All In Good Taste / October 2005
Clean Sweep
Women know cars need regular maintenance, but they may not know their chimney requires attention for safety and proper function.
Chimney service is an important consideration for fireplace owners, since according to the U.S.
Consumer Product Safety Commission, nearly 30,000 residential fires a year are related to chimneys or chimney connectors, leading to deaths and millions in property losses.
Some chimney services improve performance and some are essential for safety.
Dampers, chimney caps and liners are areas that often need attention.
The fireplace damper is usually located in the throat of a masonry chimney just above the firebox. It’s designed to seal the fireplace shut when not in use, so heated air from the home won’t escape up the chimney when the fireplace isn’t engaged. Most fireplace dampers form a metal-to-metal seal which, even when new, occasionally allow air to leak through. Over time, as the metal plates warp from effects of heat and moisture, the seal deteriorates. Open or leaky dampers can add hundreds of dollars a year to heating costs so fixing them is a good investment.
Older masonry fireplaces that appear fine on the exterior, may actually suffer from cracks, deterioration or broken clay liners which can result in smoke, carbon monoxide or fire seeping back into a home. One solution is to add a metal chimney liner to the masonry chimney to make certain smoke and hot gases make it to the outside. Not all chimneys require this solution, but many would benefit from the addition.
The cost ranges from $1,500 to $6,000, depending on the product and the installation complexity. The best way to verify the work is necessary through a chimney sweep’s video scan of the chimney’s interior.
Installation of a flue liner has been recommended since the early part of the century, but few building codes mandate chimney liners for masonry chimneys. Unfortunately, most older masonry chimneys were built with clay tile liners that can deteriorate over time or be damaged by weather, undetected chimney fires or foundation settling. The deterioration or damage can result in missing or cracked clay tiles that leave the chimney compromised. Lack of flue tiles can provide opportunity for gases from a fire to penetrate the brick and mortar, reducing the usable life of the chimney and creating gaps in the mortar joints. Carbon monoxide may seep back into the living structure or sparks from a fire can escape through a crack in the chimney wall into a flammable part of home construction. Additionally, a chimney fire can move through a breech in an unlined chimney, and spread throughout the home.
New fireplaces, even masonry ones, are built with metal chimneys but adding a metal chimney liner in a masonry chimney brings older chimneys up to today’s safety standards.
Chimney caps are essential to the proper functioning and safety of a chimney. They’ve been around for over 50 years but lately, have become a design element as well as a safety tool. They prevent damage to the bricks, mortar, liner and firebox by deflecting rain and they prevent birds and animals from building nests in the chimney and blocking the flue. Spark arrestor screens prevent sparks from escaping the chimney and posing a safety hazard. While chimney caps are traditionally made of stainless steel, copper is emerging as a key material because of its durability and beauty.
Find a reliable chimney sweep through references from friends and neighbors, then check their credentials. Verify their credibility through the Chimney Safety Institute of America (ww.csia.org) or the National Chimney Sweep Guild (www.ncsg.org). Also, check local Chambers of Commerce or Better Business Bureaus.
Many sweeps offer a chimney video scan for a nominal charge, which can be money well spent. Or, ask them to describe the problem with a detailed report. Before discounting a diagnosis, consider a second opinion.
Homeowners should investigate possible repairs over the Internet. CSIA, the National Fire Protection Association (www.nfpa.org), and the Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association (www.hpba.org) offer great tips to educate fireplace owners. The CSIA also offers brochures that explain chimney services and maintenance of a fireplace, carbon monoxide hazards and more.
Mary Poppins says shaking hands with a chimney sweep is good luck, but hiring one to keep the chimney safe is good sense. PL
For more information or to locate a chimney sweep that offers chimney lining, visit www.homesaver.com or call 1-866-HOMESAVER (866-466-3728).
Copyright © 2007 A Woman's View. All rights reserved.
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