A clean sweep

Can you feel it? It’s almost that time of year, when the air takes on a slight crispness, when the sun sets a little earlier and a little more golden — we’re almost on the cusp of autumn.

The first real sign of the season is when at last the day is right for setting up the fireplace and enjoying a cozy blaze.

In order to really enjoy your fireplace, it’s important to take proper care of your chimney. Apart from the financial implications, there’s a major safety factor involved with proper chimney upkeep.

While they add a pleasing aesthetic value to the exterior of your home, they actually carry a very important role: chimneys are responsible for removing the toxic and dangerous flue gases (smoke) from your fireplace or woodstove, preventing them from going into your house where they could potentially cause injury and even death.

When a chimney is not properly maintained, its ability to remove smoke becomes hindered and even prevented.

With nowhere to go, the smoke will then come into your living space.

Smoke inhalation is responsible for up to 80 per cent of fire-related deaths, so this is definitely a danger you want to take precautions against.

There is also the risk of chimney fires.

Smoke generates a combustible residue called creosote which builds up in your chimney.

By having your chimney professionally cleaned on a proper schedule, there is never enough build-up to pose a hazard, but not taking this important step allows the deposits to get to the point where they can catch fire due to the hot temperatures coming from your fireplace.

Certain factors cause creosote to build-up faster, including unseasoned wood, an unclean chimney and not enough oxygen from below to push the oxygen upwards (this can be caused by not opening the damper wide enough or by closing air inlets on a stove too soon).

In order to stay safe, you should plan to have your chimney inspected and cleaned by a professional once a year.

For professional cleaning, you may need to do this more than once every 12 months depending on how you use it (frequency, what you burn, etc.).

To check if it’s time for a cleaning, you’ll need your fire poker, a powerful flashlight, a basic disposable dust mask, and eye protection.

First, ensure that there’s no downdraft in your chimney.

If there is one, you need to wait until it’s passed before you conduct your check.

You can expedite this by opening a door or window near the chimney — this encourages the air flow to reverse.

Once you are able to check, don your safety equipment and with your flashlight facing at the area you’re working on, scratch your poker along the black surface above the damper (smoke chamber).

If the layer of creosote is more than 1/8 inch thick, it’s time for a cleaning.

If it’s more than ¼ inch thick, you cannot safely use your fireplace until a professional has worked on it.

While you can and should clean out old wood and kindling from your fire grate, the major cleaning and work should be left to a qualified professional.

Despite what you see in movies, a pro should be doing more than just sweeping a chimney with a brush.

For chimneys, you want an expert with experience.

Someone with proper qualifications will know to check for signs of deterioration, venting issues, fire hazards and other potential issues, they’re familiar with building codes, and they can advise on the overall health of your chimney.

In Canada, we have something called W.E.T.T. Certification, and your chimney sweep should have it.

Issues with a chimney should be repaired as early as possible or they can quickly escalate, as can the cost.

A good chimney sweep is looking for any signs of corrosion, damage, defects and structural issues, checking the flue, cap, inner lining, exterior and interior of the chimney, and damper.

He or she will then repair any loose or crumbling bricks or mortar, cracks in the chimney and similar issues.

The flashing, which is installed where the exterior of your chimney connects with the roof, will also be checked and potentially replaced.

Nova Scotia is particularly hard on chimneys, especially on the exterior portion. Our weather is notorious for flash freezes followed by thaws and refreezing.

For chimneys, this is a recipe for damage, and causes problems like cracks or weakening mortar to quickly worsen.

Compounded with our sometimes-ferocious winds, and humid summers, it becomes more important than ever to take proper care of your chimney.

A fireplace or wood stove provide an excellent supplementary heat source, and can significantly lower your heating bill. Keeping your chimney properly maintained means you can simply enjoy your nice blaze, keeping cozy by it and making memories of home.