What Is HeatShield?

Posted on December 2, 2011 by Joshua

Many people are still not aware of the purpose and the advantage of having a heat shield in their chimney.  HeatShield is designed and manufactured to protect the excessive heat absorption from an external source by reflecting, dispersing or absorbing the high temperature.    It is one of the forms in managing the exhaust heat.

It’s been years that majority of the European homeowners are maintaining the heat shield chimney liners to prevent many health hazards that are caused by improper construction and inappropriate designs of their smokestacks.    There are companies in your nearby area that could accommodate and answer in fixing the covert threats regarding with your chimney liners.   By manually inspecting your chimney liners, you will notice the cracking of some parts of the chimney that is allowing the ashes, smoke and fire to escape from the chimney liners to the attic areas or ceiling of your house.  This process will surely leads to some risks to you and your family.

To eliminate these dangers it is practical to have your preferred workers to change the old and full chimney liners with the durable stainless steel that can cost you more on your budget and money.    But there are also some heat shield chimney liners options that can also rebuild your old chimney’s clay liners that are cheap and affordable.    You have to understand and learn on how to maintain the proper purposes of your chimney and how to properly retain the usefulness and the accurate maintenance of the vent.

By regular checking of your home’s chimney it will be prevent the possible threats.  Some of the dangers that can cause grave health issues if the heat shield chimney liners are not properly fix and maintain are nausea, severe headaches, dizziness, fatigue or depression.  These health concerns can lead to major health risks on heart, body tissues and organs.

Up keeping your chimney liners will provide the highest quality fire protection for your residence and prevent the hidden and hazardous dangers from the old chimney liners.  Be a wise homeowner and protect your home and family with the accurate design and construction of home chimney!

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Older Homes and Chimney Liners

Posted on November 9, 2011 by Joshua

People that look to own older home are usually the type of person with a grand sense of history, and a love for some of the older ways of living. This often includes the older style chimneys that often serve hearths on each floor that have flues that snake within the masonry of the chimney. Chimney maintenance is key in these types of homes because the cost for replacing a chimney of such intricate work can be absolutely astronomical.

One such form of maintenance is chimney relining. Even if you are thorough and exacting with your chimney sweeping schedule, eventually you are going to need to repair or outright replace the lining of the chimney. Plus, with older homes, the chimney may not have been lined in the first place. Taking care of this integral aspect of the chimney will make sure that it will last a long time, and give you many more years of service.

There are different types of liners, so you are going to want to choose the one that works best for your individual home. Clay tile liners are the traditional favorite, and are excellent at standing up to the corrosive power of solid fuel and gas emissions. When clay tile liners cease to be an option, cast in place liners work best. They fit within existing masonry. Many fire safety experts and professional chimney installers prefer metal flues because of the ease in installing them within existing structures.

Whatever you decide to install or repair within your older home, make sure a professional chimney expert performs the work. The last thing you want is to pay a lot of money for shoddy work that is going to end up costing you more in the future. Do your homework and see what chimney companies do the best work. This is going to save you tons in anxiety and cash.

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Chimney Crown Inspection and Repair

Posted on November 1, 2011 by Joshua

The chimney crown is a very important part of the chimney system in your home. Its function is to repel water and protect the bricks below them. Once water is allowed to leak into the mortar, bricks will become loose and the integrity of the chimney can be at risk. Making sure the crown of your chimney is in good working order and built correctly is extremely important to the health and maintenance of the structure.

This is why the crown is one of the many areas that are inspected each year when a certified chimney inspector comes out to do the inspection. There are times when home owners have a home inspector or roofer come out and take a look at their chimney system and things get missed. This is because those specialties are not in the areas of chimneys. On many occasions there is thought to be a roof leak and it turns out to be a chimney leak due to the crown eroding or damage or to mortar erosion that is missed along the crown. If left alone for long periods of time these small issues can become large ones and cause chimneys to collapse. Once this happens the only solutions are to either wall up the fireplace and roof over the chimney or rebuild the chimney.

Sometimes the crowns are damaged due to bad construction. Not all stone masons know how to build good chimney systems. If not built correctly in the first place, chimneys can be a dangerous appliance in your home releasing toxins and gas into the air instead of up the chimney. There are too many things that need to be taken into consideration when building a chimney not to hire an expert in the field.

One way you will know the chimney company you hire is checking everything they need to is them getting up on your roof and doing a physical inspection of the cap and crown. Mortar joints can be seen from the inside by a camera they run up the chimney walls and on the outside by the same physical inspection. This is the only way this part of the chimney can be properly inspected.

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Ventless Fireplace Can Leave Behind Dangerous Fumes

Posted on October 26, 2011 by Joshua

Ventless fireplaces are known to be very convenient because they do not have to have a chimney of any kind and can be placed in almost any room in your house.  You need to check with your own state codes on where they can be placed because some states restrict them from use in any bedroom area. This has to do with the potentially deadly fumes these types of fireplace can produce and spill over into a room. For those that have no other choice, ventless fireplaces are an alternative. However, they are seldom the best choice in many situations.

Ventless fireplaces use gel-fuel, bio-ethanol propane or other natural gases which produces no or very little odor. The fireplaces are considered ventless because the fuels used produce almost no smoke or fumes. The problem is the little they do produce can end filling your home and it may lead to carbon monoxide poisoning. This is one reson that if you chose a ventless fireplace you must accompany it with a carbon monoxide detector. This also makes choosing a ventless fireplace a choice that is done with care. If you have an area that needs to be heated but also has some cross ventilation should fumes be expelled into the room, a ventless appliance might work. Just be extremely careful where these fireplaces are placed.

Although they are around 99.9% energy combustion efficient, they can sometimes fill a room with carbon dioxide and vapor. This is because oxygen is a requirement when the gas is being burnt and water and carbon dioxide are produced as waste products of combustion. The oxygen in the room is continually consumed as more carbon dioxide is produced. If this happens for long periods, your room may end being lifeless since all the oxygen has been exhausted. This may cause suffocation. To avoid this, try as much as possible to use a ventless fireplace as a supplement source of heat not the main source. If you own one of these fireplaces you can use a dehumidifier to remove the excess water vapor in the room. This will also cut down on the possibility of mold that may develop from the water vapor that is produced. The bottom line is to take the right precautions when using a ventless fireplace.

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Fall is The Season for Chimney Sweeping

Posted on October 20, 2011 by Joshua

Fall brings the cool weather that sparks thoughts of sitting around your fireplace in front of a cozy fire. But fall is also the time for a chimney cleaning and inspection. Before you light that first fire of the season, take the time to invest in a good chimney sweeping service. You may not think of your chimney during the summer, but that is when birds and small animals find your chimney an inviting place to make nests or burrow. Your chimney can become full of twigs, leaves or even small animals. Even if there are no animals or leaves in your chimney, it is always a good practice to schedule a yearly fall cleaning of your chimney to clean it and make sure it is in good operating condition.

A good chimney sweeping service will include an inspection, a cleaning and if needed, repairs or the addition of a chimney cap. Chimney sweeping is needed to avoid chimney fires, to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning and to ensure proper venting. Accumulation of a flammable substance called creosote is caused by soot and byproducts from burning. Even a quarter of an inch of this buildup can restrict airflow and cause smoke and gasses to back up into your home. This can be extremely dangerous and even deadly.

A good chimney sweep service should also include an examination of the foundation, firebox, attic and rooftop. Lightning strikes, cracks, moisture and excessive use can all cause problems in your chimney. A chimney professional can understand and assess the problems and offer remedies to fix the problems before they cause bigger problems.

Proper maintenance and monitoring of your chimney can ensure that you and your family can safely enjoy all of the beauty and benefits of a cozy fire in your fireplace. It is estimated that 20,000 or more home fires are caused by chimney fires each year. By making Fall the season for chimney sweeping, you can avoid being a victim of a preventable tragedy.

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When to install a Chimney Cap

Posted on October 13, 2011 by Joshua

Chimney caps are the covers that are put on top of chimney flues to protect the chimney. Installing a chimney cap is very important if you have a chimney in your home. Most people do not have chimney caps installed even though they have chimneys, and this has various effects on them and the chimney. A chimney cap is not overly expensive like some people think, therefore it is important to get one installed for your chimney.

Why should I install a chimney cap and when? Well, installing a chimney cap helps to protect your home and chimney from being the playground for birds, insects, blowflies and raccoons. If you do not have a chimney cap, but start to realize you are having unwanted visits from animals and insects, it is time to consider installing one.

Also, when you begin to realize leakage is coming from your chimney when it rains, you should consider installing a chimney cap because it protects the inside of the chimney, which is called the liner and prevents it from breaking. The wetness or moisture from snow or rain can cause the chimney (if there is no liner) or liner to break down ahead of time, which can destroy your chimney and cost you money for chimney repairs or replacement. Also, the need to prevent unhealthy gases or air from entering your home is another reason why you should install a chimney cap.

Depending on the type of chimney you have, you will need to choose a chimney cap that fits to better ensure its effectiveness. Chimney caps come in stainless steel, galvanized steel and painted steel, so depending on what you prefer, you can get the perfect chimney cap. It is important to make sure your chimney is inspected regularly to make sure it is free from debris. A chimney cap is important for every chimney.

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Has Dryer Lint Escaped Into Your Walls

Posted on October 7, 2011 by Joshua

While dryer lint is something no one would expect to have in their walls, you might be surprised. Here is just a couple of stories that are from Ashbusters Chimney Services where dryer lint was going where it should never be and no one knew about it.

A few weeks back I ran into a friend who told me about having the crew out to her house to clean her dryer vent. They came out and hooked everything up and nothing came out of the vent! Wow, it was really clean and on investigation; too clean. They unhooked the equipment and reached into the wall into the vent tube to find that there was no vent tube. That’s right, her dryer was blowing lint into the wall filling up the space between the studs in the wall. Ashbusters came in and removed the drywall, totally cleaned everything out of the wall space, put the vent back together the way it should have been the first time and made her house safe.

A few years ago, a crew went out to an apartment house to clean the dryer vent for one of the tenants. The same thing happened; they hooked up the equipment and nothing came out where it was supposed to vent to the outdoors. This time they flowed the vent tube from the apartment up to the attic and expected the tube was torn someplace along the way. What they found was amazing; all the dryers in the apartment complex were blowing lint out into the attic and everything was covered with dryer lint! The crew contacted the owner and went in and cleaned it up and hooked up the dryer vents the way they should have been.

You may not think this is a big deal; but it is. Dryer lint is one of the most flammable substances in our home and dryer fires are a major hazard in our homes. Hopefully, you don’t have dryer lint flying around where you don’t want it and get your dryers cleaned annually by a professional. If you don’t, then it’s time you thought about getting that done!

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Best Way To Keep Critters Out Of Your Chimney? Cap it!

Posted on September 29, 2011 by Joshua

You may not think of your chimney as a particularly inviting place to hang out, but there are plenty of animals that do. In fact, some animals find chimneys very attractive nesting locations, because in nature, they would nest in tall, hollow trees. When you combine an animal’s instincts for finding shelter with the easy availability of chimneys to hide in, it’s no wonder that so many people wind up dealing with critters stuck in their chimneys. Unfortunately, the result is a situation that is upsetting for both the animal and the homeowner.

There are a few different animals that are the most common sources of trouble with chimneys. Squirrels and racoons are especially problematic, since they will often try to nest inside a chimney to bear their young. Squirrels will even nest inside certain kinds of chimney caps, and if there is a big enough gap, both adult and baby squirrels are at risk of falling down the chimney and getting stuck. Then, there are also bats, which can leave copious amounts of droppings, and a variety of birds. The problem is that with the exception of bats, some racoons, and some birds (such as chimney swifts) any animal that enters the chimney will get stuck, and will not be able to get itself out. It is dangerous to have an animal stuck in your chimney, alive or dead, and the smell of a dead animal rotting in your chimney is a smell you will never forget. On top of all of that, you really can’t try to remove any animal that has had babies inside the chimney, because it may abandon the babies, which will then die trapped inside. If that happens to you, all you can do is wait it out.

So, clearly you are much better off making sure that critters can’t get into your chimney in the first place. The best solution, in order to keep out all animals, is to get a chimney cap. This allows smoke to escape, but it keeps the chimney covered. It looks a bit like a tiny roof on top of a cylinder with holes in it, mounted on top of the chimney. In order to make sure that the chimney cap fits properly, stays on, and looks right, it is important to have a professional measure your chimney and install the cap. If you try to do it yourself and something goes wrong, it can ultimately be much more expensive than it would have been to just pay someone to do it. A professional will be able to make sure that the cap that is installed does not have any gaps big enough for animals to get through, especially gaps to the outer flue. Luckily, chimney caps do not detract from the appearance of your home, and they are unobtrusive. You can even choose the color or appearance of your chimney cap — for example, if you like the look of copper, you may be able to find a copper cap that fits your chimney.

This is another one of those cases of an ounce of prevention being worth a pound of cure. It is much easier to install a chimney cap than to get a wild animal out of your chimney!

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Keep Children Safe around Fires

Posted on September 20, 2011 by Joshua

Children are the most important people in our homes and should be taken care of very well. We want to make sure they are kept safe from any dangers, especially fire, because fire is one of the most hazardous things that we constantly use in our homes for cooking. We also use fires to keep warm in the colder months and many enjoy a good fire outside on the patio or outdoor room as well. It’s unfortunate that children are many times the victims of fire related accidents that could have been avoided.

So what are some of the safety measures we can take to ensure our children’s safety around fire? The first safety tip is to simply supervise your child around fires. Knowing where your child is in relation to the fire is critical in keeping them safe. This doesn’t matter whether they are in the kitchen around a stove or playing by a fire pit. The ability to watch out for your children in a dangerous place is key t keeping them safe from harm.

The second safety measure is teaching your child that fire is not a toy and it is not safe to play around it. Making kids aware of the potential for harm is important. Until a child gets burned or too close to a heat source they don’t realize the potential for getting hurt. Just by letting them know is a key step toward safety.

The third step to ensure child safety around open fires is to keep flammable objects far away. Children are playful and curiosity can get the better part of them. Allowing them to catch sticks on fire and run or stir the embers up to fly around are both things that need to be avoided. Children, fire and play are not good bedfellows so just don’t allow it.

The final step to guarantee safety is having proper smoke alarms throughout your home. In case there is a danger of smoke you will be alerted and your children have a better chance to get out of the house than without alarms. Having fire drills is also a great way to keep your children calm just in case something unexpected happens

Remember children are important. Child safety around fires should be taken seriously no matter what the situation or where the fire comes from.

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Replacing a Chimney Liner

Posted on September 15, 2011 by Joshua

The chimney liner is a very important component in the operating system of a fire place but most people seem not to notice. It is designed in such a way that it expels hot flue gases to the environment outside. This is the main function of the chimney liner; to rid your home of dangerous combustible gases in a safe manner and get them out of the house quickly. In addition to this, chimney liners protect the chimney and the fireplace from damage by water and reduce the infiltration of cold air into the house.

This process assists in conservation of fuel and hence reduction of the operating cost. Despite the fact that a chimney liner that has been installed and maintained properly will last for a long time, replacing a chimney liner may be necessary at times if deemed necessary following the normal yearly inspection.

The sizing of the chimney liner is very critical based on the fact that very small chimney liners allow a reverse movement of gases causing smoke problems in the home. If the chimney liner is too large it facilitates a slow movement of the smoke up the chimney that allows large amounts of creosote to form. One of the major sources of chimney fires is creosote build up. In this regard, once these factors are considered, replacing the chimney liner remains the only option to put the system back in proper working order.

Chimney liners are made from different materials but the most common liners are; terra cotta, stainless steel, aluminum, cast-in-place, and modular liners (volcanic pumice, refractory cement or a mixture of fireproof materials). It is a safety requirement that all chimneys must be lined in the contemporary construction. This is why replacing a chimney liner is a very important task whenever you suspect that the chimney liner has worn out or is cracked.

If your chimney liner is leaking and it is made of clay tile or terra cotta, replacing this it is the only solution. As a matter of fact, chimneys should be checked regularly by professionals and if it is discovered that the chimney liner is faulty, the professionals may recommend you replace the chimney liner before using the appliance again. Chimney professionals are trained to check for damage throughout the fireplace and chimney. If there is any damage that has not been detected before or problems noticed by the owner the professional chimney inspector will be able to direct them to a solution to avoid additional or greater losses in future.

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