- 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
How often should I remove ash from my fireplace?
This is a question that comes up a lot when talking to homeowners about fireplace maintenance. The first assumption would be to remove the ash between each fire, but the this is actually not the optimum timeframe. A one inch layer of ash on the floor during heating season is actually what is recommended by the Chimney Safety Institute of America. The layer of ash works with the hot coals and creates more heat to fuel the fire, helping...
Dampers for masonry fireplaces
Older masonry fireplaces may or may not have been installed with a damper to prevent conditioned air from leaving the home. If your fireplace is one that does not have a damper, several options exist. Below are a few of the options starting with the least expensive. Flue balloon Flue balloons are sold online and come in a variety of sizes to fit the opening (smoke chamber) just above your fireplace. They are a simple design, you...
The top-down burn
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amU-V23aLhg&feature=youtu.be My favorite way to start a fire indoors and out is a method called the top-down burn. The interesting thing about this method of starting a fire is that it is the exact opposite of what most people do! To start, put the very largest pieces of wood front to back on the very bottom. The next layer up, use slightly smaller pieces of wood but stack them side to side on top...
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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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