Prevent House Fires With A NJ Chimney Sweep

By Olivia Cross


Homeowners will have a good time when they gather around the fireplace to enjoy the heat from burning wood. This is the focal point for the home but that joy comes with an expense. You will have to ensure the chimneys are kept free of debris and creosote substance. You need to seek for the services of a NJ chimney sweep in order to remove any kind of debris that may be clogged inside flues.

Burning of wood releases uncombusted substances, which move updraft through flues. Some of the substances condense before they are released outside meaning they stick on walls. One risk associated with creosote is that it catches fire easily. When burning your wood, embers may fly and reach the spaces of flues where creosote has formed.

Such embers may ignite that substance and trigger chimney fires. Besides, since the chimneys are so hot, those high temperatures could also trigger fires. When fires are triggered in chimneys, they create thermal shock on liners and they damage them. The fires may also damage the mortar and bricks thus weakening the structure.

When gases and smoke move updraft through chimneys, they may condense just before they are released at rooftop. When such condensation occurs, you have creosote forming. It is easy to remove and clean soot from chimneys but for creosote, you have to put a lot of effort. Creosote will not come out easily and cleaners use chemicals to try to clean it.

If you find that smoke is retuning back to the house, it may mean the flues are blocked. Creosote may have accumulated in large amount and has narrowed down the flue passages. Similarly, if the surfaces in a house are darkening, it could mean smoke is being trapped inside. This occurs when the gases and smoke cannot find ways to get out.

Creosote catches fire easily and when embers or sparks fly and come in contact with this substance, fires may start. Fires in chimneys will cause damage to flues by inducing thermal shock. The fires may spread and attack other parts of the home resulting to a house fire. Creosote may not be readily noticeable because it tends to form in hidden surfaces.

You should however, check the chimneys regularly so that you can catch the problem before it gets worse. Your burning habits will also dictate how much creosote is forming. In small scale, the creosote will not be a hazard but as it increases and forms on walls, it increases the chances of fires occurring. One problem is that you cannot do away with this flammable substance in chimneys.

Another way to reduce creosote is building vigorous fires and using plenty of small logs that will allow for rapid and complete burning of wood instead of the small and smoldering fires, which occur with large logs. These smoldering fires can encourage the release of too much creosote. You should also not burn crap lumber and trash. It is essential that you operate the wood stoves and fireplace properly in order to avoid stifling the fires and releasing creosote or some other dangerous substances.




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