- 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?
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Keep up to date with Jacksonville Chimney Pros News & Tips
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 warning label clearly print on the flue system for the installers to follow: As you can see pretty simple to follow but rarely adhered to. As you can see this is just one example of violations to clearances to combustibles I find regularly. Cardboard insulation baffles leaning against the...
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 no longer operational but the client still wanted something cost effective and would look better than this! It is a painful day for a chimney professional but sometimes the best option is to convert a system to electric. Step One - Cap off the chimney chase Step Two - Concert to electric...
The importance of hiring a experienced chimney sweep
Recently I inspected a home that was owned by a home inspector (I will not give the name) and while nothing out of the norm was observed or detected, I was called in to do a comprehensive inspection of the fireplace. I have known the home inspector for a while and he always recommends a level II inspection to get a full scope of the health of the system. I am very glad that he took his own advice and had me come inspect his fireplace!...
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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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