Chimney Care Company's Blog
4 Reasons Why You Need a Chimney Cap
A chimney cap can protect and preserve your chimney for years to come. It’s a must-have for your chimney.
Look up. Do you see a cap atop that chimney of yours? If not, here’s why you need to fix that A.S.A.P.:
- To keep ice and water out. Without a cap, a masonry chimney will take on—and even absorb—a great deal of water, which is damaging not only to the chimney itself but to all components of the chimney and the areas around your chimney—your walls, floors, and ceilings. A wet chimney will also be a stinky chimney. Read more about why chimneys and water don’t mix here.
- To keep animals and insects out. Unless you love the incessant sounds of skittering and tweeting, infestations of insects and vermin, and the smells of dead animals, you will want a chimney cap to keep all living creatures out of your chimney. Animals, of course, make nests, too, which can impede the flow of air through your chimney, causing drafting problems, and become a fire hazard.
- To keep debris and trash out. Chimneys are known to become receptacles for whatever the wind carries—be it leaves and branches, trash, golf balls, etc.; you name it, we’ve found it there. These things might seem inconsequential, but they can cause blockages in your chimney that lead to fire, smoke damage, and carbon monoxide poisoning.
- To keep sparks and embers in. Chimney caps are equipped with wire mesh that won’t allow sparks and large burning embers to pass through, though toxic gases and smoke will be able to exit freely. You will want to keep sparks and embers inside your chimney so that they don’t catch anything adjacent to your chimney on fire.
New Chimney Caps and Chimney Cap Repairs
If you already have your masonry chimney capped, but have a cap that’s seen better days, we may be able to repair your existing cap. And if you do end up needing a new cap, we can make sure you have the correct replacement cap and that it is properly installed so that you’ll never have to worry about water getting into your chimney again.
If you have a prefabricated fireplace, your chimney cap is called a “chase top.” It’s important to know that not just any chase cover will do. Manufactured chimneys must have the proper manufacturer-specified chimney cap. The Chimney Care Co., which serves homeowners in Cincinnati, Southwest Ohio, and Northern Kentucky, can locate the correct chase cover or chimney cap for your chimney.
Getting Optimum Draft
Your Chimney’s Draft, And How It Can Be Compromised
As comprehensive chimney and fireplace service professionals, the techs at the Chimney Care Co. tend to talk about draft a lot — it’s pretty much the key to your chimney’s proper function, so maintaining draft is key to what we do, too.
The Chimney Safety Institute of America has a detailed breakdown of the science behind how your chimney works, but if you want the chimney draft CliffsNotes, here’s a simple breakdown.
Not only does optimum draft increase effectiveness and performance, it also minimizes risks.
Draft is, more or less, how air draws up your flue. And it occurs because of a difference in pressure between the hot air produced by your fire and the cooler air outside your flue. When heated air is getting produced by your fire, some degree of draft will happen, but what you really need is optimum draft — the proper level of upward pull, which happens when your chimney system is properly built, in top shape, under optimum burning conditions.
That probably sounds like a tall order, all those optimums. But that’s what we do at the Chimney Care Co.: We use the right methods, tools and expertise to get your chimney system set up for optimum draft.
What Can Stop Optimum Draft?
Ensuring optimum draft means getting rid of all the things that hinder draft. Wondering what those things are? Here are a few of the most common problems:
Blockages
This one’s kind of a given: If something is blocking off your flue, air can’t flow like it should. The most common flue blockages are usually an indication of another problem, like a missing chimney cap allowing animals to nest in the chimney, pieces of a damaged chimney liner falling into the flue, or excess amounts of creosote being present because of an overdue chimney sweeping appointment.
Improperly Sized Flue
Heating appliances are designed to vent through a specifically sized flue. A flue that’s too small leaves you with weak draft and smoking issues. A flue that’s too large generally draws too slowly leading to poor venting, increased levels of creosote and often liner and masonry damage from acidic condensate, too. The mismatch in sizes sometimes happens when a new appliance is installed to vent with an existing chimney, and the flue size isn’t taken into consideration. The most effective solution: having a new stainless steel flue liner installed to bring the flue to its proper size.
Your Appliance Isn’t Getting Enough Air
Fireplaces and stoves need combustion air to encourage draft and keep byproducts and smoke moving in the right direction. If you’re having issues with smoke coming into your living area and your home has energy-efficient windows and doors, those energy savers might be keeping your fire from getting enough air. Try cracking a window and see if it helps.
You’re Using The Wrong Fuel
If you have a wood-burning appliance, here’s one rule that has no exception: Burn seasoned or kiln-dried wood, always. Burning improperly dried wood leads to a fire that doesn’t burn hot enough, which means a weak draft and increased creosote. If you’re collecting and cutting your own wood, let it dry for six months to a year. (Christmas trees and trash: also a no-no as far as proper fireplace or stove use goes.)
If you’re experiencing draft issues, The Chimney Care Co. technicians can inspect your system, find the culprit and offer solutions. If you’d like to schedule an appointment, or ask any questions, just give us a call!
Prolong Chimney Life by Waterproofing
Many of us are guilty of the fact that we only pay attention to things inside the home once they start creating problems. Take your chimney for example, it seems as if it will last forever. But once it creates problems like leaks and such, you tend to pay close attention to it because the effects can be crucial both to your pocket and to your home.
Water is your chimney’s enemy. Make sure it doesn’t make its way in there.
What most of us don’t realize is that our chimneys go through severe weather changes throughout the year. That’s why they are very prone to chimney leaks and eventually deterioration of their infrastructure. We owe it to ourselves to give enough attention to the chimney so that we can avoid the hassle of repairing major damage. You will be able to save a great deal of money and protect your chimney.
Water and Your Chimney
Water is the number one enemy of chimneys. The moisture can help mold to breed in the tiny spaces between chimney bricks and produce harmful toxins that will threaten your health. Furthermore, it destroys the structure of the chimney over time. So if you really want to extend the life of your chimney and to somehow help in reducing the costs long-term, waterproofing your chimney becomes mandatory. Waterproofing your chimney means that every measure is taken to make sure that water will have no entry point into any part of your chimney.
Installing a Chimney Cap is Important in Waterproofing your Chimney
By installing a chimney cap, you are already hitting two birds: helping your chimney live longer and preventing leaves and bird nests to enter the chimney and cause further damage. It has two goals and benefits to give:
- To protect your chimney from water and other things that might block it
- To beautify the roof even more. (Having something put on your chimney opening is pleasing to the eyes.)
To attain the maximum efficiency of your fireplace and chimney consider contacting a chimney sweep duly licensed by the Chimney Safety Institute of America. You can also check with the National Fireplace Institute because without a licensed professional in the field, the process might take more time than usual and more money as well. Our company, Chimney Care Co., has the best licensed professionals to take care of your chimney. Our years of experience will guarantee a fully-functional, well-maintained chimney. Nothing beats excellent service and outstanding people to do all these for you.
Maintaining Your Fireplace Safely
Fire Prevention Tips
Building a fire in the fireplace is a great way to enjoy a winter night, but many homeowners have had that experience turn into a catastrophic situation. If a fireplace and chimney are not properly used and maintained, you put yourself at risk. There are a few simple tips that any homeowner can follow to make sure that their fire remains in the fireplace.
One way to maximize your safety is to only burn dry, seasoned wood. Wet or green wood produces excess creosote, which is highly flammable.
Getting Started
Before using the fireplace for the first time each season, it is a good idea to check the batteries in the smoke detectors. This is something that all homeowners should be doing every month anyway but it is especially important during the winter season. No matter how careful a person is, accidents can still happen and it is important to be prepared. Knowing about the beginning of a fire as soon as possible is the best way to minimize the damage.
Cleaning Out Creosote
Another important thing to remember is that a fireplace and chimney must be kept clean if they are going to function properly. This is why most homeowners opt to have a licensed chimney sweep clean out their chimney at least once a year. A chimney sweep is equipped to deal with things such as creosote, a dangerous chemical compound that is often left behind after a fire. Creosote, as well as other materials often found in chimneys, is extremely flammable and has been known to start many chimney fires.
What Not to Do
When there is a fire blazing in the fireplace, it can be tempting to throw in material that has been lying around and is need of disposal. However, only material intended for burning in a fireplace should be placed into the flame. This means only treated coal and properly seasoned hardwoods. Using anything else could not only damage the structure of the fireplace, but it could start a blaze that quickly gets out of control. Be sure to keep a screen around the fireplace so that children cannot throw in toys or other unwanted materials.
Invest in a Chimney Cap
Many chimney fires start as a result of a blockage that prevents smoke and other combustible gasses from properly exiting the fireplace. This blockage may be caused by leaves that make their way into the chimney or by animals that decide to use it as their home. A chimney cap is a small, simple structure that goes on top of the chimney and prevents these things from entering the chimney. It is a small investment that makes a big difference.
Have Your Chimney Inspected
The most important thing a homeowner can do for their chimney and fireplace is to have it inspected each year by a licensed chimney inspector. This is the only way to get a good look inside of the flue and see if there are any issues on the horizon. Catching potential chimney problems in the early stages can make the repairs less costly and can also decrease the risk of danger to the home.
Having a fireplace in the home is a great perk for a homeowner who knows how to properly use and maintain it. Annual inspections are a necessity as well as keeping the flue and fireplace as clean as possible. Installing a chimney cap is a great way to make sure that all flammable material can leave the fireplace as it should.