SERVPRO of Plymouth/Wareham Knows About The Importance of a Clean Chimney

12/25/2019 (Permalink)

Be sure to keep your chimney clean to prevent smoke/soot damage to your home.

Why proper chimney maintenance is important

Besides a warming heat and beautiful flame to behold, burning a fire inside a fireplace within a home releases other, more dangerous elements. Creosote is a compound, more commonly referred to as tar, which is known to be flammable and toxic, and is considered to be potentially carcinogenic (causing cancers). In addition to the health hazards, it could set your chimney on fire, and these fires can spread to the rest of your home. Fireplace cleaning is an important part of home maintenance, if you wish to keep your home as well as yourself, healthy and undamaged.

When the amount of creosote is thin, 1/8” or less, it can simply be swept away from the chimney using a specialized brush. Routinely performing this task actually makes the task much easier, as thicker layers of creosote become more tarry and difficult to remove. A solution of warm water and TSP (trisodium phosphate) can help to remove any stubborn tar, but proper ventilation, gloves and goggles are needed to protect yourself from the alkaline chemical, and a drop cloth should be used to protect the floor from both the chemicals and creosote. If the cleaner is unable to remove the tar, the fireplace must not be used again until a professional chimney sweep is able to clean it, or the aforementioned consequences may be the result.

If you do have smoke/soot damage from your chimney, SERVPRO of Plymouth/ Wareham is here to help!