaced because he had compromised the joints in the pipe. In addition, when he took apart the pipe, soot went everywhere in his living room, creating extensive damage to the flooring, furniture and window coverings. The room even needed to be painted. Many times a professional chimney sweep doesn’t even have to disconnect the flue pipe because he has invested in the appropriate equipment and training to do the job properly and without any mess.

3) CREATE A MORE DANGEROUS SITUATION

Do-It-Yourself homeowners don’t understand how chimneys are built. Simply pushing the creosote down the flue pipe, the creosote lands in the offset area of the chimney behind the damper called the smoke shelf. Untrained homeowners don’t understand that the smoke shelf must be vacuumed out with the appropriate type of vacuum. If the smoke shelf is full of creosote, the homeowner has now moved the creosote, which is highly flammable, closer to the heat source in the firebox. That homeowner has now created more of a fire hazard than what he was trying to prevent.

4) SAFETY OF THE HOMEOWNER

ladder against houseWhen a homeowner isn’t accustomed to being on a ladder or he doesn’t know how to safely get on and off a roof or how to walk on a roof without falling, the homeowner is endangering his life or potentially suffering a crippling injury.

Homeowners may not have safe ladders for their roof. Professional chimney sweeps will have ladders tall enough. According to OSHA, “ladders must extend at least three feet above the point of support” which is where the ladder rests against the roof eave.

In addition, professional chimney sweeps have special “feet” attached to the bottom of the ladder called ladder “levelers” to prevent slippage, to stabilize the ladder and to adjust to uneven ground.

5) INSPECTING THE SYSTEM

The most important part of sweeping the chimney is inspecting the system. Because a homeowner hasn’t had the proper training and education, the Do-It-Yourselfer will not know what to look for after the system is swept. Will that homeowner recognize a cracked flue lining? Or a disconnected flue pipe? Or if a termination cap is blocking the flue pipe or not venting properly? And what about the chimney system’s general condition? It’s important to know what to look for. These are all potentially dangerous situations that a homeowner will not recognize.

HOW TO FIND A QUALIFIED CHIMNEY SWEEP

Make sure you use a chimney sweep certified through the Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA). CSIA Certification is a nationwide standard and provides the most highly trained chimney professionals who must sign a strict code of ethics. Here are 5 things to consider when hiring a local chimney sweep. 

There are many maintenance projects a Do-It-Yourself homeowner can do on their own to save money, but when it comes to your safety and the safety of your family and your home, homeowners should leave certain maintenance projects to the experts. Know your limitations!

Smoke coming from fireplace

Ten Fireplace Smoking Problems and Solutions

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Smoke coming from fireplaceAs a professional chimney sweep, the most common phone call I get is about fireplace smoking problems.  Sometimes the smoke can fill the room; other times you may not even realize you have a smoking problem because the smoke is so subtle.  If it smells like a campfire in your living room the day after having had a fire in your fireplace, the likelihood is that you had a smoking problem that was so minor, you didn’t even realize it. Here are solutions to the top ten most common smoking problems.

Dirty Chimney

During usage of the fireplace, the smoke goes up the flue (the passageway or pipe). The smoke coats the flue with a by-product called creosote. With usage, the creosote buildup becomes thicker as the flue becomes smaller. This coating is not only dangerous because it’s highly flammable, but will create a smoking problem that will get progressively worse as the creosote builds up and the flue becomes narrower. The Chimney Institute of America (CSIA) states that if the build-up of creosote is any more than 1/8″ in the flue, the chimney must be swept.

SOLUTION: Have the chimney swept by a qualified CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep. To find a CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep, go to the Chimney Safety Institute of America at www.csia.org.

Obstructions inside the Chimney and/or Plugged-up Chimney Cap

Birds inside a chimneyThe chimney should be checked for any obstructions inside the flue pipe, such as bird nests, tree branches, leaves, beehives, or even the missing volleyball. (Yes, we really do find balls in chimneys!) Also, with usage, the chimney cap will get plugged up, especially if you burn wet wood or lots of paper.

SOLUTION: Have the chimney swept by a qualified CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep. To find a CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep, go to the Chimney Safety Institute of America at www.csia.org

Closed Damper

Before lighting a fire, always make sure that the damper is open. Don’t laugh–a closed damper happens more often than you think!  If you’re not sure if the damper is open or closed, shine a flashlight inside the fireplace, up the flue. If the damper isn’t fully open, do not even attempt to light the fire.

SOLUTION: Always check the damper each time before starting a fire. As chimneys get older, sometimes the damper will become difficult to operate or may even seize. If the damper does not FULLY open, have it looked at by a CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep.

Fuel–Firewood or Prefabricated Logs (like Duraflame)

Firewood that has not been aged long enough will have a higher moisture content which will not only create a smokier fire but will create more creosote buildup Pile of firewoodinside the flue pipe. According to the Chimney Safety Institute of America, ideally, the moisture content of firewood should be between 15% and 25%. A good rule of thumb is to have firewood aged between six months and a year. Firewood should be split to dry out faster. Dried wood that is wet from rain and snow will re-hydrate so be sure to cover up the firewood pile during wet weather. In addition, improper usage of the prefabricated logs (such as Duraflame or Pine Mountain) can create a smoking problem.

SOLUTION: Make sure that firewood is aged at least six months and keep the wood dry during the winter.

Cold Weather

When it’s cold outside, there’s also cold air inside the flue pipe and that cold air is very heavy, dense air, especially if it’s raining outside. That cold air acts like a plug. If Priming the flueyou light a fire, the smoke can’t rise but instead will come into the room where you’re sitting. That cold air in the flue will eventually warm up on its own during a fire, but not before smoke comes into the living area.

SOLUTION: During cold weather, always “prime the flue” before starting your fire. To do this, place the wood on the fire grate as far back as possible in the firebox. Open the damper. Roll up a piece of newspaper like a “wand.” Light the end of the wand and hold it up near the open damper for a minute or two to warm up the air in the flue. When the flue is primed, you should see the smoke from the wand being drawn up the flue. At that point in time, light the fire.

Central Heating System or Furnace

If you have the furnace turned on at the same time as having a fire in the fireplace, you may experience a smoking problem. This is especially true when the furnace’s Cold air register for furnaceair intake (cold air register) is close to or in the same room as the fireplace. Other systems like kitchen hoods, bathroom exhaust fans and dryer vents can also contribute to this problem. This is especially true if you have made your house more airtight with new vinyl windows and doors as well as tight weatherstripping.

SOLUTION: Do not have the furnace on at the same time as the fireplace.

New Windows and Doors and Tight Weatherstripping

New windows and doors make for a “tight” house which may create a Fireplace next to windowsmoking problem when the fireplace is in use. A fire requires oxygen and in a tight house, there’s a limited amount of make-up air.

SOLUTION: Cracking open a window or sliding door close to the fireplace will give the fire the oxygen that it needs for the combustion process, and will also help the smoke vent up the chimney.

Canyons and Hillsides

A house located near Wind cap on top of a chimneya canyon or a hillside will be more prone to gusting winds that can create downdrafts. Also, homes located close to the ocean will be prone to the prevailing winds.

SOLUTION: A specially-designed wind cap can sometimes minimize the downdrafts. Note that these wind caps cannot be installed on prefabricated fireplace systems.

Chimney Improperly Built

A masonry chimney is built to a certain formula, having to do with the height and width of the firebox opening, the height of the chimney and the diameter of the flue pipe (among other factors). If any of these factors are not correct, the fireplace may be prone to smoking problems. Also double-sided, L-shape or see-through fireplaces are always more prone to smoking problems.

In addition, if a chimney does not have an adequate height above the roof line, the system may be prone to smoking problems. We call these systems “short stacks.” The chimney should be at least three feet above the roof line, and at3-2-10 Rule least two feet taller than anything horizontally within ten feet. This includes houses located too close together, two-story additions (when the chimney is on the first story), or trees. In building terms, this is called the 3-2-10 rule.

SOLUTION: For a one-sided fireplace opening, sometimes installing a smoke guard will resolve the problem. A smoke guard is a piece of metal that extends the full smoke guard on fireplacewidth at the top of the firebox opening and lowers the firebox opening by 4″, 6″ or 8″, to encourage the smoke from the fireplace to go up the flue instead of in the room.  For multi-sided fireplaces, closing one side of the glass doors may reduce smoking. (Note: Never close both sets of glass doors on a two-sided fireplace at the same time during a fire.)  As a last resort, sometimes the only solution is to have a chimney mason raise the height of the chimney.

Wind

Two systems in one chimney structure can create smoking problems if the two flues are at the same height at the top of the chimney stack, side by side. As one fireplace is used, the smoke goes up and as it exits the top, the wind can drive the smoke down the other flue pipe, like a siphon effect.

SOLUTION: Slightly raise one of the two flues so that they aren’t at the same height at the top of the chimney.

What NOT to do if you have a smoking problem…

Time and time again, homeowners install artificial gas logs to solve a fireplace smoking problem.  This is NOT a viable solution and can actually create a more dangerous situation!

If your fireplace has a smoking problem when you’re burning wood, it’s going to have a smoking problem when you’re burning artificial gas logs, only the gases are colorless and odorless so you won’t be aware there’s a smoking problem.  It’s better to figure out why the fireplace is smoking before installing gas logs.

In Summary…

This is not a complete list of causes for smoking problems but certainly the most common. Using the process of elimination, trying different solutions one at a time, will narrow down the cause so you can enjoy your fireplace to the fullest. Future blog posts will go into further detail on each of these smoking problems.  Keep in mind, the best place to start is to have a CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep out to evaluate your system, sweep if necessary and give you advice on how to resolve any smoking problem that you may be having.

Close-up of the face of a sheep

Timing is Everything – Don’t be a Chimney Sheep!

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Close-up of the face of a sheep
Don’t be a chimney sheep!

Sheep are best known for flocking and will run together as herds because there’s safety in numbers. This works great for sheep but works against homeowners for their home maintenance, especially in preventing fire hazards due to chimneys and fireplaces.

It’s common knowledge that you never call for maintenance on your air conditioning on the hottest day of summer and you don’t even attempt to call an appliance repairman to fix your kitchen stove on Thanksgiving Day. Not only will you pay a lot more money but you will wait more than a few days before getting a service. Maintenance is best done to prevent break-downs, especially break-downs during inopportune times.

The rule of thumb for timing on any home maintenance is: DON’T BE A SHEEP! This certainly applies to any service within the chimney industry, whether this is a chimney inspection, a chimney sweeping or any chimney repairs needed.

The chimney industry is extremely seasonal and, in most parts of the United States, the busiest time of the year is from September through February. Don’t be a sheep and call a chimney professional at the first cold snap of the year. Better to maintain your chimney on a preventative basis during the off-season.

The best time of year to have your chimney inspected is after you finish using it for the last time of the year, typically in the spring. Not only will the prices be the lowest at that time of year, but you can usually schedule a chimney sweep appointment within a few days to a week. This also allows more than enough time to do any repair needed long before the fire-burning season starts up in the Autumn.

So don’t be a sheep. Get your chimney inspected, swept if needed and repaired during the off-season. That way, when you light up your fireplace for the first time in the Fall, you’ve got peace of mind and can sit back on a cozy night and thoroughly enjoy your fireplace.

Roof showing chimney on fire

5 Reasons for a Chimney Cap

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Roof showing chimney on fireWhy have a chimney cap? Well, let me tell you a not-so-funny, but very ironic little story.

A few years ago, a man called me up asking about a chimney cap to protect his new roof. He was burning wedding photos after a somewhat bitter divorce. A short time later, his neighbor was banging on the man’s front door telling him that his roof was on fire. Apparently, the burning embers from the photos landed on his roof and caught the roof on fire. Thanks to the observant neighbor, the firemen arrived in time to save the house, although there was major water damage. If he had had a chimney cap BEFORE he used his fireplace, he would have saved a lot of money and heartache.

What is a chimney cap?

Caps are called “chimney caps,” “rain caps,” or “flue caps,” but these are all Black stainless steel chimney capdifferent terms for the same thing. They look like upside boxes with the spark arrester mesh around the four sides of the box and the top is typically a solid metal lid to prevent most of the rain from coming into the system. Ideally, the lid is removable to make it easier for the chimney sweep to maintain the chimney.

A chimney cap serves several important purposes

Fire Safety– Here in Southern California where wildfires are always a major concern, a chimney cap is essential. Fly-away embers can land on your roof, on your neighbor’s roof, on dried leaves and landscaping, patio covers, fabric canopies, or cars. The spark arrester mesh on the chimney cap prevents most of these dangerous embers from escaping.

Critters– A chimney without a cap is like an open door for any unwelcome critter to come into your home through the chimney. As far as the critter is concerned, you just welcomed it into your home. It’s not uncommon for birds, raccoons, squirrels, snakes, and even roof rats to make your chimney their home. If an animal creates a nest inside a Raccoon in chimneychimney, it will create a blockage in the chimney, making it unsafe to use the fireplace. On another note, if an animal dies inside the chimney, the smell will be horrendous, making the house unlivable for a period of time.

Rain– A chimney cap with a lid will prevent most of the rain from coming down the chimney. Chimneys aren’t built straight up and down. If they were, every time it rains outside, the rain would come straight onto your fire. Chimneys are typically built with an offset so the rain lands in the smoke shelf area behind the damper. The water sits in the smoke shelf, up against the metal damper plate, until the water either evaporates or it seeps into the backwall of the firebox. Rain will deteriorate the chimney from the inside out and will cause premature damage to the metal parts of your system, such as the damper. Caps will save thousands of dollars in preventable chimney repairs.

Leaves and debris– The cap will prevent leaves, pine tree needles, and branches of nearby trees from entering the chimney. Dead leaves, pine tree needles and branches inside a chimney will create a fire hazard.

Downdrafts– Houses built on hillsides, in canyons, along beaches and in mountain areas are particularly prone to downdraft problems. A specially-designed wind cap can prevent these downdrafts.

Some caveats

Pre-fab fireplaces and free-standing stoves automatically come with and are listed with very specific caps already. Installing an incorrect cap on these systems will not only void out the U.L. listing on the system but may create a potentially dangerous situation because of overheating.

Be careful of chimney caps purchased from the “big box” home improvement stores. These caps, because of how they’re attached to the flue, may damage the flue lining. Also, they don’t stay on very well and, with a strong wind, they’ll go flying. Hopefully, they won’t land on your solar panels, your car, or even worse, a person. You want a heavy-duty chimney cap that’s going to stay on even in major winds. Also, these chimney caps purchased from big box stores are typically made from galvanized steel which may create rust stains down the chimney after a period of time. Most professional chimney sweeps carry special heavy-duty chimney caps that aren’t available directly to homeowners.

The chimney sweep will also install that chimney cap, saving the homeowner a trip on the roof.

Stainless steel chimney caps are recommended to prevent rusting and many caps have a lifetime warranty.

One last suggestion: Never use your fireplace to burn unwanted photos!