We’ve never used one, but it turns out that the spark arrestor on top of our chimney is broken and needs to be replaced. I am not daring enough to go out on to the roof and measure the chimney opening to get the right dimensions, so it occurred to me to look into having a chimney sweep come over to do this and also clean up the chimney.
Like I said, we’ve never used one. I want to see if any of you have and whether it’s worth it to clean the chimney (we burn wood from time to time, but not often…however, when we got the house, we never had the inside of the chimney checked).
If it’s not worth it, I’ll wait until our regular handyman is free to install a new spark arrestor and forget about getting the inside of the chimney cleaned.
Weird question to ask during the summer, I guess? Any guidance will be most appreciated.
I had a chimney sweep clean our chimney a few years ago. It was worth it because not only did the chimney get cleaned, but the sweep said that the mortar between the bricks was becoming overly friable and disintegrating in places, which could allow sparks carried upwards to get through and outside the chimney into the house. (Our house and chimney was about 70 years old at the time.) We ended up having the part of the chimney above the roof rebricked, as well as having a metal liner run down through the chimney to prevent smoke/sparks from making contact with the mortar above the damper. This allowed us to continue using the fireplace during the colder months without worrying too much about burning down the house.
Very helpful! Based on this, I think we need to do the same because I have no idea about the structural condition of the chimney, much less how dirty it is.
Plus, it very likely saves me from a nasty fall from the roof by getting a pro to replace the spark arrestor!
Just beware. We had 2 companies take a look at our disintegrating chimney cap a few years ago. One said we needed to have part of the masonry rebuilt, with a lot of warning that it could cause an attic fire. Another said the chimney was in great shape, and only needed a new cap. I tend to believe the second, only because he had no reason to say that unless he simply didn’t want extra work.
We should have (and probably will) get a third opinion. In the meantime, we added christmas lights instead of burning wood, and I like the ambience equally. No energy loss either It is nice and cozy near the fireplace due to radiant heat, but most sources say you ultimately lose more home heat up the chimney than you gain when burning wood in a traditional fireplace.
We had a chimney sweep try to sell us a flue liner. Thing was, we already had one, and he must have figured I didn’t know that. Last time I called that crook.
Ask around the neighborhood and see who people you know have used and been happy with. If you hear a name mentioned more than once for being good or bad, they probably are!
A good reputable chimney sweep can be very helpful. Our chimney has been inspected and unless we put in a liner it is deemed unusable (which we wouldn’t have known without the inspection). It is not uncommon for bricks and mortar to shift around and cause issues.
Hire a professional, especially since you’ve never had the chimney checked. It’s 100% worth it for safety and peace of mind. Ask friends and neighbors and you will find a reliable person/service.
We use one at both our home and our seasonal home. There can be build up inside the chimney and it can become flammable.
We had one discover a crack in the structure in the older home. Our insurance company verified it and paid for the repair and a liner.
At the other home, we were told that there should have been a different sealant around the chimney. DH was away and I told them to do it. DH said I’d been scammed but amazingly, a drip from a skylight about 12’ below disappeared after that, so we agreed that the repair probably had indeed been necessary.
With that said, you don’t need to do this often, especially if you don’t have tons of fires. The suggestion of asking for a recommendation on a community FB page is a good one.
Anyone who uses a wood burning fireplace needs to get the chimney swept regularly, ideally every year, but if you don’t use it that often waiting a few years is okay. Creosote builds up in the lining of the chimney, like plaque and tartar on your teeth, and heavy creosote build up is flammable. Google “chimney fire”. If you’re lucky the fire is contained to the chimney. If you’re unlucky and you have a crack in the flue somewhere your whole house can go up. It should be a regular part of your home maintenance.
Our local chimney sweep has a good reputation. It’s a family-run company and the matriarch schedules all of the visits. Their prices are reasonable, plus, they give you options to purchase supplies at regional shops if their vendors are pricey.
They also found an issue with the “surround” on the roof. It was a plywood frame that was slowly charring. The tech indicated that it should have been made of metal. He replaced it and showed us what was left of the plywood. Also, one year, he found the beginning of a hive. He contacted a colleague in beekeeping who immediately came over to take the queen out! I had wondered why I was finding bees in my living room!
Plus, he told us that legislation in California has changed such that “new build” fireplaces cannot be wood-burning. Remodels also are affected. This was good information for us as we had planned a remodel of both fireplaces downstairs. Both keep the first floor pretty warm on those 30 degree nights. So we are choosing to just change the facade only.
We use our fireplace constantly! We live in SoCal but the winters have been chilly and getting colder. We order a cord of wood from our local Boy Scout troop every autumn.
Thanks for the reminder since I need to call the sweep!
It is nice and cozy near the fireplace due to radiant heat, but most sources say you ultimately lose more home heat up the chimney than you gain when burning wood in a traditional fireplace.