The last time I used my fireplace was in 1999. The kids were sitting in front of a roaring fire toasting marshmallows with two bricks popping out from behind the stove and a Yule log on top. Unfortunately, our life was short-lived as we grabbed the fire extinguisher in front of the house. fire
When it comes to whether the stove is safe to use, don’t check it yourself. Instead, call a certified professional fireplace inspector who has the experience to determine if a fireplace is safe to use or not. Inspections range from $150-200 and are well worth the peace of mind knowing that a roaring fire in your fireplace won’t endanger your family or your home.
So do we need an inspection?
The answer is yes. There are many things that can go wrong in a fireplace. Inspection is the only way to catch some problems. Here are just a few of the safety issues the inspector noted with our fireplace.
crushed by a mortar Because our fireplace is over 130 years old, the mortar that the brick eventually failed there. This problem is not at all unusual in older homes, and it is not something that can always be detected by looking at the chimney stack. Our inspector needed equipment to visually inspect the bricks and cement inside the chimney, which ours could not do.
Build with creosote. Creosote is that nasty, slow gunk that builds up inside the tubes to condense the smoke. Creosote is also quite a fuel and is the main cause of fire in fireplaces. Since we didn’t use our fireplace much, I didn’t think regular cleaning was necessary. Wrong again! All burning places must be cleaned at least once a year, and much more often if the wood is unpalatable wood, soft woods ure; or firewood.
When creosote catches fire, it can cause severe heat damage and damage cracks. If nothing happens the first time you light the stove, you won’t be so lucky the second time. These cracks give sparks access to the upper floors and roof where they can ignite combustible parts of your home. Scarier still, cracks can also cause harmful carbon monoxide to escape from the chimney and into the floors above.
Improper to ravage It is characteristic that it burns because it draws carbon monoxide from the fireplace outdoors. When it is restricted from nests, heavy creosote construction, or a faulty exhaust system, carbon monoxide has no place. so as not to enter your house. Our inspector told us that more agents have their repairs to save money. They saw everything from improperly installed ventilation systems to doors that were too small to allow for proper air exchange, leading to increased levels of carbon monoxide in the home. We’ve tried it here, but we certainly wouldn’t know the difference if we didn’t have it.
In the end, it seemed to be too dangerous for our fireplace and fireplace, which happened in a strange way. When we believed that the stove needed to be rebuilt, we did not know how much mud had been loosened throughout the stove, so that it was not completely safe. There is no great lamentation and “glazing” in the fireplace that we could neither see nor know except by inspection.
According to the Chimney Safety Institute of America, an average of 25,100 chimney fires occur each year, resulting in $126.1 million in property damage and 30 deaths. With these kinds of numbers, if your fireplace is safe to use, it shouldn’t be a DIY task, but it’s best left to a professional instead.
More contributors here:
He knew how to maintain a roof.
Can you use the ends of the mill in your fireplace?
Make a fire starter from a dry cloth.
resources;
Tips by Real-Estate-Agents.com: Maintaining Fireplaces and Chimneys.
Press release Chimney Safety Institute of America
