Fireplace Chimney Maintenance
September 13th, 2009 | 
Author: Having a fireplace at home means that in most cases you will need to have a chimney as well, if you already have a chimney all you need to worry about is its regular safety inspections and daily cleaning and usual maintenance, if you need to install a new chimney than you probably have a lot of work ahead.
For woodstoves, you must construct either a stainless steel class “A” insulated chimney approved by UL or a masonry chimney. The basic principle here is to direct combustion gases upward and away from the interior of the home. The chimney should extend at least 3 feet above any construction in the building and 2 feet higher than any surface of the roof. Of course, higher chimney is always better.
When constructing a woodstove Chimney, it is important to create the best outward draft possible. Meaning, use very minimal bent.
Maintenance tips:
Stove installation should be checked at least once a year to ensure that the clearances from combustible surfaces are maintained to prevent any hazard. Stove pipes are subject to high temperature so it should be checked periodically for corrosion. Replace it if corrosion level exceeds the safe zone.
If there is a need to clean your chimney, take a professional chimney sweep to do the job. Keep the damper closed when the Fireplace is not used to prevent the heat or air conditioning from escaping. Always keep the damper open when building a fire. Installing a chimney cap of high quality can extend the life of your chimney. It also prevents birds, insects, and animals to nest in your chimney. A waterproofed chimney will prevent masonry damage and corrosion.
Materials being burned contribute to how much your cleaning frequency would be. Wet and unseasoned wood, incomplete combustion, and cool wall linings can contribute to creosote build up. Creosote deposits on the interior walls of the chimney can reduce the efficiency of the fireplace. Creosote deposits can also ignite under certain circumstances. Make sure that the linings are clean and the build up is controlled. Ash and charcoal deposits on the stove area can smolder if not remove immediately. Clean the stove carefully and dispose the waste properly.
Direct vent fireplaces, inserts, and stoves do not require a chimney. Usually, these types of fireplaces are easy to install and cheaper compared to woodstoves that requires a chimney. Direct vent fireplaces, inserts, and stoves can be very ideal to places with limited space – a small house that cannot accommodate big chimney with a greater need for a heating source.
Daniel Roshard
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-improvement-articles/fireplace-chimney-maintenance-83031.html
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Chimney maintenance/repair.?
We just bought a house from an estate which has been vacant for 5 years. The fireplace is beautiful inside, but the chimney bricks on the outside appear to be crumbling. Is there a way to preserve the chimney without rebuilding it? We could put siding around it but I don’t know if that would prevent further damage. Any ideas?
Call a brick mason and get the job done right. Have the chimney inspected to make sure nothing is crumbling inside. If there is and the chimney is blocked up it could be dangerous.
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It depends on the age of the chimney . If its older it would be prudent to clean it and rebuild it prior to considering using it.
The brick work is what protects the rest of the house from the fire within the chimney. Each brick also serves to support the load of the whole stack. Needless to say in this case there is no cheap and safe way to do this.
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Oh boy, you don’t want to mess with the chimney. Look for a mason to give you advice.
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Secure a mesh wire to chimney then parge. You can get more details and material at a local block or brick supplier.I would sugest a place specializing in these products you will get better materials and advice. P.S. I would also suggest tearing out old counter and installing flashing which your parge can cover yet still allow flashing on roof to go behind.
(some proffesional assistance may be nec. it is hard to explain to someone with no experience.) (parge is basicaly like stucco)
Before parging you must remove mortar dust (joints between brick) untill reaching solid material to bond to if solid material cant be found you must rebuild.
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Started in masonry when 12 been roofing since 20 and i’m 32 now.
Have someone come and inspect the liner. Maybe it is just the outside bricks that need to be tuck pointed. And if you can’t afford to do that, you can check into tearing the old brick off then framing it in for residing.
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No doubt about it, get a professional to look at it and repair it. Take a look at the statistics at NFPA.org on all the fires caused by faulty chimneys and/or fireboxes. This is definitely an area of your new home you don’t want to go cheap on. The exterior integrity of your chimney can have a lot of impact on the interior integrity and functionality. So get a professional to look at it and make it right
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http://www.nfpa.org
Have an inspector check it out first to see how structurally sound the fireplace is. A chimney sweep can clean the inside of the chimney.
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