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F.A.Q. Concerning Chimney Cleaning and Repair

How often should my chimney be cleaned?

How do I know if I have a masonry Fireplace or a manufactured/prefab fireplace?

Can you do repairs?

Can I go to bed or leave the house with a fire in the fireplace?

Q: How often should my chimney be cleaned?

A: The National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) recommends a yearly inspection and cleaning with repairs done as necessary. Free-standing wood stoves or fireplace inserts used to heat the home should be inspected and cleaned if needed every year. Regular open fireplaces need to be maintained and cleaned on a consistent basis as well. Usually a cleaning is needed for every cord of wood burned or at least 2-3 years.

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Q: How do I know if I have a masonry Fireplace or a manufactured/prefab fireplace?

A: A masonry fireplace is brick from the ground up. The top of the chimney is concrete and it will have terra cotta (clay) flue tiles in the center. Another good indicator is an ash dump door in the center of the firebox or a clean out door on the outside of the house.

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Q: Can you do repairs?

A: YES, Our specialty is firebox repair, masonry and stone work as well as chimney relining. Anything concerning a chimney or fireplace...we do.

We also replace lost or damaged dampers.

If you are having problems with your chimney, we assuredly find  a workable solution. Call Chimney Solutions with your problem, we want to help! 

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Q: Can I go to bed or leave the house with a fire in the fireplace?

A: This is not a good idea because the fire is unattended.

If something goes wrong the only way to know it is by the sound of your smoke detector or alarm system. Even if you have glass doors and they are closed there is still a risk involved. The general rule of thumb is that if no visible flame is present the glass doors can be closed and the risk is lower but still present due to the heat.

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Q. Who has chimney fires nowadays?

The most recent figures from the US Consumer Product Safety Commission indicate that there are over 29,100 chimney/solid fuel related fires annually in America. A chimney fire happens when the creosote deposited inside the chimney ignites. When this happens it is usually associated with a loud roaring sound, like an aircraft taking off or a train running through your living room.

This is due to the tremendous amount of air rushing into your fireplace producing a blast furnace type of effect. A chimney fire can produce temperatures in excess of 2,000 degrees, hot enough to melt mortar and spew flaming balls of creosote out of your chimney like a volcano.

Some people have limited chimney fires just burning up one side of the flue sounding like the howling wind outside. Many times this will crack the clay flue liner leaving the homeowner in a more vulnerable situation should a second chimney fire occur. A common occurrence is a resulting structure fire transmitted through the brick from the intense heat.

Q. Do the powders and logs I see advertised to eliminate creosote really work?

Powders and potions have been around for over twenty years that claim to reduce or eliminate creosote in the chimney. Our field observations of homeowners that try these chemicals have shown that not only do they not eliminate creosote; some are actually causing severe damage to the chimney interior. We have seen homeowners burning aluminum cans, potato peelings, and even chicken droppings.

These methods not only do not eliminate creosote, they also produce a caustic acid when burned, and deposit on the inside of your chimney. Be wary of anything boasting all natural ingredients. In most cases this means sodium chloride (table salt) being deposited in your flue. Salt mixed with humidity and moisture spells disaster both for masonry and metal interiors of chimneys, much like salt on your sidewalks in the wintertime.

Q. What type of wood is best to use in my fireplace?

The most common type of wood to order from this area of the country is mixed hardwoods, followed by birch. Birch is not as popular as it is a softer wood and will burn twice as fast as the mixed hardwoods, also producing twice as much creosote. The most important thing is to burn a well-seasoned wood. Wood should be cut and split and left to dry 12 months and stored with a cover over the top with the sides left open for air circulation.

Stay away from pine because of its high pitch content and never burn cardboard, plywood, Christmas wrapping, treated, or painted wood. The smokier the fire you have, the more creosote you will be depositing in your chimney.

Q. Why do I need my chimney cleaned?

When you burn wood or fire logs (Duraflame, Pine Mountain..etc.) the smoke that travels up the chimney contains small particles of tar and unburned wood. This collects and builds up on the chimney's walls. This build up is still very flammable and can catch on fire. Believe it or not the chimney is not made to have fire in it...only smoke. The temperatures inside a chimney that has caught on fire can rupture and crack the inner liner of the chimney allowing the flames to get into any area that is touching the chimney. The flames spewing out of the top can also catch the roof or surrounding trees on fire. It's simple...if you are going to use your chimney...clean it.

If for no other reason, you should have your chimney cleaned annually for the certified inspection at minimum.

Q. My fireplace smokes. What can I do?

There are a multitude of reasons for smoky fireplaces and stoves. Some reasons include:

A build up of creosote or an animal nest resulting in reduced draft.

What to do? - clean the chimney

The damper may be closed or partially closed.
What to do? - look up to the damper area and see if you can see it open you may have to be moving the handle while you do this to see it...watch your eyes for falling debris.

The Flue is too small for the fireplace that it is servicing.

What to do? A simple test this by placing a 4" to 6" wide strip of aluminum foil across the entire top of the opening of the fireplace (where the smoke would be rolling out from). Burn a fire and see if the smoke is stopped or reduced. If it works a piece of metal can be made or purchased to stay there permanently. This is called a Smoke Guard.

The more elaborate and expensive answer is a draft induction fan placed on top of the chimney to make it draft.

Chimney is too short.

Q. My fireplace stinks, especially in the summer. What can I do?

The smell is due to creosote deposits in the chimney, a natural byproduct of wood burning. The odor is usually worse in the summer when the humidity is high and the air conditioner is turned on. A good cleaning will help but usually won't solve the problem completely. There are commercial chimney deodorants that work pretty well, and many people have good results with baking soda or even kitty litter set in the fireplace. The real problem is the air being drawn down the chimney, a symptom of overall pressure problems in the house. Some make-up air should be introduced somewhere else in the house. A tight sealing, top mounted damper will also reduce this air flow coming down the chimney. The chimney may also be leaking water into the masonry around the top of the chimney.


Q. When I build a fire in my upstairs fireplace, I get smoke from the basement fireplace.

This has become quite a common problem in modern air tight houses where weather proofing has sealed up the usual air infiltration routes. The fireplace in use exhausts household air until a negative pressure situation exists. If the house is fairly tight, the simplest route for makeup air to enter the structure is often the unused fireplace chimney. As air is drawn down this unused flue, it picks up smoke that is exiting nearby from the fireplace in use and delivers the smoke to the living area. The best solution is to provide makeup air to the house so the negative pressure problem no longer exists, thus eliminating not only the smoke problem, but also the potential for carbon monoxide to be drawn back down the furnace chimney. A secondary solution is to install a top mount damper on the fireplace that is used the least.


Q. I heat with gas. Should this chimney be checked too?

Without a doubt! Although gas is generally a clean burning fuel, the chimney can become non-functional from bird nests or other debris blocking the flue. Modern furnaces can also cause many problems with the average flues intended to vent the older generation of furnaces.

Q. What should I do if I have a chimney fire?

In case of a chimney fire, follow these steps:

1) Call the fire department immediately.

2) Alert others in the house to evacuate.

3) Close the appliance’s dampers and/or the primary air inlet controls, limiting the fire’s air supply and reducing its intensity. If there is a barometric damper in the chimney connector, plug or close the opening in the barometric damper.

4) Open the appliance door just enough to insert the nozzle of a 10 lb. dry chemical fire extinguisher rated for Class ABC fires. Discharge the entire content of the extinguisher into the appliance and shut the door.

5) If possible, wet down the roof and other outside combustibles to prevent fires ignited by shooting sparks and flames.

6) Closely monitor all combustible surfaces near the chimney. During severe chimney fires, these surfaces can become hot enough to ignite.

After a chimney fire, have the chimney inspected by a professional chimney sweep or woodstove/fireplace installer.

Contact your insurance carrier.

Do not use the chimney until a professional has inspected it.

The excessive heat produced by a chimney fire can crack chimney walls, damage chimney liners, and damage some types of factory-built chimneys. If not repaired, these damages create a greater possibility for any subsequent chimney fire to spread beyond the confines of the flue to the house.

Our certified chimney sweeps will be happy to assist you in safety inspections, chimney repair, chimney reline questions or any fireplace, dryer venting needs.

 We service all of Johnson County, Kansas City Missouri, Northland KCMO, Lee´s Summit, Blue Springs, Desoto, Shawnee Mission, Lenexa and everywhere in Between.