Buying a House? Here’s Why You Need a Real Estate Inspection

Moving can be exciting, but it can also be, well, stressful. There’s the waiting, the hoping that everything goes smoothly, and the crossed fingers that closing happens without a wrinkle. Then there’s the financial stuff to take care of and the paperwork to get through. And of course, there’s all the packing to do, which inevitably takes longer than you thought or hoped it would.

Your days become recurring utterances of, ‘How did we end up with all this STUFF?’ and trips for more bubble wrap and packing tape. And at the same time, you somehow have to keep up with your daily duties of laundry, work, giving the dogs their flea/tick meds, and packing lunches. Everything seems simultaneously out of your control and on your shoulders.

Okay, so maybe moving isn’t just stressful, it’s exhausting.

What’s one thing you can do to make things go a little smoother? Schedule a real estate inspection with a CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep.

What Is a Real Estate Inspection?

A level 2 real estate inspection is a thorough inspection of the chimney system performed by a Certified Chimney Sweep®. The purpose of a real estate inspection is to assess the basic soundness of the chimney structure and to evaluate the accessible internal and external portions of the chimney and fireplace.

During a real estate inspection, the chimney sweep will look for flue obstructions, flammable buildup, leaks, and other potential issues with the system. They will also check for proper clearances from combustibles in accessible locations.

Unlike routine home inspections, which only check for obvious issues with the chimney and fireplace, real estate inspections go deeper and include a video scan of the entire internal surface of the chimney flue.

That way, you know exactly what condition the chimney and fireplace are in, and if they’re considered safe for use – before you buy.

Why bother with a real estate inspection prior to closing on your new home? Here’s why:

Real estate inspections can save you money & give you the upper hand during the buying process.

If the chimney and fireplace in your new home need cleaning or repair before you can use them, wouldn’t you rather know before you buy? Of course. If you know these things ahead of time, you can ask the seller to take care of the issues prior to closing OR use your real estate inspection report to negotiate a better price for the home. Which means everything will be up to par before you move in OR you’ll have money to cover the needed cleaning and repairs, without dipping even further into your savings.

Real estate inspections can give you and your family peace of mind when you use the fireplace in your new home.

Lighting the first fire in the fireplace or stove of your new home can . But if your chimney and fireplace aren’t in great working order, it can be a smoky – even scary – mess. If you have a real estate inspection performed by a CSIA-Budgeting for Chimney Care: Your Cost Guide

How much does it cost to fix a leaky chimney?

How much should I expect to pay for a chimney sweeping and inspection?

What’s the cost of a crown repair?

Is a chimney relining expensive?

How much does it cost to waterproof a chimney?

When you need to have chimney maintenance, cleaning, or repairs done, it’s natural to wonder: What’s a fair price?

Maybe you got multiple quotes and were blown away by how much the quotes differed. One chimney professional provided an estimate that seems too high, so you called another company for a second opinion, and their price was completely different.

Frustrated, you called a third company, hoping to gain some clarity. But alas, their estimate was somewhere in the middle of the first and second, and you’re more unsure than ever. How do you know who to go with? Is one company trying to rip you off? Is another so bad that they have to charge a super low price just to get work?

Well, we know it’s probably not what you wanted to hear, but ultimately, figuring out what you can expect to pay (and what’s a fair price) for a chimney repair, sweeping, or inspection isn’t as straightforward as you might think.

It’s not like heading to Amazon and looking for a product. Costs (and quality) can vary greatly.

But breathe easy, because we’ve put together this guide to help you navigate costs, budget for chimney care, and understand what might influence a quote.

Let’s get started. Affects Chimney Care Costs & Quotes?

The truth is, pricing for common chimney repair and maintenance services ranges greatly because of…

#1 Location – The cost of doing business for a small company in rural Kansas is lower than the cost of doing business for a large, multi-truck company in a metro area like Boston. So, naturally, costs for the same repair may differ greatly from region to region.

#2 Material + Time – Relining and chimney repair costs vary depending on the quality and longevity of the materials used. One company may quote you significantly less than another but be using ‘quick fixes’ and sub-par materials.

#3 Expertise + Training – When it comes to services that involve skill, training, and expertise, a lot of times you get what you pay for. For example, when you go to a Master Stylist, you can expect to pay more than you would if you went to a cosmetology school student. They’re both cutting or coloring your hair, and they may even be using identical products. That doesn’t matter. What you’re paying for with the Master Stylist is their experience and knowledge – and you’ll likely end up with better, faster results. Well, it’s the same with a chimney sweep and repair company. If the company has the best techs and has invested in their ongoing education and training, that can affect costs – but you’ll likely be much happier with the results and the time it takes to get those results.

#4 The Experience – Even if you can get the same results from two different companies, the journey to those results matters. The experience you’ll have with a CSIA-Certified Chimney Sweep® will likely be very different from the one you’ll have with someone who hasn’t invested in certification and training for themselves or their team – someone who hasn’t promised to adhere to a strict code of ethics. The experience matters, so look for certification and good reviews.

Now that we’ve covered a few of the main things that can impact pricing, let’s talk about just how much costs can vary and what you might expect to pay for chimney cleanings, inspections, relining, and other common repairs…

How Much Can Costs *Really* Vary for Common Chimney Services & Repairs?

Even within the CSIA-certified community, costs will vary because of materials, cost of doing business, time required, experience, and difficulty. To give you an idea of just how much costs can vary, we reached out to some chimney pros in various parts of the country to ask what they’d charge for several common services.

Let’s take a look at the ranges for common services:

Chimney Sweep & Inspection: $175-$449

Damper Install: $200-$600

Refractory Panel Replacement: $450-$650

Insert Installation: $5,000-$7,000

Cracked Crown: $150-$2,400

Crown Replacement: $800-$3,000

Cap/Chase Cover Replacement: $200-$2,000

Cracked Flue Tile Repair: $250-$5,000

Resurfacing Flue: $2,000-$5,000

Relining or Replacing Flue: $900-$11,000

Rebuild/Crumbling Brick + Spalling Repair: $1,000-$10,000

Sealing/Waterproofing: $150-$1,000

Flashing Repair: $200-$1,500

Flashing Replacement: $300-$2,500

Repair Leaning Chimney: $700-$15,000

Chimney Removal: $800-$3,500

Repointing/Tuckpointing: $500-$6,000

Parging: $700-$2,700

Wood Rot/Chase Surround Repair: $200-$3,500

Full Chimney Replacement: $4,000-$30,000

Hopefully, now you see why we can’t just give you ‘one cost to rule them all.’ It truly does vary greatly.

How Can You Keep Chimney Care Costs Down?

Does Homeowner’s Insurance Cover Chimney Repairs? Lace it where you want it, A Little Research Goes a Long Way

We know that ‘it depends’ was probably not the answer you were looking for when you landed here, but that’s the truth! Hopefully, the price ranges we’ve provided here have at least give you a ballpark of what to expect, so you can start planning and budgeting.

But remember, the best way to plan and budget for your chimney maintenance and repairs is to get several estimates from reputable companies with good reviews, good training, and good ethics. So, do a little research, and don’t be afraid to ask questions. If you want to know what’s affecting price, ask! Any good sweep will be happy to answer.

Good luck!

Psst! If you’d rather skip the time-consuming Google search and start with a smaller list of reputable sweeps in your area, use our search tool right here.

Take a look at The Ultimate Guide to Using Your Fireplace…more helpful information provided on our Homeowner Resources page.

Carbon Monoxide & Your Home: What You Need to Know

We all want our homes to be safe, comfortable places where we can relax without worry. But keeping safety levels high requires some due diligence – and it starts with knowing the risks and how to reduce them.

One of the biggest risks in the home is carbon monoxide poisoning.

According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), at least 430 people die in the U.S. every year from accidental CO poisoning, and around 50,000 Americans visit the ER each year because of exposure to carbon monoxide. comparing, and factor

Data from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission show that heating systems were associated with the second largest percentage of non-fire CO poisoning deaths in 2017, and that most CO deaths occurred during the colder months of the year.eir estimate. Photos of the issue in question are one of the best methods of demonstrating the need for repair and (after the repair is completed), the results of their work.

So, what is carbon monoxide, how does it get in your home, how does it affect the body, and what can you do to protect yourself and your family? We’re going to cover it all right here. Let’s get started…

What Is Carbon Monoxide?

Carbon monoxide is a gas that’s created because of the incomplete burning of fuel. Anytime you burn something incompletely – be it coal, charcoal, LP gas, natural gas, oil, or wood – carbon monoxide is created during the combustion process. And the truth is, complete combustion almost never occurs. There’s always some kind of off-gassing when burning fuel.

Carbon monoxide is the second leading cause of poisoning in the home, and it’s colorless, odorless, and highly toxic, which makes this ‘silent killer’ particularly worrisome.

What Does Carbon Monoxide Do to You?

The human body is strange, especially when it comes to how it interacts with carbon monoxide. You’d think that the body would reject this deadly gas, but it doesn’t – it embraces it.

Like a hungry teenager given a choice between a plate of raw brussels sprouts and a sizzling pepperoni pizza with extra cheese, it’s not even a contest. When given the choice between binding to oxygen or carbon monoxide in the air, your blood cells choose carbon monoxide every time. To your body, the carbon monoxide is the pepperoni pizza, the obvious choice.

The difference here is that a little pepperoni pizza isn’t going to hurt you – a little carbon monoxide can.

The CO molecules that you inhale attach to the red blood cells in your body and hitch a ride to your lungs. Over time, the CO molecules displace the oxygen in your blood and prevent oxygen from being delivered to your organs. This is called carbon monoxide poisoning and it harms and kills people every year.

How Long Does It Take to Get Carbon Monoxide Poisoning & What Are the Signs?

It doesn’t take long for carbon monoxide to poison you. Depending on the concentration of CO in the air (among other factors like age and overall health), carbon monoxide can kill a person in as little as five minutes.

The problem is that – because it’s colorless and odorless – you can be exposed and at risk of CO poisoning and not even know it. And it gets even more complicated…

All the symptoms of carbon monoxide are similar to the ailments associated with the flu, and because CO poisoning mostly happens in the winter months when flu and other nasty bugs are common, many folks just assume they’re coming down with a bug.

Initial signs of CO poisoning include things like:

Headache

Nausea

Sleepiness/Lethargy

Confusion

Dizziness

Chest Pain

When someone isn’t feeling well, the inclination is to lay down and rest a little. But if the individual remains exposed to carbon monoxide when they head to bed, they may never wake up. This deadly gas slowly anesthetizes people – and it does it without fanfare or obvious signs.

Can Small Amounts of Carbon Monoxide Hurt You?

Yes, even small amounts of exposure over prolonged periods can cause harm and endanger your health. We now know that low-level exposure to carbon monoxide can cause permanent organ and brain damage, especially in infants, the elderly, and those with anemia, respiratory problems, or heart disease.

Low-level exposure may also cause prolonged flu-like symptoms, chronic fatigue, or generalized depression. So, if you have any of these symptoms and you can’t seem to shake them, please see your physician.

Do Fireplaces Give Off Carbon Monoxide? Can You Get CO Poisoning from a Chimney? What Other Appliances Can Give Off Carbon Monoxide?

‘Can you get carbon monoxide poisoning from a chimney?’ ‘Do wood-burning fireplaces produce carbon monoxide?’ ‘Can leaky furnaces cause CO poisoning?’

These are questions we hear a lot. The answer to all three questions is YES.

Basically, any appliance in your home that burns fuel – be that gas, wood, pellet, or oil – has the potential to send carbon monoxide into your home. The trouble starts when the home isn’t well ventilated OR when the venting system attached to these appliances fails to do its job.

For example, if a chimney is blocked and the carbon monoxide produced by the fireplace can’t swiftly exit through the chimney top, it will flow back into your home.

Or, if there’s lint buildup inside the dryer vent and that lint prevents the CO from exiting the home, you can have a backflow of carbon monoxide.

In both scenarios, a simple problem– one that could easily be prevented with a professional chimney or dryer vent cleaning – could cause carbon monoxide poisoning.

So, what appliances do you need to be concerned about and routinely checking?

Most people know that cars put out carbon monoxide, but there are a lot of common appliances in our homes that we don’t think about when we think of carbon monoxide.

For example, carbon monoxide is put out by:

Fireplaces

Gas & oil furnaces

Gas water heaters

Gas stoves

Gas dryers

While all these appliances are relatively safe when well maintained and used as designed, neglect, damage, and other issues can lead to an increase in carbon monoxide risk.

Potential issues include:

An air-tight home/inadequate combustion air

A blocked chimney

Poor draft

A missing or damaged flue liner

A liner mismatches (wrong size or material for the appliance and fuel type)

A blocked, lint-logged dryer vent

The best way to protect yourself against carbon monoxide hazards with these appliances is to have each professionally inspected on an annual basis. The appliances themselves should be inspected, as well as their venting systems.

After all, even the most efficient appliance can contribute to a CO problem if the venting system attached to it isn’t clean and in good working order. Many chimney sweeps inspect fireplace flues, stove pipe, furnace flues, and dryer vents – and you can quickly find a qualified pro in your area right here.

Why Is Carbon Monoxide Poisoning on the Rise?

Why is carbon monoxide poisoning – primarily linked to home heating systems – on the rise, when most of these systems have been around and safely used for years?

Well, there are a few reasons:

1. Modern homes are more air-tight than homes of old. Homeowners are aware of the cost of heating drafty homes, and many have taken steps to seal up windows, doors, and other areas of air filtration. The trouble is that a tighter home means less fresh air can enter the home and less polluted and stale air can exit it. And when furnaces and boilers are starved of the oxygen needed to burn fuels completely, carbon monoxide is produced.
2. Manufacturers are now designing home heating appliances with greater efficiency to reduce fuel costs, conserve natural resources, and decrease environmental pollution. But these new high-efficiency gas and oil furnaces, when vented into existing chimney flues, often don’t perform at optimal levels. This decrease in performance increases the chances that toxic gases like CO will enter the living space.
3. Many homeowners aren’t aware of the upkeep required for venting systems. Damaged, deteriorating, or mismatched liners can cause issues with carbon monoxide, as can soot buildup, debris-clogged chimneys, and bird and animal nests. Because of a lack of education around routine inspections and cleanings, many homeowners neglect these systems until obvious problems arise. Many of these issues can force carbon monoxide into the living spaces of your home – either as a one-time high-level exposure situation or with smaller amounts over a longer period of time.nt standard

 (ALA) all encourage the regular maintenance of home heating systems and their

Do You Need a Carbon Monoxide Detector for a Wood-burning Fireplace?

The incomplete burning of any fuel, including wood, creates carbon monoxide. So, even if you have a wood-burning fireplace and don’t have any gas appliances in your home, it’s wise to invest in carbon monoxide detectors for your home.

How Many Carbon Monoxide Detectors Should You Have in the Home (and Where Should You Have Them)?

The number of carbon monoxide detectors you’ll need for your home depends on the size and layout of your home. Placement of carbon monoxide detectors follows that of smoke detectors, so you should plan on having one on every level of your home and outside of all sleeping areas. It’s also a good idea to have one near your garage.

The good news is that there are many combination smoke/carbon monoxide detectors on the market, so you can buy a single detector for each area to protect you against both smoke/fires and carbon monoxide.

Note: Be sure to check local codes. You may be required to have a smoke/carbon monoxide detector in every bedroom of the home.

Gas & Oil Furnace Chimneys: What You Need to Know

Most of us grew up with HVAC systems, so it’s not surprising that we often take the comfort they provide for granted. Typically, we don’t even think about these systems until there’s a problem, right? But the truth is, just like any other area of your home, your furnace and the venting system it relies on require routine care. And when you neglect the chimney venting your gas or oil furnace, boiler, or water heater, you can run into trouble…

Not only will your appliance itself suffer in terms of performance and efficiency, but you may also see an increase in fire and carbon monoxide risks, as well as bigger repair bills down the line.

We want to help you avoid expensive repairs and unnecessary risk, and we believe education is the key. So, let’s dive into what you need to know about gas and oil furnace flue maintenance.

Ready? Let’s get started.

My Gas or Oil Furnace Chimney Need to Be Cleaned?

The answer is yes. Appliances fueled by natural gas or propane may not produce the visible soot that appliances burning other fuels like wood do, but they can still deposit corrosive substances in your chimney. Likewise, oil furnaces and boilers can produce a heavy soot-like byproduct if they’re not working efficiently or venting properly.

Obviously, you want to avoid unnecessary threats and expenses, so it’s important to have your oil or gas furnace chimney cleaned when needed.

Note: Many homeowners think that the technicians servicing their gas appliances or oil appliances are cleaning, or at least looking at, the attached venting systems. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. The reality is that the oil burner company may shovel out the base of a brick chimney and they may brush out the connector pipes, but they will most likely not clean the chimney system. Similarly, the gas appliance technician is going to tune and service the gas appliance, but the chimney isn’t their main concern. So, when you have your fireplace chimney inspected and cleaned each year, have a CSIA-Certified Chimney Sweep® look at your gas furnace flue at the same time.

1. To burn the gas, your heating appliance needs intake air for combustion. The same acids in the air that cause acid rain may also be present in the intake air your heating appliance uses. This air may also carry chlorides, which are often picked up from household cleaning products or other pollution.s, the
2. Water vapor is always produced during combustion. In fact, allow us to wear our nerd hats for a moment and share this fun fact with you: One cubic foot of gas yields two cubic feet of water vapor. When the chlorides in the intake air combine with this water vapor, hydrochloric acid is formed. Other acids may also form when water mixes with residues in the flue or with other airborne pollutants.h may not meet the required depth based on the size of the fireplace opening. Some inspectors will consider 3. These acidic deposits eat away at the liner. Older, unlined chimneys are the most susceptible to corrosion partly because of their age – use and general wear and tear over the years. If the flue was used to vent appliances using different fuels in the past (like wood) and soot deposits were left behind by those fuels, that can also speed up the corrosion of the chimney’s interior. But regardless, eventually, corrosion caused by water condensation and acidic deposits inside of the flue could cause the liner to crumble.
3. Debris from the liner can then create a blockage in the chimney that can prevent carbon monoxide from leaving the system, and instead allow it to enter your home. And of course, if the chimney is unlined or in poor condition, left behind carbon monoxide is especially dangerous.

I Have a High-Efficiency Gas Furnace – Do I Have to Worry About Problems Like Flue Corrosion or Condensation?

Many homeowners think that if they invest in a modern high-efficiency gas appliance, they won’t have to worry about having problems with flue corrosion and condensation. Unfortunately, that’s not true.

Here’s why: Modern high-efficiency appliances gain their higher efficiency by extracting the heat that would otherwise be sent up the chimney and delivering it to your home instead. While this is good in the sense that no heat is ‘wasted’, a certain amount of heat is necessary in the chimney to provide adequate draft and prevent condensation of flue gases on the chimney walls.

If the flue temperature becomes too low because the appliance is preventing heat from going up the chimney (as is often the case with modern appliances), you could experience issues with corrosion and condensation.

As odd as it may seem, the combustion of any hydrocarbon (like gas) results mainly in carbon dioxide and water vapor. In fact, the average furnace puts out about 1.5 gallons of water in the chimney every hour it’s used.

The high stack temperatures of older inefficient furnaces kept this moisture from condensing inside the chimney, and it was often visible as steam escaping the chimney top. But because newer high-efficiency furnaces now steal this extra heat from the chimney, all this water now often condenses inside the cooler flue.

The problem becomes even more complicated because the water in the flue is usually highly acidic and corrosive (as we talked about above). Now, you don’t just have a gallon or more of water in your chimney every hour, you have a gallon or more of dilute hydrochloric or sulfuric acid eating its way through the mortar and brick of your chimney – from the inside out.

So, contrary to what you might think, high-efficiency furnaces don’t eliminate condensation and corrosion issues – they can, in fact, sometimes exacerbate them.

Does Draft Matter in a Gas Venting System? Why?

Draft matters in a gas venting system for a couple of big reasons:

Draft is needed for complete combustion. The chimney is not only responsible for letting the combustion byproducts passively escape up the flue, but also for generating enough draft to actively pull combustion air into the appliance. Complete combustion requires sufficient oxygen – to burn one cubic foot of natural gas, the appliance needs more than 10 cubic feet of air. If combustion is incomplete because of inadequate draft, more carbon monoxide will be produced, and less heat will be delivered to the home. Not only that, but a poorly drafting chimney is less likely to effectively vent the carbon monoxide produced by the system.

Proper draft reduces condensation. Inadequate draft can lead to more residual moisture in the flue. Sometimes the chimney flue is too large for the appliance’s venting requirements, giving the gases more opportunity to condense inside the flue. An exterior chimney, because it’s not surrounded by the warmth of the home on every side, will make the problem worse. The same problems can arise if the connector pipe that joins the appliance and the chimney is too long, or if there are too many bends or elbows in the venting system. Basically, anything that interferes with draft can allow moisture to condense inside of the flue instead of being carried out of the venting system – and that moisture can cause corrosion in the flue.

Note: If your gas heating appliance is properly matched to the venting system, that will help ensure adequate draft in the system.

Why Is My Fireplace Smoking?

A smoky fireplace can be a serious inconvenience. The moment smoke starts pouring back into your home, the enjoyment of the evening is gone. You go from relaxing and sipping your favorite beverage to opening windows and trying to figure out what the heck is going on.

Smoke can stain your furniture, drapes, and walls, cause coughing fits and respiratory problems, and – because it contains carbon monoxide – it can make you sick. Of course, when you’re waving away the smoke, you’re not thinking about all that. You’re thinking ‘something’s wrong’ and wondering why you can’t just have a relaxing night by the fire.

Well, you’re right: Something is wrong. It’s not normal for your fireplace to push smoke back into your home. But we can help you figure out what might be going on, so you can fix the problem and once again enjoy the relaxing warmth you hoped your fireplace would provide.

Let’s go over some of the most common causes of a smoky fireplace and what can be done about each.

#1 You’re burning green/wet wood.

Your fireplace is designed to burn dry, properly seasoned wood – wood with a moisture content somewhere between 15 and 25%. Wet or green wood that hasn’t been seasoned will have moisture content around 40-50%, and that moisture will naturally produce more smoke.

The reason is that when you burn wet wood:

Any BTUs produced by the fire will be used to dry the wood.

The fire will burn cooler and produce more smoke.

The flue gases will be cooler and the flue won’t be adequately warmed.

The chimney won’t be able to swiftly move all the smoke up and out of the chimney.

Voila: Smoke problems.

So, how do you know if your firewood has the right moisture content before you use it? The easiest way is to check your firewood using a moisture meter. Many hardware and big box stores carry them, and Amazon, of course, has everything.

Simply split the firewood and use your moisture meter to get a reading. If it’s somewhere between 15 and 25%, you’re good. If not, you’ll need to season the wood or buy your firewood somewhere else.

Check out this quick video for more info + tips on storing firewood.

Want even more? You’ll find everything you need to know about buying, seasoning, and storing firewood in our Ultimate Guide to Firewood right here.

#2 You haven’t properly warmed the flue.

You’ve doubtless heard that hot air rises – well the chimney needs a bit of heat to pull the smoke produced by your fireplace up and out of the chimney. The hotter the flue, the faster the byproducts of combustion (like smoke) can move through it.

The problem is, if the outside air is much cooler than the air in the home, the chimney flue may be cold when you first light a fire. This is especially common with exterior chimneys that don’t have the warmth of the home on every side.

One thing you can do if you have an exterior chimney or think a cold flue may be the problem is prep the flue. You can do this by taking a rolled-up newspaper, lighting the end, and holding it up into the chimney prior to lighting your fire in the fireplace.

Another great way to heat the flue naturally is to build a top-down fire. With a top-down fire, you’re lighting the small bits of tinder and kindle at the top first. Those small bits will burn hotter, and they’ll be closer to the flue – which makes it easy for them to warm the flue before your fire really gets going.

For more info on how to build a top-down fire, including a step-by-step guide and a video explanation, check out The Ultimate Guide to Using Your Fireplace.

Lastly, if you have an exterior chimney, you may want to invest in a top-sealing damper. Traditional dampers are installed down in the throat of the chimney, just above the fireplace. And while they prevent cold air from coming into the home through the fireplace opening, they offer no protection to the flue. A top-sealing damper, on the other hand, protects the chimney and keeps the flue warmer by sealing the chimney up at the top.

#3 You’ve built a fire that’s too big for your fireplace.

Bigger is better, right? Well, not always. In fact, if the fire you’ve built is too big for your fireplace, you won’t have a better fireside experience. You’ll have a lot of smoke.

This is because, if the fire is too big for the fireplace, the chimney won’t be able to move all the byproducts of combustion (including smoke) up and out of the home fast enough.

It’s like when there’s a rush of people trying to get through the same small door – the door can’t accommodate all those people and it wasn’t made to. So, everyone gets held up at the exit. But when the smoke in your chimney and fireplace gets held up, it flows back into the home and cools in the chimney as creosote. Both are bad news.

How big should your fire be? Well, naturally, it depends on your fireplace. But there are some general rules to keep in mind, no matter the size of your fireplace. For example:

There should be space between the logs and the walls of your fireplace.

Your logs, tinder, and kindle should not extend up past the fireplace opening.

You should be able to see the tips of the flames in your fireplace opening once you get the fire going.

If you stick to these general rules, you should be in good shape.

#4 Your chimney liner is the wrong size for your appliance.

If you’ve had smoke problems ever since you relined your chimney or installed a new fireplace or insert, there’s a good chance there’s a sizing issue. We won’t bore you but there’s a magic ratio for determining liner size for each appliance.

If the math was wrong when you had a new liner or appliance installed and the flue liner is too small for the appliance, you’ll have smoke problems. This is because the appliance is producing more smoke and byproducts than the liner can manage to quickly move through the chimney.

The best thing to do is to have a CSIA-Certified Chimney Sweep® evaluate your liner and appliance. They can check for a mismatch and other installation issues and recommend a resolution (like a reline or a smoke guard). Easily find one in your area right here.

#5 You have a chimney blockage.

You’d be surprised what chimney sweeps find in chimneys. Squirrels, birds, raccoons, broken flue tiles, and chunks of creosote are just a few examples. The trouble is that all these can cause dangerous blockages that prevent carbon monoxide and smoke from swiftly exiting the chimney top. That’s why you end up with smoke pouring back into your home.

The best thing to do if you suspect a chimney blockage is to schedule an inspection with a CSIA-Certified Chimney Sweep® and have your chimney cleaned if they confirm a blockage or buildup.

Dirty chimneys and blockages don’t just cause smoke issues – they can also cause chimney fires. So, don’t use your chimney system until the problem’s taken care of.

#6 Your chimney isn’t tall enough to achieve good draft.

Another common cause of smoky fireplaces is an issue with chimney height. To achieve proper draft, your chimney needs to be a specific height, and it should be the highest thing in the vicinity – meaning no other part of the home should be as tall as it is.

If chimney height is behind your smoky fireplace problem, you may be able to resolve the issue by extending the chimney. The added length typically improves draft and increases the pull of air up the chimney, which gets smoke up and out faster.

An experienced chimney sweep should be able to tell if chimney height is the cause of your smoke problems. Find a qualified pro to inspect your system right here.

#7 Stack effect.

When warm air rises to the upper areas of your home, it’s called the stack effect. That trapped air forces its way out – even through very small openings, such as recessed light fixtures and window frames. To make up for that escaping air, replacement air tries to enter in the lower part of the building.

Somewhere in your home, amid all this airflow, is what’s called the Neutral Pressure Plane (NPP). Above this theoretical plane, the air pressure is slightly greater than the outdoor air pressure, and so the inside air tries to force its way out of the house. Below this plane, the air pressure is slightly negative, and the house attempts to draw air in from the outside.

Anytime a fireplace or fuel-fired heating appliance (except direct vent) is below the Neutral Pressure Plane, you tend to have smoky fireplace problems.

A common example of this is found in homes with two fireplaces, one below the other. As the upper-level fireplace uses air for combustion and chimney flow, it depressurizes that level slightly, causing air to flow upwards from the lower level. Since the lower-level fireplace is below the Neutral Pressure Plane, it draws air in to replace that air through the chimney.

Typically, the flues for both the upper- and lower-level fireplace exit the chimney close to each other, so the replacement air being pulled into the lower-level chimney often contains some smoke from the fireplace above – hence why you find smoke coming in through your unused fireplace.

If this is the cause of your smoky fireplace, the solution may be to install a top-sealing damper on the lower fireplace flue and keep it closed when the other fireplace is in use.

#8 Wind-loading

Wind-loading is the effect on interior house pressures caused by the wind. When wind strikes a building, it creates high pressure on the side it hits and low pressure on the downwind side. Any open windows or doors on the windward side will help to pressurize the house, increasing chimney draft. But openings on the downwind side (even small openings in the home) will depressurize the house and increase the likelihood of backdrafting in chimneys and vents. Backdrafting is a reversal of airflow in which smoke comes into the house instead of going up the chimney.

If this is the cause of your smoke issues, you may need to install a specialty chimney cap made for high-wind areas. These types of caps work by using the wind to create a partial vacuum. This prevents downdrafts and backdrafting, improving draft and pulling smoke and other byproducts of combustion up and out of the home.

#9 Competing interior mechanical devices

Clothes dryers, kitchen fans, bathroom fans, attic fans, and central vacuums can all create depressurization by removing large volumes of air from the house. This often creates negative pressure in the area of a fireplace, woodstove, or other fuel-fired heating appliance, which makes it difficult for natural draft chimneys to function as intended. As a result, smoke may flow back into your home through your fireplace opening.

Another appliance that can cause smoke issues is the forced-air furnace. These appliances need large volumes of combustion air, just like fireplaces and woodstoves. Unless they are especially equipped to draw air in from outside the house (like direct vent fireplaces, which have both an air intake and an exhaust pipe), operating them can reduce the inside air pressure and cause smoke problems.

If competing interior mechanical devices and inadequate makeup air are behind your smoke issues, there are a variety of mechanical devices on the market that can help provide the necessary replacement air and balance the air pressure needs of your house system.

Q: How often should I have my chimney swept?

This is a tougher question to answer than you’d think, but here’s the simple answer: Here at CSIA, we follow the guidelines of The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Standard 211, which says,

“Chimneys, fireplaces, and vents shall be inspected at least once a year for soundness, freedom from deposits, and correct clearances. Cleaning, maintenance, and repairs shall be done if necessary.”

Whoa – does this apply to ALL chimneys, fireplaces, and vents? Why every year?

This is the national safety standard, and it takes into account the fact that – even if you don’t use your chimney much – animals may build nests in the flue or there may be other types of deterioration that could make the chimney unsafe.

How will a sweep know when it’s time to sweep your chimney? We recommend that all masonry fireplaces be swept at 1/8” of sooty buildup, and sooner if there is any glaze (creosote) present in the system. This is considered by fire safety experts to be enough buildup to cause a chimney fire capable of damaging the chimney or spreading to the home.

Factory-built fireplaces should be swept when any appreciable buildup occurs. The logic here is that the deposit is quite acidic and can shorten the life of the fireplace by corroding the different components of the prefab system.

Q: My fireplace stinks, especially in the summer. What can I do?

The smell you’re catching whiffs of is from creosote deposits (a natural byproduct of woodburning) in the chimney. The odor is usually worse in the summer when the humidity is high and the air conditioner is turned on – call it the perfect storm for bringing out the aroma.

So, how do you get rid of the smell?

A good chimney sweeping will help, but it won’t usually solve the problem completely. There are commercial chimney deodorants that work pretty well, and many people have good results putting baking soda or even kitty litter in the fireplace to absorb the odor.

The real problem is the air being drawn down the chimney – a symptom of overall pressure problems in the house. Some make-up air should be introduced somewhere else in the house to prevent air from being drawn down the chimney. A tight sealing top-mounted damper can also reduce airflow coming down the chimney, thus reducing issues with odor.

Q: When I build a fire in my upstairs fireplace, I get smoke from the basement fireplace. What’s going on?

This has become quite a common problem in today’s airtight houses, where weatherproofing has sealed up the usual air infiltration routes.

So, what’s happening?

The fireplace in use exhausts household air until a negative pressure situation exists. If the house is fairly tight, the simplest route for make-up air to enter the home is often through the unused fireplace chimney. As air is drawn down this unused flue, it picks up smoke that is exiting the fireplace in use and brings that smoke down into the living area.

The best solution is to provide make-up air to the house so that the negative pressure problem no longer exists – thus eliminating not only the smoke problem, but also the potential for carbon monoxide to be drawn back down the furnace chimney.

A secondary solution is to install a top-mount damper on the fireplace that is used the least and keep it closed.

Q: I heat with gas. Should this chimney be checked too?

Without a doubt! Although gas is generally a clean-burning fuel, the chimney can become non-functional from bird nests or other debris blocking the flue. Modern furnaces can also have many problems when they’re vented through average flues intended for older furnaces. So, it’s important that you schedule annual inspections for all your chimneys – gas furnaces included.

Q: What is level 3 creosote?

Creosote is a flammable deposit that’s a natural byproduct of wood-burning and oil-burning. Level 3 creosote is the glazed type that can’t be removed with mechanical sweeping alone. Watch the video below to see what creosote looks like.

Q: How do you get rid of creosote?

I have an 80-year-old home that was a longtime rental house. I have lived here five years and have been using the fireplace for four of those years. I do not know how long it has been since my chimney was swept (potentially decades, if ever). I just had a chimney sweep at my house, and he informed me that the creosote in my chimney was quite thick (he used the term ‘level 3’ creosote). He also said that in the smoke chamber, the brick is stepped (instead of smooth), and that there is a lot of dangerous buildup in there. He recommended two applications of an acid cleaning (which he said are not entirely foolproof and work better above 45 degrees F), and that we use a chemical when we burn our fire to help ‘chalkify’ the creosote buildup. He showed me the buildup inside with a light and everything he said seemed to make sense. Does this sound like it’s on the up and up? I can’t find any info on this acid cleaning, and I would like to know if this sounds like it is the proper course of action in a case like mine.

What you have described sounds pretty typical. In addition to the chemical treatment that you mentioned, professional-grade chemicals, usually in the form of powder, can be applied by chimney sweeps to help change the nature of the glazed creosote to a form that can be removed by a professional with a brush. Both forms of these products require some heat, such as you would have with a small fire in the fireplace.

If the creosote is gummy, about the only way to deal with the creosote is with a chemical treatment or an acid application. Acid applications are not as commonly used since they are harder to apply and must be neutralized a few days after application. If the creosote is crusty or fractures when hit, a rotary cleaning can be helpful for removal.

Q: How do I know if the chimney sweep really cleaned my chimney?

In the past, sweeps we’ve hired have always gone on the roof, checked the flashing, the mortar, and all the workings of the chimney, and then cleaned the chimney from the top of the house. Today, this sweep came in, looked into my fireplace from the bottom, and said we don’t need it cleaned because he can still see the bricks. I asked to have it cleaned anyway. He then grabbed a wire brush and simply rubbed away any buildup from the main opening to the fireplace, without even going up into the chimney to clean anything. Am I way off base, or did the sweep charge me without cleaning my chimney?

It sounds like the chimney sweeps you had experiences with in the past did the job they were hired to do. However, your most recent experience sounds a bit odd. If the sweep agreed to do a complete sweeping and only cleaned the brick in the fireplace’s firebox, you did not get the service that you paid for. A complete chimney sweeping includes the chimney flue and smoke chamber.

In the future, you could ask for a Level 1 chimney inspection and a chimney sweeping. If the sweep doesn’t know what a Level 1 chimney inspection is, find one that does. A Level 1 inspection is detailed in the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 211: Standard on Chimneys, Fireplaces, Vents, and Solid Fuel-Burning Appliances.

Q: How common is it that chimney liners cannot be seen from inside the fireplace with only a flashlight? Is there some standard building requirement for the flue and the fireplace that makes it so you can’t just look up from the fireplace and see the sky or chimney cap at the top of the chimney?

Flues are allowed to have offsets of up to 30-degree. In most cases, this will make a direct visual observation of the flue impossible. A video scan would be required to evaluate the flue condition in a situation like this. The height of the chimney flue is not a factor. Even in short flues, there’s a big difference in what can be observed during a visual inspection vs. during a video inspection.

Q: What stainless steel liners require insulation?

Liners for gas- and oil-fired appliances do not require insulation to meet the manufacturers’ installation and warranty requirements. Why not? Because of the lower flue gas temperatures and lower heat transfer, they are less likely to catch surrounding combustible materials on fire.

Liners used with solid fuel-burning appliances, however, do need to be insulated.  If combustible materials are in contact with the chimney, there are provisions that allow the liner to be installed in what is defined as a zero/zero install. That means there may be zero clearance to the interior of the chimney and zero clearance to the exterior of the chimney. The insulation may be of the blanket type or an expanded mica or masonry insulation.

There are some manufacturers that will list a liner for use without insulation if it conforms to the NFPA 211 construction requirements. The problem is that it’s almost impossible to determine if those requirements are met without destroying the chimney. Thus, it makes much more sense to insulate every liner serving a wood-burning appliance. Even gas- and oil-fired appliances that are vented into an exterior chimney will benefit (performance-wise) from liner insulation.

Q: What can I burn in my fireplace?

The answer is: Only well-seasoned wood. Nothing else should be burned in your fireplace. Why not? Watch the video below to see what happens when you burn holiday wrapping paper, a pizza box, and foam packaging in the fireplace.

Q: I’m unsure how to work my damper. Can you show me how?

This is a common question. The damper is a hinged metal plate or valve used to seal the fireplace when it’s not in use, and it’s important to understand how to work your damper. Here’s why: If the damper is not functioning correctly or if it’s closed when you light a fire in your fireplace, you could have a smoky room at best and a fire hazard at worst.

You want the damper to be in the fully open position before you light your fire, for safety reasons. If you wait until you’ve lit a fire in your fireplace to check that the damper is open, it’ll be much more difficult to safely open the damper. So, always look up into your fireplace with a flashlight to check that the damper is open first. Once you’ve confirmed it’s open, then you can light your fire.

For a quick tutorial on how to open and close your damper, no matter the type, watch the video below.

Q: What is your position on chemical chimney cleaners?

While we don’t believe these chemical chimney cleaning products are bad in and of themselves, what is bad is using them in place of professional chimney inspections and cleanings.

Here’s why: These products are often promoted for their ability to remove a portion of the creosote from a masonry or metal chimney interior through catalytic action when burned in a fireplace or wood stove. But the use of these products alone is not an adequate substitute for mechanical chimney cleaning and inspection, nor does it provide the same level of protection to the chimney system.

Current promotional claims for some of these products may be creating a false sense of security among consumers, and that’s what concerns us.

Chemical products that claim to clean or assist in chimney cleaning are not new. In fact, some of these chemical products are used by professional chimney sweeps in conjunction with the mechanical cleaning of a chimney.

For example, a chimney can develop a hard or tacky layer of flammable creosote that cannot be removed by normal mechanical brushing. In these situations, a qualified chimney professional may use certain chemical cleaners to change the chemical composition of the hard or tacky layer of creosote so it can be removed. But these chemical cleaners would never be considered adequate on their own.

Mechanical sweeping of a chimney not only removes layers of creosote from the flue surface, but it also removes the resulting loose soot and creosote from the chimney, fireplace, or wood stove.

Think about it: A substantial percentage of fireplace and wood stove chimneys do not provide a straight path from the firebox to the outside. If chemical chimney cleaning products perform as claimed and cause debris in the chimney to fall off, that debris still needs to be removed from the smoke shelf, the baffle, the catalytic combustor, or the offset to ensure a properly functioning chimney.

That’s why, here at the CSIA, we believe that the optimal method for cleaning a chimney is by a mechanical brushing of the chimney in conjunction with a complete evaluation of the system – all done by a qualified chimney professional. And we (along with the National Fire Protection Association) recommend annual chimney inspections for good reason…

Chimney inspections often reveal hidden problems with a chimney structure that could be potentially hazardous. If you’re only using chemical cleaners and not keeping up with routine chimney inspections, you won’t know about those hidden problems until they reveal themselves, putting you and your family in danger.

So, the bottom line is this: If you’re going to use chemical cleaning products, remember to also schedule your annual chimney inspection and have your chimney system professionally cleaned as needed.

Q: What’s your position on aftermarket parts? Are they safe?

It’s not uncommon for listed fireplaces, inserts, and chimneys to be refitted with aftermarket parts, not necessarily in accordance with the original listing. While we can’t be certain of the impacts of aftermarket parts, we’ve put together a white paper on some considerations and possible impacts.