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When was the last time you replaced your chimney liner? If you can’t remember, or recently bought an older home and don’t know, then you should consider having a chimney inspection and replacing the chimney liner.
A chimney is indestructible right? After all, they are designed for fires! This is often a common misconception. In fact, an old chimney liner, hidden by bricks and stucco, can be a firetrap waiting to happen. Over time, the chimney liner may become porous and allow hot embers or harmful gases to escape. This can contribute to a fire or carbon monoxide poisoning. If, after having your chimney inspected, you find that your chimney liner needs to be replaced, you have several options. And, unlike chimney liners of the past that were made of brick or terracotta, today’s are comprised of flexible materials. This allows homeowners to insert a new chimney liner into their fireplace(s), without having to bear the expense of having the fireplaces rebuilt – a costly proposition. So how do you find out if you need a new chimney liner? You call in the professionals – a professional chimney sweep that is. According to the Chimney Safety Institute of America, “The primary job of a chimney [sweep] is to aid in the prevention of fires related to fireplaces, wood stoves, gas, oil and coal heating systems and the chimneys that serve them. Chimney sweeps install, clean and maintain these systems, evaluate their performance, prescribe changes to improve their performance, and educate the consumer about their safe and efficient operation.” As part of their inspection process, chimney sweeps focus on spotting potential fire and smoke dangers, such as a blocked chimney. A blocked chimney can be especially hazardous to homeowners who have a gas fireplace. 99% of gas fireplaces are designed to vent fumes and heat to the outside through a chimney. If the chimney is not functioning properly, than these fumes, such as carbon monoxide, can build up in deadly levels in a home. Depending on what they find during their initial inspection, they may recommend a level two or level three chimney inspection. One thing to consider when hiring someone to inspect your chimney liner is that this is not a managed industry, and in most states, chimney sweeps are not regulated. In order to make sure that your chimney sweep is on the up and up, consider logging onto the Chimney Safety Institute of America’s website (www.csia.org). They maintain a list of chimney sweeps that they have certified. And their list is easily searchable by state, so you can find a chimney sweep that works in your area and can give you peace of mind about the state of your chimney liner. |
