The leaves begin to fall and the temperature is falling in most regions. My family and I always like a nice, hot fire in our home during the cold months. When my family was in the market to buy a new home, one of the elements must have been a large brick fireplace.
There are many different types of fireplaces - electricity, gas, wood-burning - but I would talk about the type of wood burning fireplace. Before purchasing my current home, I had it inspected, including the fireplace and chimney, a certified home inspector. Some owners may not be aware of exposures associated with fireplaces and chimneys until it is too late and becomes a very expensive repair. A good friend of mine bought a house a few years ago and he chose not to have inspected the house. When he lit a fire in the fireplace, he smelled a strong odor of tobacco in his attic and throughout the house. The brick chimney was cracked inside the attic allows the smoke to be released inside the house -. Something that would probably have been noticed in a home inspection
Another exposure associated with fireplaces and chimneys is creosote accumulation. Creosote is part of the chemicals obtained by the distillation of tar which remains heavier than water and built like a black oily residue inside the chimney 1 . When wood does not burn completely, it produces soot and tar smoke. The combustion of the low temperature timber causes incomplete combustion of oils in the wood. As the smoke rising through the chimney, it cools causing water, carbon and volatiles to condense on the inner surfaces of the chimney. When creosote is present, it reduces the flow of air through the chimney and increases the likelihood that the fire does not get enough air to burn at a high temperature. Since creosote is highly combustible, if it comes into contact with the hot oxygen in the fireplace, it could ignite causing a fire. Chimney fires often spread to the main structure, because the fire is so hot that it ignites combustible materials in direct contact with it, such as wood. Most homes are frame construction, which is a highly combustible material.
To help you avoid the risk of a chimney fire, here are ten tips for household maintenance courtesy wood DIY Network 2
- Have your fireplace inspected and cleaned wood by a professional chimney sweep at least once a year and more often if creosote builds up on the walls of the chimney quickly. Depending on where you live, it can cost $ 100 to $ 0.
- Between professional inspections and cleanings, monitor your fireplace for signs of accumulation or other problems.
- Your chimney has a cap with open sides generally netted to protect from rain, birds, squirrels and other animals, and debris from entering the chimney. The cap should be inspected regularly and replaced if necessary.
- Check the inside of your chimney fireplace wood creosote.
- Also watch accumulation of soot in the chimney of your fireplace. Soot is softer than creosote, flammable, and should be cleaned the chimney regularly.
- If possible, burn hardwoods such as maple, oak, ash and birch. The benefits of hardwoods are they burn hot and long, have less height and sap, and tend to cause less creosote buildup. On the other hand, they are usually more expensive than softwood.
- Whenever there is smoke inside your fireplace, troubleshoot and immediately correct the problems you find. Possible causes of smoke are a dirty chimney with creosote or soot, other debris in the chimney damper is not open or only partially open, or wood that does not burn completely.
- To ensure the wood burning home safety, consider installing a stainless steel coating that resists even the highest temperatures and keep the fire contained and embers.
- to improve your efficiency wood fireplace, consider installing heat-resistant glass doors to protect against heat loss and a fan or blower to direct the heat in the piece. The doors are also a safety feature because they can keep the embers to escape the chimney inside the house. Glass doors must be cleaned regularly with a paper towel and door glass clean home.
- Clean the inside of your fireplace, including the floor regularly. Sweep or vacuum cold ashes. Wear a dust mask and gloves when cleaning the chimney.
There can be many advantages to a fireplace, including savings on heating costs and to supplement your main source of heat. At the same time, maintenance and service of your home is of utmost importance. What are the steps you take to maintain the security of your fireplace and chimney burning?
1 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creosote
2 http: //www.diynetwork.com/home-improvement/10-tips-for-maintaining-a-wood-burning-fireplace/index.html
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