The Irish Sweep is still accepting calls to answer questions and schedule any service needs. However, no on-site visits are currently being conducted pursuant to the government's stay in place order. Please feel free to contact us at 510.521.4088 to get answers to your questions or schedule a future appointment.

WHY IS SMOKE COMING OUT OF MY FIREPLACE?

If smoke is coming out of your fireplace instead of going up the chimney it indicates there’s an issue that you need to correct. A smoky fireplace is not only unpleasant it can also be a health and fire hazard in your home. Here we look at some of the causes of smoky fireplaces and what you or a San Francisco Bay chimney sweep can do to alleviate the problem and improve

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5 BEST FIREPLACE STYLE REFRESHES

Is your fireplace style looking tired, outdated, or even damaged? You might consider restoring your fireplace to make it more attractive and more useable. Here are five outstanding fireplace restoration ideas from the economical to the indulgent!

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BEST SUMMER MAINTENANCE TIPS FOR YOUR FIREPLACE

A fireplace is the visual center of any room. Even when it’s not in use, it’s an attention draw. Here are some ways you can take care of your fireplace needs during dormant months and also keep it attractive and interesting as part of your home.

HIRE A CHIMNEY SWEEP IN EARLY SUMMER

Summer is the best time to get your chimneys cleaned and inspected by a professional chimney sweep; because you’re not using them. It’s also after spring and before fall: the perfect time for new animal nests and other fire hazards to be removed. It’s super important to get your chimney safety inspected annually, and in most cases, cleaned annually too. When you hire a pro, you know that any safety issue you have will be noted and dealt with. Inspecting your chimney yourself is not a safe substitute. Without the proper knowledge and tools, something could be missed that would compromise the structure of your home or could cause a fire.

CLEAN THE FIREPLACE

-Always check to make sure your cleanser isn’t flammable. When cleaning brick or stone; cleansers are very difficult to clean off and it’s a serious fire hazard if yours is flammable.

-Be very careful with bleach, it can fade stone.  If there is bleach in your cleaning solution, use it with caution and very sparingly.  Consider diluting it and testing your cleaning solution in an inconspicuous place before continuing. Wait till 24 hours before deciding it’s non-damaging.

-Never clean a fireplace while it’s in use, hot, or warm from use.

-Remove the ashes and debris from the firebox before cleaning the fireplace face. This will keep you and it cleaner, and prevent your inhaling ash while cleaning.

FIREPLACE DECORATING TIPS

Every home has its own style, and your fireplace will look and feel best if you give it some of your personality. Once the fireplace is all clean and new looking, of course you can fill it will some beautiful logs, placed as though you were going to burn them. But you don’t have to play it so safe. What do you find attractive in a home?

  • -Fill the fireplace with candles. Either all pillars of varying heights, all tapers of the same height but different colors, candle holders or none, whatever appeals to you. Light them and watch the flames flicker without adding notable heat to the home.
  • -If you want the movement and life of fire, but no heat at all, put a mirror in the firebox. You can even paint a mirror so that only a flame-shaped area reflects.
  • -You can fill the fireplace with greenery or blooming flowers lying in the inner hearth, or place vases full of flowers in the firebox.
  • -Fill the entire firebox, top to bottom, with firewood cut to the same length, with the ends facing the room. This makes a clean, natural look.
  • -Place a painting, drawing, collage, or photograph on a table-top style easel in the fireplace.
  • -Find a fireplace cover that will blend in with hearth-front materials, blending in as thought it there were no firebox behind it.
  • -Find a fireplace screen that is a work of art in itself, something you like to look at, and leave it up in the summer.
  • -Fill old wine bottles of various shapes and sizes with water and put some twinkle lights behind and between them. When you turn your light string on, the water will refract the light beautifully.
  • -If you’re a jokester, you can fill the inner hearth with books or other things that you wouldn’t normally burn.

To start the summer chimney maintenance, your first step in getting your chimney and flue cleaned and inspected. Then clean your fireplace front, and decorate your space to match your style! Contact the Irish Sweep to schedule a chimney inspection today.

Why Remove An Old Chimney?

The reasons for removing an old fireplace and chimney removal Bay Area may vary. Maybe the chimney is damaged, or you just do not use it often enough? A chimney and fireplace add character and warmth to a home, but there is more to these architectural features than cozy aesthetics.

Here are some reasons that some people choose existing fireplace and chimney removal:

LACK OF UTILITY

These fireplaces are often relics of a different time when fires were the only source of heat in a home. Modern families are increasingly less likely to use a fire. Fireplaces are often nothing more than an ornamental feature in a room, and the chimney is just a place for heat and cold to pass through. 

CHIMNEY REMOVAL BAY AREA FREES UP VALUABLE SPACE

Maybe your home lacks storage, has cramped living space, or you just want more free room. Removing a fireplace can give you the space you want. You can often remove a fireplace inside the building, leaving the chimney stack intact above roof level. This can free up valuable floor space inside.

KEEPING IT MAY BE AS COSTLY AS FIREPLACE AND CHIMNEY REMOVAL BAY AREA

Removing an old chimney and fireplace is one way to avoid costs. Cost like repairing your current chimney, upkeep and future maintenance, and also save you on utilities by increasing your effective insulation.

Weigh up the cost of repairing and retaining a fireplace/chimney in working order. The cost of installing, repairing or maintaining new hearths, chimney linings or flues may well equal to or even more than the cost of removing an old one. 

SAFETY REASONS

Older chimneys, especially brick ones, can pose an earthquake danger. For a family that doesn’t gain much joy from their fireplace, the risk of a falling chimney is not worth taking. To fulling understand the likelihood of your chimney falling in an earthquake, schedule a safety inspection with professionals like The Irish Sweep.

If you’re considering removing your fireplace or chimney, you have options. You can install a gas fireplace, have no fireplace, or build a new one, depending on the architecture involved. If you have any questions or concerns, call us today.

HOW TO MAKE A GREAT WOOD FIRE

There’s nothing quite like relaxing with a warm fire at home. Whether you’re snuggling with someone special or just chillin with the family, a warm and cozy fire makes chilly winter nights so much more comfortable. But there’s an art to creating a great wood fire in your fireplace. And no, we’re not talking about electric fireplaces, either! We’re talking about the real thing, so if you’re wondering how to build a great wood fire in your fireplace, here’s how to do it:

HAVE A CLEAN CHIMNEY

You’ve had your chimney cleaned each year so there are no blockages, right? Without a clean chimney you may end up with a smoky house, or even a chimney  fire. Having creosote buildup and any blockages removed is an important safety step, so if you’re behind on maintenance, schedule a cleaning before you build a wood fire.

ALWAYS OPEN THE DAMPER

Don’t forget to open your chimney damper so smoke can exit the home. Smoke inhalation is dangerous, and can be deadly. Your damper is probably closed when not in use, to prevent heat loss from the home.

PRIME THE CHIMNEY FLUE

When you start, your flue will be cold. After opening the flue, cold air from outside will sink into the chimney. If you light the fire during this air sink, you’ll end up with smoke inside your home.

If you have a fireplace that uses a gas pipe to supplement the fire, turn it on and light the pilot without any wood in there. Let the flue warm up before adding the wood. To prime it, light a roll of newspaper and then hold it up the opening for a few minutes. When you feel the draft is now going up, the flue is primed!

CREATE AN ASH BED

You’ll want a 1” to 2” ash bed in the fireplace to help insulate it for a hotter fire. If you don’t use your fireplace often enough to have an ash bed already, you can use ashes from your outdoor grill.

MAKE A FIRE UPSIDE DOWN

An “upside down fire” will burn longer than other fire structures. Don’t put the tinder and smaller kindling on bottom and the bigger fuel logs in a teepee shape on top like you’ve seen on tv. Create a square layer of big logs on the bottom, and then a layer of medium logs perpendicular to those, and smaller ones across the top. Finish it off with bunched up newspaper or other tinder and light with a match from the top. This fire needs very little maintenance and may also burn cleaner since smoke won’t need to pass through logs.

Now it’s time to sit back and enjoy your cozy and comfy fire!

ROUTINE HOME FIREPLACE & CHIMNEY CARE

Do you know how to care for your chimney? If you’re wondering what I mean by that, you probably don’t. Which is why you need to learn basic chimney care! As your go-to heating option in the colder months, you’ll want to make sure it’s ready to warm up your home when the weather starts to get chilly. The truth is, not many people think about their chimney much, which is why problems arise when they want to use it. To avoid these problems, here are some basic tips on home chimney care:

1. ALWAYS LEAVE SOME ASH

Although you’ll want to clean the firebox monthly when it’s in use, a clean firebox retains about an inch of ash. This allows your fires to stay strong and retain heat easier.

2. HIRE A CHIMNEY SWEEP

For safety, you’ll want to call a chimney sweep to not only clean it, but also provide an inspection of the fireplace and chimney. They’ll look for any damage or evidence of creosote, which is a tar-like buildup. Do this at least once a year before you begin using the fireplace again.

3. CLEAR THE AREA

As part of basic fire safety, you’ll want to keep the fireplace area clear for the entire fire burning season. Not just while a fire is burning. Any furniture should be at least 36” away from the fireplace to avoid any sparks igniting it, which can be a fire hazard. No flammable decor or plants near the fire.

4. ENSURE THERE’S A CHIMNEY CAP

You’ll want to make sure that your chimney has a cap to prevent any birds from building nests inside or any animals from climbing it. Most importantly, it keeps the flue and fireplace dry, which prevents the breakdown of the materials your chimney is made of.

5. MAKE SURE THAT THE DAMPER IS CLOSED

The damper is the hinged flap that’s above the fireplace and it controls how much air passes through the chimney. You’ll want to leave it open when a fire is on, but close it when it’s out to prevent any heat loss inside your home.

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