For many of us, it is still much too warm to build a fire in the fireplace, but before you do, it is wise to hire man to clean the chimney. They are best known as chimney sweeps and are ordinarily worth anyone it costs to hire them.
The days are gone though, when you could lower a small boy into a chimney with a brush and force him to clean the soot and creosote from the flue of the fireplace. That may never have happened, but the conception was immortalized by Charles Dickens in the stories of the orphan boy, Oliver Twist, who was sold to a chimney sweep.
Clean the chimney every year if you burn a lot of wood in the winter. Chimney fires can be caused by a build up of soot and creosote and can cause a chimney fire that can positively mess up a house by burning ignitable portions of dry roofs.
I have witnessed chimney fires and if it is a big one, it can look like a Roman Candle on steroids. If the roof is dry, it can be a big problem.
Why clean out the chimney before you use it? Gases from the fire tour up the chimney with the smoke. Depending on the climatic characteristic of the blaze in the firebox, the gases whether solidify or liquefy. When they merge they form creosote, which is not a good thing because it's combustible.
Creosote sticks to the walls of your chimney in syrupy form or as a golden glaze inside the flue linings. This residue can ignite when there is a roaring flame coming out of the fireplace. Small flames in the top of the chimney that can't be seen from the ground, are culprits in many house fires.
Burning seasoned wood can keep creosote problems to a minimum. Oak that has been aged for at least a year is my preference in firewood. Hickory is a hot burner, but because of the sparks it emits, a fireplace screen is a necessity.
I haven't burned a lot of pine in the fireplace because it just smolders instead of burning brightly. It works the same way in wood burning stoves. Pine, for me, is only good for campfires.
A lot of smoke and creosote is emitted by Sweet Gum logs. It is other wood that produces more smoke than flames.
A smoky fire isn't what you what you want if you're trying to keep your chimney clean. Seasoned oak is my selection of fireplace fuel, but even that will yield gases that can turn into creosote and stick to the inside of your chimney.
Since almost anyone can go to a hardware store and buy a set of flue brushes and a vacuum cleaner to clean up the mess, it's not a good idea to hire the first man you find in the yellow pages.
Members of Chimney Sweep Guilds as well as those who have had over 20 years perceive in the firm can regularly be trusted to do a safe and approved job. They will know how to dissolve creosote in your flue linings and regularly can fix minor cracks and imperfections in your chimney.
Don't take chances with your fireplace. Get it checked out each year. The peace of mind in knowing that your home is safe when a roaring fire is going in your den, is worth the price of hiring a chimney sweep.
Dirty Chimney? Hire a Chimney Sweep!
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