Brick Repair, LLC.

Michigan Chimney Repair, Fireplace Repair, Masonry Construction, and Masonry Contractor for Oakland County, Wayne County, Macomb County & Genesee County

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fireplace

Michigan chimney expert warns about the dangers of chimney fires and shares ways to help prevent these potential dangerous situations.  I’m sure most people don’t spend too much time worrying about the risk they are taking when they don’t take proper care of their chimney, however dirty chimneys are predisposed to fires that could take a dramatic turn for the worst and possibly devastate homes and/or lives.

Chimney fires can be easily avoided if you take suitable precisions, but to do this you must fully understand how chimney fires are set into motion. I’m quite sure everybody knows that when you’re burning wood the smoke it releases travels up the chimney.  This smoke is full of matter that condenses on the flue liner within your chimney. This condensed matter is also known as creosote. As soon as the creosote has been produced, it continues to bond to the walls waiting for any indication of flame or spark to ignite it.

The type of wood that you burn can also effect how the amount of creosote that builds up along the flue liner. Unseasoned wood (green), for example, is the key perpetrator in this. Unseasoned wood holds a lot of moisture which needs to be removed in order to burn. Using unseasoned wood produces a cooler smoke than seasoned wood, which is more likely to condense on the inside of your chimney.

The temperature also plays an important role on the effects of your chimney.  The cold air outside helps to cool off the smoke from your fireplace, and also condenses the smoke to form creosote.  Having a chimney that runs up the side of your house, rather than through the center, makes it more likely to happen as well.

Not opening the damper all the way or closing the glass doors on your fireplace causes air flow to be constrained. Good air flow is important because it helps to lift smoke from your fireplace before it condenses into creosote.

Bulky, compressed bundles of wood cause cooler fires so smaller, hotter fires are best. I advise against burning cardboard or papers for the simple fact those small flaming pieces of ash and such can drift up your chimney and likely ignite the creosote fixed on the inside of your chimney.

While nothing can completely prevent the forming of creosote, it helps to have your chimney cleaned and examined on a regular basis. This will help to keep the problem at bay.

If you would like any more information about chimneys, masonry construction, or have any masonry questions please visit http://michiganchimneyrepair.com/default.aspx