What Does a Dirty Chimney Look Like?

WHAT ARE “NO BURN DAYS”?

Spare the Air was formed in 1991 by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District to inform residents when the air quality is forecast to be harmful and to share information on ways to decrease air pollution. No Burn Days are also called “Winter Spare the Air” days.

In 2008, the Air District approved a rule that makes it illegal to burn firewood on days once a Winter Spare the Air alert is in effect. This guideline was adopted to protect public health.

During winter months, wood smoke is the major source of air pollution in the Bay Area, accounting for more than one-third of fine particulate substance pollution. On cool, peaceful days when there is an inversion layer of warm air acting as a cover over a layer of cold air, wood smoke can build up at ground level to harmful concentrations.

There are numerous things residents can do to decrease their impact on air quality over the winter, when these weather conditions endure. The first line of protection is to limit usage of wood-burning stoves, and ideally switch over to a different heating method, such as gas, or EPA-certified wood stoves.

CHECK FOR ALERTS BEFORE YOU BURN

Never fail to spot an alert by signing up for Winter Spare the Air Alerts. Modify your alert for text, email, or phone call. Winter Spare the Air Alerts will as well be posted to the Spare the Air and Air District websites and social media.

KEEP IN COMPLIANCE

Besides avoiding burning wood on Winter Spare the Air Days, there are additional provisions in the wood-burning rule.

Wood-burning devices are forbidden in new buildings constructed in the Bay Area. Gas-fueled fireplace, gas inserts, and electrical fireplaces are acceptable.

We want you to stay warm this winter, but make sure you first check if that day is a “no burn day” by visiting the Spare the Air website.

How To Prevent Fireplace Grates Meltdown

Gone were the days when you have no options to sit around the smoky fireplace. Nowadays no one talks about those pesky fireplace tool sets, thanks to the fireplace grates! That not only puts an end to fireplace smoke in your home but also increases the efficiency of your fireplace in following ways:

Wood consumption is cut to half.
Fireplace smoke is put to an end.
Eliminate the virtual need of “ tending the fire”.

However, fireplace grates comes with a drawback too. Due to thermal oxidation, or simply rust on metal, the fireplace grate grows thinner, until the time it melts down. So, how do you prevent your fireplace grate from melting? Follow these steps:

AVOID HEAT ONLY AT THE CENTER

First and foremost, the best way you can increase the lifeline of your grate is by spreading the heat from the center. By scattering the firewood and coals over the entire grate width, this will prevent fireplace grates meltdown and prolong the life of your grate.

AVOID WATER AT THE FIREPLACE

Unlike your bonfire in the woods or any champ fire that you put out by dousing beer or water on, when it comes to fireplace grates, water will cause them to corrode over time. Let your fire naturally burn and die down.

GO FOR A CAST IRON GRATE

Last but not least, if you want to replace your fireplace grate with a new one, then this time make sure you look for a fireplace grate that is made out of cast iron. Contrary to steel, cast iron can withstand heat in a better manner. Cast iron can withstand 1,400 degrees whereas steel can only withstand 1,000 degrees, making cast iron grates the optimal choice for your fireplace.

REDUCING CREOSOTE

Those who have wood burning fireplaces or stoves know the advantages to a wood burning fire. They are beautiful, warm, and give you a sense of calm. However, with wood burning fires, the buildup of creosote occurs. This goes through some tips to reducing creosote.

WHAT IS CREOSOTE?

When wood is burned, creosote builds up from the transformation. This builds up along the lining of the stove or chimney and becomes a hidden issue for the home. Just like the ash from the bottom of a fireplace needs to be cleaned up regularly. Creosote should be removed occasionally for the safety of the home and those living there. This is why annual chimney inspections are recommended.

These are some recommendations for reducing creosote buildup:

USE THE RIGHT WOOD

Wood that has less moisture and/or seasoned is the best wood to use. When the wood is in such a state, the fire will burn hotter and create less creosote. If the wood has a lot of moisture, it will still burn but at a lower degree. This leads to more smoke and creosote.

KEEP THE FIRE HOT

When a fire struggles to find its fuel (oxygen), it has a hard time getting hot enough to burn all the materials. By having a fire that is low in temperature, creosote buildup is higher.

DON’T LET IT DIE ON ITS OWN

It is common for fires to just be allowed to burn out. By having them die down, the fires are at a low temperature for a long period of time. This causes more creosote and a higher safety issue.

Creosote is a safety issue. Low temperatures and moisture increase creosote production. Therefore, use the right wood that is very dry and avoid having fires at low temperature. If you have questions or need a clean up, talk to our experts at The Irish Sweep.

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU HAVE A CHIMNEY SWEEP INSPECTION

If you’ve never had your chimney inspected, you might be wondering what exactly happens when the inspector comes. Annual inspections and chimney cleanings are recommended for safe fireplace burning. You’ll want to get it done between your last fireplace usage last year and your first fire this winter to ensure that it’s in good working condition.

At your scheduled chimney inspection, your chimney sweep will likely use a special camera to look inside the system, affording them a better view of what’s going on where your fire and smoke travel.

Here’s what they’ll look for:

1. STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS AND FLUE

The chimney sweep will first look at the exterior and interior of the fireplace and chimney, looking for any problems of wear and tear, including the fireplace, chimney, flue and hearth. These structural elements can affect whether your chimney stays standing after earthquakes or severe weather.

2. COMBUSTIBLES ARE SECURED

They’ll also look at the structure of the chimney. This is to be sure that combustibles can’t contact any other building materials, which would be a fire hazard. Your fire should stay within a completely secure firebox area. The risk of slow-burning fire within your walls is something to take very seriously.

3. OBSTRUCTIONS

Your chimney sweep will look for any obstructions. These could possibly block the venting of smoke, combustible byproducts and gas, such as animal nests, leaves and other debris. An obstruction could cause these gasses to build up dangerously inside your home instead of leaving like they should.

4. VOLUME AND KIND OF COMBUSTIBLE DEPOSITS

A chimney sweep will look at the volume and nature of any combustible deposits building up on the walls of the chimney to see if they pose a danger. Creosote can ignite within your chimney or flue and is highly flammable.

How Rain Affects a Chimney Without Cap

April showers bring May flowers, right? Well, they can also bring leaky chimneys! If you have chimney without cap, you’re in for a wet time. You’ll start seeing symptoms of leaks during spring and summer, and even chimneys that’ve never had problems before can leak.

YOUR CHIMNEY WITHOUT CAP

Chimneys are complex structures and are always exposed to the weather. They aren’t designed to go with chimney without cap, but not everyone knows this. Because chimneys are always exposed, rain water, leaves, feathers, and all sorts of things can fall into them and build up or cause damage.

The entrance of rain into your chimney may not sound very dramatic to you. But when the masonry and other components in your chimney degrade and lose stability, or lose fire proofness, it becomes dramatic. Wetness can cause spalling and crumbling brickwork, and things like leaves that fall into your chimney are a fire hazard.

WHY GET A CHIMNEY CAP?

The top reason is to prevent damage to your home. To prevent water coming in, part of a chimney cap acts like an umbrella, and a screen section prevents the debris from falling in or sparks from floating out.

Don’t worry about a chimney cap affecting your draft. If your chimney cap has sufficient clearance and you keep it clean, it will either not affect your chimney draft or improve it. When wind blows, the convex shape of the cap creates a slight vacuum at the top of the flue so your chimney should draw better with the cap in place. Some chimney caps are even specifically designed to improve chimney draft!

IF YOU SEE WATER COMING IN, IT COULD ALSO BE DUE TO: FLASHING

If your chimney flashing starts to wear down, water can get in. Flashing is a tight strip inside your chimney that seals the seam between your roof and chimney to prevent water coming in. If the flashing is damaged or loses its seal due to age or wear and tear, water will get through the gaps. This can in turn water damage to the roof, chimney, ceilings and walls. Metal flashings are preferred over mastic flashings.

INCORRECT CHIMNEY CAP

Water can get in if the chimney cap doesn’t fit well. Chimney without cap that fits, the fireplace and flue are completely exposed to water from the rain. An ill-fitting cap is barely better than no cap at all.

MASONRY DAMAGE

Because your chimney is directly exposed to rain, the masonry components will deteriorate over time. Water can cause bricks to spall and crack (letting in water), in addition to making your chimney look unkempt.

You may know your chimney is leaking because you see visible water in the flue or fireplace. But because of the complexity and size of many chimney systems, leaks can easily go undetected for a while. You might not even know there’s water damage until significant damage has already been done.

To prevent chimney leaks, it’s best if you call in a professional for annual Irish Sweep chimney sweepings and inspections. We’ll be able to detect any damage so that you can get it fixed before the chimney starts to leak!

Earthquakes And Chimney: Why Repair And Maintenance Is Essential

The devastation of the recent Earthquake in Mexico is a reminder that the same could, and has, happened in California. Long term California residents will remember several damaging and in some cases lethal earthquakes in their lifetime. Earthquake preparedness experts warn that the likelihood California will experience another serious quake in the next 20 years is very high, with the San Francisco Bay Area expected to be the worst hit.

And yet despite these risks, homeowners neglect the one thing that could prevent the most common form of damage in an earthquake: chimney repair.

Chimney Collapse is The Most Common Form of Earthquake Damage

Historically, chimney collapse is the most common form of damage due to earthquakes across the country. And yet chimney repair and reinforcement is the most commonly ignored effort for earthquake preparation.

Chimney masonry repair or even chimney removal is likely to slip your mind if you no longer use your masonry chimney. But simply leaving your chimney standing with no reinforcement or maintenance is a recipe for earthquake disaster.

Even with low-level ground shaking, chimneys start to fail and bricks fall. This is particularly common in masonry chimneys built before 1980 where the mortar may be already worn down and the structure of the chimney is brittle. But even in younger chimneys the mortar can become weak or cracked due to weather and time, leaving masonry chimneys vulnerable to collapse even with a small earthquake.

Collapsing Chimneys Extremely Hazardous

Structural engineers say that masonry chimneys are usually the first thing to go in a quake of any size, and can rapidly cause damage to surrounding buildings, cars, and people. At least 15,000 brick chimneys were damaged in Los Angeles during the 1994 Northridge earthquake, while in Napa, about half of the residential buildings damaged were due to brick chimneys.

Several deaths and injuries have also been caused by falling chimney bricks in the last significant California earthquakes, many of them involving children. When chimneys start to collapse, even during a relatively minor earthquake, bricks become deadly projectiles capable of causing severe damage.

Earthquake Proof Chimneys To Prevent Chimney Damage

When quake-proofing your home, don’t overlook your chimney. If you have a masonry chimney in your home, it is essential you call a chimney professional for an inspection and analysis of the chimney strength. This is very difficult to assess with an untrained eye. But if you can see visible cracks or gaps in the mortar of your chimney, it’s a clear sign your chimney needs urgent repair.

Masonry chimneys can be repaired and retrofitted to increase their strength, which prevents the likelihood of collapse in the event of an earthquake. Chimney repointing can help to replace masonry chimney mortar, but may not be enough earthquake preparedness on It’s own to reinforce a chimney. Retrofitting is the minimum step you should take to keep your home and your family safe from chimney damage during an earthquake. You can also discuss other options, such as chimney removal or replacement, after an inspection and consultation with a chimney professional.

Ensuring your chimney is safe and secure is essential for earthquake preparation, and shouldn’t be put off any longer. Call your local chimney professional today to book an inspection and discuss the best solution to keep your chimney earthquake safe.