- The daily life of a Chimney Sweep
- What the heck are Aldehydes?
- The importance of hiring a experienced chimney sweep
- One option for a fireplace that has seen better days
- The potential hazards of new construction
- Tip of the day – Pooling water
- Potential hazards of older homes
- Attic dangers
- Inspection of the day – Active water intrusion
- Fireplaces in vacation rentals – are they safe?
Our News
Keep up to date with Jacksonville Chimney Pros News & Tips
What is a Chim-Scan?
One of the best tools of the trade is the Chim-Scan flue inspection system. Countless times I have found hidden dangers that would not have been discovered without it. So how does it work? The Version of the Chim-Scan I use has two sets of cameras, one pointing up looking for blockages, and another (the lighthouse camera) that rotates 360 degrees giving a live action view of the inside of your flue system. Check it out: [wpvideo...
Don’t let your chimney turn into a garden
If masonry fireplaces have one weakness in the South, or any wet climate, it is moisture. Bricks are naturally porous and are constantly battling the elements, especially alone above the roofline. To preserve the life of your chimney it is very important to not just use a water repellent, but the right water repellent meant for application on a chimney. I personally recommend ChimneySaver products. ChimneySaver provides great products...
Inspections with drones
Drones can be a great way to inspect hard to reach chimney systems, especially the top crown area. Below are a few examples: Steep pitch roof with a very tall chimney. Three story house on the beach with water intrusion damage. Overhead view of the missing chase cover and active water intrusion area. A collapsing chimney system on a neighbors house next to the inspection (life safety hazard). The last drone image was a prior...
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One option for a fireplace that has seen better days
Sometimes the elements win the battle against a fireplace, especially ones that have gone several years without maintenance. The fireplace above was...
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The potential hazards of new construction
One concern I see on a regular basis is the lack of regulation with chimney installations, including new construction. For reference here is the...
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Tip of the day – Pooling water
Water intrusion can be a costly headache but avoided if caught in time. This morning I inspected a chimney system with pooling water and...
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Potential hazards of older homes
I love working on older systems, partially due to working on several hundred growing up and living in a home built in 1926. Older homes have amazing...
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Attic dangers
When inspecting a chimney system it is key to inspect the attic where the flue passes through. It may be extremely difficult to access for some...
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Inspection of the day – Active water intrusion
My first appointment today was a active water leak coming down from the pre-fabricated fireplace and onto the front tile and the new wood floors!...
The Chimney Safety Institute of America recommends that open masonry fireplaces should be swept at 1/8″ of sooty buildup, and sooner if there is any glaze present in the system. This is considered to be enough fuel buildup to cause a chimney fire capable of damaging the chimney or spreading to the home. Factory-built fireplaces should be swept when any appreciable buildup occurs. The logic is that the deposit is quite acidic and can shorten the life of the fireplace.
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