Chimney fires happen more than you would think – and that is dangerous. A chimney fire can damage the chimney lining amongst many other things. Thankfully, you do not have to worry about having chimney fires. Here are signs of a chimney fire and if you had one along with tips to prevent them!
The Signs
You might find flakes or shards of creosote in the firebox, around the floor and on the ground if you had a chimney fire. Creosote pieces look like honeycomb or are puffy. Melting or damaged roofing material, disfigured/discolored chase cover or rain cap/chimney cap, cracks in the chimney’s exterior masonry, heat damage to a TV dish or antenna, etc. Are more signs that you could have had or have a chimney fire.
Some of the damage that you could experience because of a chimney fire is heat damage to structural beams, walls, and ceilings near the chimney. Melted mortar along with damaged/melted roofing could also happen because of a chimney fire. Damaged/warped metal flue lining and collapsed/cracked tile flue lining could also be found.
However, the damages to your home may not be the worst thing that a chimney fire could cause. Carbon monoxide will be released from chimney fires so a chimney fire makes ways for that to enter your home. A second chimney fire or stray spark could cause a huge house fire if the damage was not fixed. Additionally, breathing in carbon monoxide is dangerous to you and your loved ones’ health.
Dealing with Chimney Fires
The best way to deal with chimney fires is prevention – while you could contain a chimney fire rather quickly, it can still cause damage. Therefore, it is best to prevent the problem instead of trying to fix it after it happened. Yearly cleanings, which is a chimney sweep, are recommended to keep your home safe from chimney fires.
When you get a chimney sweep done, you should make sure you get professional help. Experts will be able to clean your chimney very well – which means that you will have little to no chance of getting a chimney fire. The chimney sweep will also inspect your chimney to let you know if you already had some damage done to your chimney so you can have it fixed right away.
We highly recommend that you only trust the professionals to properly inspect and clean your chimney. Believe it or not, there are scammers out there who will pretend to properly clean and inspect your chimney who do not know anything about it – if you let those sorts of people do the job, you are leaving your home and family at risk. You would also lose money because you did not get the proper service that you deserve.
Chimney fires might sound like a small issue at first, but it can escalate to a huge problem if you do not know enough about it. You should learn about the signs and prevention of chimney fires. Knowing this information can mean a world of difference to your home and family.
Regular chimney sweep can save you from big headaches in the future. Contact us today at JCS Home Services and we’ll make sure your chimney is working perfectly.
