Chimney Pioneer

If you own a fireplace, chimney maintenance should not be optional. Carbon monoxide, deadly fires, poisoning, and expensive chimney repairs are only some of the more serious consequences associated with neglected chimney maintenance. As fire burns, smoke goes up the chimney. Some of that smoke condenses into creosote in the flue, the inner surface of the chimney.

Creosote, a hard tar-like substance, builds up over time. When a thick coat of creosote catches fire, you get a chimney fire, a powerful and frightening inferno that can be as loud as a low flying jet. Most of the creosote build-up occurs when the fire is first lit. A cold chimney causes much more smoke to condense on the chimney flue.

Therefore, a continuous fire will usually foul a chimney slower than many separate fires. Chimney fires are often so hot that nearby walls and rafters burst into flames. The fire spreads so fast that firefighters often arrive too late to save any of the home. The extremely high temperatures associated with chimney fires cause cracks to form in the flue and chimney.