Oakland County Michigan Chimney Repair Expert Warns About The Danger of Chimney Fire

Jan. 29, 2010 - PRLog -- At a luncheon on January 23, 2010 in Oakland County Michigan Mark Maupin of Brick Repair LLC warned about the dangers of chimney fires.  Much of the Michigan population doesn’t realize the risk they are taking when they don’t take proper care of their chimney. In the declining economy of Oakland county homeowners are using their chimneys more and more to save on energy costs. However, dirty chimneys are predisposed to fires that could take a dramatic turn for the worst and possibly devastate homes and/or lives.

Chimney fires can be easily avoided if you take proper precisions, but in order to do this you must understand how chimney fires are set into motion. Mark said “I’m quite sure everybody knows that when you’re burning wood the smoke it releases travels up the chimney.  This smoke is full of matter that condenses on the flue liner within your chimney. This condensed matter is also known as creosote. As soon as the creosote has been produced, it continues to bond to the walls waiting for any indication of flame or spark to ignite it.”

The type of wood that is burned can affect the amount of creosote that builds up along the flue liner. Unseasoned wood (green), for example, is the key perpetrator in this. Unseasoned wood holds a lot of moisture which needs to be removed in order to burn. Using unseasoned wood produces a cooler smoke than seasoned wood, which is more likely to condense on the inside of your chimney.

Mark explained “temperature also plays an important role in your chimney.  The cold air outside can cool off the smoke from your fireplace this causes the smoke to condense and form creosote. Chimneys built on the side of your home instead of built through the center of the house are more prone to this because masonry does not provide much insulation value.”

Not opening the damper all the way or closing the glass doors on a fireplace causes air flow to be restricted. Proper air flow is critical in allowing smoke to travel through the chimney. The longer smoke lingers the larger the rick of creosote forming.

Bulky, compressed bundles of wood cause cooler fires so smaller, hotter fires are best. Mark  advised  against burning cardboard or papers for the simple fact those small flaming  pieces of ash and such can drift up your chimney and likely ignite the creosote fixed on the inside the chimney flue.While nothing can  prevent the creosote from forming, chimneys need to be cleaned and examined on a regular basis.

If you would like any more information about chimneys, masonry construction, or have any masonry questions please visit http://michiganchimneyrepair.com/default.aspx

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