Chimney caps, Pipes, and Liners
Welcome to Chimneymagic.com. Our site is dedicated to gathering and disseminating information about chimney safety, maintenance, and methods. Chimneymagic.com is purely informational and does not promote or endorse any particular product or method.
Our site is designed to educate about fireplace and chimneys and chimney safety through preventative maintenance.
According to fact sheets from the National Fire Protection Agency, chimney or open-flue fire is the third leading cause of home structure fires. Dirty chimneys cause chimney fires and fires that spread to the rest of the house, resulting in an average of $15 million in property damage.
There are two main categories of fireplaces: masonry and factory-built (prefab) and the occasional hybrid. Masonry fireplaces are built brick-by-brick onsite. Prefab fireplaces are manufactured then installed. The two types have the same basic parts to them, but cleaning them is a whole different story.
Before you can clean your own chimney, you have to be familiar with the anatomy of your particular fireplace. You also will need to purchase the right kind of brushes and rods – in the right size for your chimney.
Masonry fireplaces must be cleaned before ¼ inch of creosote builds up, otherwise chimney fire is a real threat. If you do have a chimney fire, you must have it professionally cleaned and inspected before lighting a fire in there again.
This is why most people would rather pay a professional to figure out what size and type their fireplace is and which brushes are needed to clean it out. Due to creosote buildup inside the flue, all chimneys are in danger of fires starting inside them and then spreading to the house.
Only the right kind of brush can be squeezed down the chimney and apply the correct amount of pressure to the inside of the chimney surface. Other terms you will need to know about if you decide to sweep your own chimney include:
• Chimney caps - these are the top-most level of protection on any fireplace. Caps are made of stainless steel, galvanized, or copper. A mesh screen acts as an animal barrier and a spark arrestor. Caps also keep rain water out of the flue.
• Chimney sweep – certified professional who uses brushes, scrapers, and rods to get rid of obstructions and dangerous soot build-up.
• Chimney brush – used for flue cleaning, chimney brushes are available in a variety of surfaces and strengths. Each chimney has different shaped pipes and dimensions so before using a brush you have to know what size and shape your chimney is.
• Chimney liner – a flexible pipe installed in an existing chimney that acts as a container of the products of combustion. For flues to be useable, liners must be intact, free from perforations, cracks, or damage that could allow combustibles to enter the living space and/or escape the chimney.Below are some further non-profit organizations with information about fire prevention and the importance of maintaining and clean chimney.
National Chimney Sweep Guild – http://www.ncsg.org/
U.S. Fire Administration – http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/
National Fire Protection Association – http://www.nfpa.org/
Chimney Safety Institute of America – http://www.csia.org/
