Santa's Friend Chimney Service Blog

You Might Have a Chimney Blockage

While we all love a fire in the fireplace, no one wants a fire in his or her chimney. Unfortunately, according to the Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA), chimney fires are more common than you may think, and sometimes you do not even know they have occurred. Dirty chimneys are the most likely cause of all chimney fires, and usually the same blockages are the culprits in these possibly deadly accidents. The good news is chimney fires are completely preventable with proper maintenance care like regular chimney sweeping and inspections from CSIA-certified professionals like our chimney sweeps at Santa’s Friend Chimney Service. We would like to share with you what the common chimney blockages are, which can also help you prevent these things from entering your chimney in the first place.

Animals

Stray animals looking for a dry, warm place to call home may come across your chimney to set up house during the cold months of winter. From nesting birds to raccoons to squirrels, these animals not only block your chimney and lead to dangerous fires, but they can become stuck, die, and create horrible, putrid smells that will invade your home. For your own personal safety, we strongly recommend you call a professional animal removal service to remove any animals and nests from of your chimney.

Debris

During the course of the year, leaves, trash, tree foliage, and other settlement work their way down into your chimney and accumulate. While this may not sound like too big of a deal, all of this debris adds up and can cause blockages. This puts your chimney at risk for incomplete combustion and negative air pressure to happen, which can force smoke into your house. Settlement buildup will also cause cracks in your flue, and these cracks allow dangerous carbon monoxide to escape into your home.

Creosote

The most hazardous and common of the chimney blockages, creosote is the by-product of burning wood, and it develops naturally from the residue of smoke, gases, water vapor, hydrocarbon, unburned wood particles, and other assorted minerals as they leave the fireplace and go out the cooler upper chimney. Sticking to the inner walls of the chimney as deposits, creosote is brown or black in appearance and can be flaky, crusty, tar-like, sticky, gummy, shiny, or hardened — even all of the above. Extremely flammable and highly combustible, creosote can quickly build up, and if the internal flue temperature is high enough, you have a chimney fire waiting to happen that could possibly burn down your entire house. Even worse, certain conditions allow creosote to form large deposits more quickly. Conditions that accelerate creosote buildup include restricted air supply from closing the glass doors or not opening the damper wide enough and burning unseasoned wood because the smoke is so much cooler due to the energy being used to burn off the water trapped in the cells of the logs. You can also get a heavier amount of creosote buildup if you overload the firebox in a wood stove in an attempt to get a longer burn. A large fire also increases your risk of the creosote igniting a fire in your chimney.

To ensure your chimney is blockage-free and prevent a chimney fire, contact Santa’s Friend Chimney Service today. A clean chimney is your best prevention against a chimney fire.

What You Should Know About HeatShield Chimney Liner Restoration

Many of our customers in older homes with masonry chimneys have clay tile flue liners. Clay tiles have been used to line chimney flues since the beginning of the 20th century, and there are good reasons why. These tiles can withstand extremely high temperatures, and they hold up well against the corrosive byproducts of combustion that pass through the flue on their way out of the chimney. Once installed, clay liners will stay in good shape up to 50 years. However, when the clay tiles become cracked and chipped over time, it can be costly to repair them or to replace the liner as it is a very difficult and time-consuming task. When the HeatShield Chimney Repair and Resurfacing System was developed around 20 years ago in Europe, repairing and relining a clay tile liner became much easier and less costly. At Santa’s Friend Chimney Service, our technicians are experienced with using HeatShield, and our customers who have had their clay flue liners repaired or replaced with this product have all been very satisfied. We would like to tell you more about HeatShield and what it can do for your clay tile-lined chimney.

What exactly is HeatShield?

A specially formulated “Cerfractory” sealant material, HeatShield can restore the integrity of your chimney’s flue to vent out toxic gases from your home. Eliminating the dangers in your flue caused by cracks, gaps, and spalling, HeatShield will make your chimney as safe and as efficient as it originally was when first built. Depending on the condition of your clay tile liner, the Joint Repair system or the Resurfacing System will be used.

What does the Joint Repair system do?

If our chimney inspectors at Santa’s Friend Chimney Service only find defective mortar joints in your clay tile liner, we will use the Joint Repair system. First we will make a custom-made foam applicator blade to fit your chimney. Once this tool has been inserted into your chimney and positioned below each gap or void, we will then add the HeatShield Cerfractory Flue Sealant mixture. Each void and gap will be filled, and when we pull out the foam applicator blade, it will smooth the filled gaps and voids as it comes out of your chimney. Then we scan the repair with a special video camera to be sure the repairs have been done correctly.

What does the Resurfacing System do?

If your chimney liner has a cracked or spalled flue but is still sound, we will use the Resurfacing System. Again, we will make a custom-fit foam applicator plug that will be placed at the bottom of the flue and attached to a winch atop the chimney. We then prime and clean your old liner with a “tie coat” material, which is applied to the flue walls by pulling the plug upwards with the winch. After this coat dries, we then apply the HeatShield mixture with the foam plug in the same way we applied the primer. This method is called “slip casting” or “slip cast extrusion.” After this is applied, we will look at the scanned video to be sure your entire chimney is sealed and smoke-tight.

Have more questions about HeatShield? Contact Santa’s Friend Chimney Service to talk to our staff to see if HeatShield is right for your clay tile chimney liner.

Leaky Chimneys and the Damage They Cause

If there is a number one enemy of your masonry chimney, it would have to be water. When the bricks and mortar are exposed to water for a prolonged amount of time, they will deteriorate and erode rapidly. Even more damage occurs when moisture is trapped inside the masonry of your chimney and the temperatures drop below freezing. Rust can also occur on parts of your chimney, and this can cause them to weaken and be destroyed. The majority of this damage requires essential repairs that can end up costing you lots of money. At Santa’s Friend Chimney Service, we strongly feel that preventing water penetration is one of the most important maintenance tasks for homeowners with chimneys. We would like to tell you more about exactly what kind of damage can be caused by chimney leaks and which ways you can prevent water penetration from even happening to your masonry chimney.

Water Penetration Damage Possibilities

According to the Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA), water penetration can cause the following damage to your masonry chimney and your home:

• rusted and deteriorated damper and firebox assemblies, fireplace accessories, and glass doors
• rotting wood adjacent to your fireplace and chimney
• water stained walls and ceilings
• stained chimney exterior
• decayed exterior mortar and spalled bricks
• cracked or deteriorated flue lining system
• collapsed hearth support
• chimney settlement
• tilted or collapsed chimney structure

Ways To Prevent Leaky Chimneys

There are several essential repairs needed to stop water penetration as well as ways you can prevent any water leaks in the future, including:

• repair or replace a damaged chimney cap – Chimney caps sit on top of your chimney’s opening and protect it from water penetration and animal invasions. The most inexpensive water penetration prevention measure, chimney caps have long been known as an important chimney safety and damage prevention part of a chimney system.
• repair deteriorated mortar joints – Mortar joints should have no gaps or missing mortar and should be shaped in a way that will direct water out of the joint. When water penetrates mortar joints, they become soft and erode quickly. When this occurs, your exterior chimney should be repointed to repair the deteriorated joints and keep the water out.
• repair or install custom flashing – The seal between the roofing materials and the chimney, a customized and properly-fitted flashing system keeps water from penetrating your chimney’s interior. If your chimney is located on the slope of your roof, Santa’s Friend Chimney Service can add a cricket to the flashing to direct rain and snow away from your chimney and to keep the water from intruding.
• waterproofing – Using a 100% vapor permeable formula, Santa’s Friend Chimney Service can apply this waterproofing formula to the masonry work of your chimney. The formula we use keeps water from getting in and allows water vapors to escape your bricks and mortar, which gives you the ultimate protection from water leaks.

Have you noticed any signs of chimney leaks or water penetration damage? Contact Santa’s Friend Chimney Service today to schedule an appointment to repair these leaks and damage and then to protect your chimney from future water penetration.

Getting Your Chimney Ready for the Fall Season

In order to prepare for the colder weather ahead, getting your chimney ready for fall and winter early allows you to relax during the busy holiday season safely in front of your fireplace. If you wait too long to do certain maintenance tasks, you will have to deal with scheduling a chimney inspection during the busiest part of the year. According to the National Fire Prevention Association (NFPA) the greatest amount of chimney fires occur during the months of December, January, and February, and the main cause of these fires is creosote build-up in a chimney. A simple call to Santa’s Friend Chimney Service to schedule your annual chimney sweeping in late summer will rid your chimney of large creosote deposits. It will help to prevent a chimney fire from happening later in the winter. We at Santa’s Friend Chimney Service would like to give you a fall chimney checklist for both wood-burning and gas fireplaces.

Fall Checklist For a Wood-Burning Fireplace

• Schedule your annual chimney cleaning and inspection.  The NFPA, the Chimney Safety Institute of America, and other fire safety organizations recommend your chimney be swept and inspected at least once a year. Scheduling this essential maintenance task to be done before fall ensures you are safe to light your first fire in your fireplace. Our sweeps at Santa’s Friend Chimney Service will make certain your chimney is free from creosote deposits as well as check your chimney for any needed repairs.
• Arrange for essential repairs to be completed. If any damage to your bricks and mortar from water leaks is discovered during our chimney inspection, we can replace missing or damaged bricks and mortar to prevent structural damage. Your flue liner is also inspected, and if any cracks or holes are found in the liner, we can either repair or replace the liner to keep your family safe from carbon monoxide poisoning.
• Have your chimney cap replaced if it is missing or damaged. The best way for keeping birds and animals from nesting in your chimney over the winter, a chimney cap should be on top of every chimney. Our chimney sweeps will check your chimney cap to be sure it is undamaged and properly fitted atop your chimney.
• Replace batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. This step can save the lives of you and your family.

Fall Checklist For a Gas Fireplace

• Just as with a wood-burning fireplace, schedule your annual chimney cleaning and inspection. Like a wood-burning chimney sweeping, your cleaning and inspection will include looking for essential repairs to be performed. A gas fireplace chimney sweeping should involve cleaning the airways of the pilot and main burners as well as the blower.
• Replace batteries. Not only should you replace the batteries in the all-important smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, but you also need to change the batteries in the remote control and the receiver.

If you are ready to schedule your annual chimney sweeping and inspection before fall arrives, contact Santa’s Friend Chimney Service today to arrange an appointment. Our experienced and certified staff is ready to prepare your chimney for the cooler months.

Don’t Ignore These 3 Chimney Repairs

Neglecting chimney repairs can lead to serious structural damage as well to possible health hazards to you and your family. While you may believe you’re saving money by ignoring chimney repairs, you’re actually going to have to spend more in the long run when these small, but ignored issues develop into larger, impossible-to-ignore problems. We at Santa’s Friend Chimney Service can perform both minor and major chimney repairs in an economical and efficient manner.

According to the Chimney Institute of America (CSIA), water leaks are the main cause of most chimney repairs; in their words, “water is the biggest enemy of your chimney.” The following water-related repairs are ones you should never ignore, as doing so could cause irreparable damage.

1. Spalling bricks and mortar

If you notice spalling, the breaking and chipping away of masonry materials due to water penetration, on your chimney’s exterior, you should seek immediate help from a certified professional. Water is absorbed into the porous brick and mortar over the years. The greatest cause of spalling is the freeze-thaw cycle; water inside your bricks and mortar freeze in the cold winter months (which causes it to expand) and thaws when temperatures warm (which allows the bricks to contract), which causes them to break apart.

The certified sweeps at Santa’s Friend Chimney Service have the expertise to repair spalling bricks and crumbling mortar. Once we’ve restored your chimney to its original condition, we can apply a 100% vapor permeable waterproofing formula to your chimney, which will let the byproducts of combustion escape yet prevent water from entering.

2. A damaged chimney crown and cap

Sitting on the very top of your chimney, chimney crowns and caps are the best protection from rainwater coming into your chimney; however, if either is cracked, deteriorated, and/or damaged, your chimney is open and more susceptible to water whenever it rains or snows. Because of the critical job they perform, damaged chimney crowns and caps most definitely need to be repaired or replaced sooner than later.

We can take care of your chimney cap and crown needs (be it repair or replacement) and can customize them to precisely fit the top of your chimney.

3. A cracked chimney flue liner

Water penetrating your chimney can also cause damage—chipping away, rusting or breaking—to your flue liner, depending on which type of liner you have. A damaged flue liner can be very hazardous to your health and creates a definite fire hazard as well; your flue liner’s main job is to keep the toxic byproducts of combustion, smoke and carbon monoxide, out of your home. Cracks and/or holes in the liner prevent the chimney from successfully performing its job duties, putting you and your family at risk for carbon monoxide poisoning.

Santa’s Friend Chimney Service offers relining and replacement options for your damaged flue liner. HeatShield can be used for a flue liner that is not damaged beyond repair, whereas a stainless steel liner can be used to replace a liner that is damaged beyond repair.

No doubt, the best and surest way to know if anything is wrong with your chimney system is to schedule your annual chimney sweeping and inspection. Contact Santa’s Friend Chimney Service today to schedule an appointment; our CSIA-certified sweeps will evaluate everything to determine what, if any, repairs are necessary.

Types of Masonry Restoration

Notice problems in your chimney masonry? Call us and we’ll do the necessary repairs so your chimney will look and function as good as new.

If you have a masonry chimney, you should know that the Chimney Safety Institute of America claims water is your chimney’s greatest enemy because if it penetrates into your masonry joints, it can cause all sorts of expensive repair work, such as structural damage. Another victim of water damage is your chimney crown. To repair this water damage as well as to prevent water damage from even happening, you will need some sort of type of masonry restoration work from a professional chimney company like Santa’s Friend Chimney Service. We have experienced masons on hand that can perform several types of masonry restoration work, and we would like to tell you more about the types of masonry restoration work we provide.

Repointing/Tuckpointing

To provide a better understanding of repointing, the Masonry Magazine, the official publication of the Mason Contractors Association of America, states that looking at the differences between the 100-year old definitions of the masonry terms “pointing,” “jointing,” “repointing,” and “tuckpointing” will give you a better idea of what repointing means today.

• Pointing – The definition of pointing is the placement and careful tooling of a mortar joint between bricks and stones, and contrary to jointing, this process scrapes back the mortar joint several days after the completion of the brickwork.
• Jointing – Jointing is what bricklayers do today, the process of finishing the joint along with the brickwork being completed.
• Repointing – Typically the type of restoration work done on older mortar, 100 years ago, repointing meant replacing a failed mortar joint, which happened about once a century.
• Tuckpointing – The word “tuckpointing” referred to a specialized application of pointing where the bricks were first sanded to a smooth surface and the original mortar joint is masked with a thin strip that matched the brick in color. Then, the joint was meticulously shaved down to match exactly the other joints in the chimney, and a fine, usually white mortar was tucked over the lines and finely manicured to look like no repairs had ever been done.

Today, “repointing” refers to repairing damaged mortar joints by filling in the gaps and holes created by water penetration, and “tuckpointing” refers to replacing deteriorated mortar with new mortar. The experienced and trained masons at Santa’s Friend Chimney Service are able to provide both types of masonry restoration to repair spalling and other damage due to water penetration of your masonry joints.

After explaining the different types of masonry restoration we provide, Santa’s Friend Chimney Service would like to tell you about a water penetration prevention service we offer:

• Waterproofing – Using specially formulated materials that prevent water from penetrating into your bricks and masonry joints but allow vapors to pass through your chimney, our technicians have been applying the Chimney Saver Water Repellent for the past 20 years successfully to chimneys all over the Central Mississippi area. Your chimney will be protected from water penetration that causes the damage that needs masonry repair work.

If you have loose bricks and chips in the mortar of your chimney, contact Santa’s Friend Chimney Service today to schedule an appointment with one of our experienced chimney masons. We would be happy to provide our masonry restoration services to you.