Santa's Friend Chimney Service Blog

Getting the Gunk Out

Watch Out for Creosote

There’s just something about fireplaces and chimneys during the winter season that draw you in, again and again. The chill in your bones dissolves into the blissful crackle and pop of a roaring fire. But, if you built that fire with green or wet wood, you’d also have a smoky fire and a rapid buildup of creosote. It is a natural by-product of burning, but when the creosote isn’t regularly removed, it becomes a real concern.

Creosote or a substance commonly known as soot is formed through the condensation of gases and incomplete combustion of wood particles. It is found in your chimney flues and areas in the stone masonry and the four walls of your chimney. It is identified as silky black or dark brown dust.  This is formed by the specific element in creosote which is carbon (doubles the flammability level of creosote) and is also composed of ash which is non-combustible.

We are experienced in identifying and removing creosote from your chimney. Have you had your annual inspection?

Thick formation of creosote is otherwise known as glaze. This is ten times more flammable than typical low-level creosote. This can accumulate a great amount of fuel to burn and is more difficult to remove compared to subtle amounts of creosote.

There are a few reasons why this exists; it might be that enough supplemental heat has already been provided and too much smoke is occupying your room rather than going up the chimney flues. When there is too much soot build-up in the chimneys, this might trigger blazing fires to erupt and destroy your homes in a matter of seconds. The formation of carbon monoxide is not far from the picture and can poison the people in your home and cause unfortunate accidents as well.

Sure enough, you wouldn’t want this dangerous chimney deposit to ruin your home. So it’s best to have your chimney and fireplace checked annually.  This is to control and remove the build-up of creosote and to prepare your chimney for heavy duty work during the winter season. The best and only option for the people of Mississippi is Santa’s Friend Chimney Service. After over twenty-four years of service, we are glad to offer you professional service and peace of mind.

Keep it Safe, Keep it Warm

Helpful Tips in Maintaining a Safe and Efficient Fireplace and Chimney

Experts in chimney maintenance always say that prevention is better than cure. This is very true. You can’t just wait for the actual accident to happen before you start ‘preventing’ it in the first place. As the homeowner, you need to do your part to keep your fireplace and chimney intact, safe and useful all year round and especially during the winter season. There are many aspects to consider. That’s why professionals are still needed in its overall maintenance. If chimneys are taken for granted, they will crash and burn and cause bigger problems that even experts can no longer repair.

At least once a year you need a certified sweep to come and clean your chimney. You will also need an annual inspection.

Chimney damage may threaten your property, health and lifestyle. These are five simple tips in using your fireplace and chimney that can be done to avert any future problems.

1. Make sure that your chimney is checked and inspected on an annual basis by professionals that are certified by the Chimney Safety Institute of America. There is a rich database in the Internet to look for top of the game companies in this field.
2. Before even thinking of starting a fire, check and double check that the flue in your chimney is open. Also check if there is enough flow of air up in your chimney.
3. When starting the fire, manufactured fire logs are the better choice instead of plain wood. They burn up to 80% cleaner than typical wood fire. Garbage and plastics are prohibited.
4. If there are no fire logs around, wood can be used provided that they are dry and seasoned to up to six months to leave only 20% moisture or less.
5. When the fire dies down after burning, let it cool and remove the ashes to maintain proper airflow for future use. The ashes should be sealed in a metal container and put outside the house. Some tiny pieces of coal may still be able to cause fire if allowed to be in contact with flammable materials.

These are all easy steps you can take in doing your part as a homeowner. However at one point or another in your chimney’s life, there comes a time when you need to call for professional help so you can enjoy your chimney for many more holidays to come.  This is where an outstanding company like Santa’s Friend Chimney Service comes into the picture because they live by the highest standards of Ethics and Business Practices.  For 24 years now at the heart of Mississippi, they have provided the best service for cleaning chimneys. No wonder they are certified by numerous organizations. Yes, they are the ones to call for guaranteed high quality services at low prices.

Teach Fire Safety to Your Kids

Teaching kids fire safety

It’s fun to foster a love of your fireplace in your kids, making s’mores, sitting by the fire with a mug of cocoa, hanging Christmas stockings, talking about Santa’s arrival. But since kids are naturally curious, it’s important to put some time aside for the serious aspects of owning and using a fireplace or stove, too: fire safety. It can feel like a hard topic to broach, but preparing kids to safely interact with a heating appliance — and to understand how dangerous that appliance and the fire in it can be — can make all the difference in keeping them safe from injury or harm.

Develop an escape plan for your home and practice it.

Fireplace Safety Starts With You

There’s a lot you can do to make your fireplace and the area around it safer for kids, including having a safety screen installed. Making sure you never leave children alone with the fireplace — even if you’ve just put it out or turned it off — is key. It can take 45 minutes for gas fireplace doors to cool down (and they can get as hot as 200º F or hotter, very quickly), and smoldering embers can cause serious burns.

It’s helpful to bolster talking about boundaries — staying a safe distance away from the fireplace — with clear information about fire: how fast it can move, how dangerous it is, and how important it is to be careful around it.

Safety Around The Fireplace Is Just A Start

Teaching your kids how to be safe while enjoying the fires you build in the fireplace is just part of the equation. That natural curiosity leads a lot of children to light fires on their own, finding matches or lighters and playing with them in secret. Keeping those tools safely confined away from little hands is one step. Talking with kids about those tools, their safe use and the danger that comes along with fire is a key second step.

Creating An Action Plan, And Practicing

Keeping up with the regular maintenance of your fireplace and chimney, of course, reduces the chance of a chimney fire. But fire is always a danger, and one that we can’t predict, so being prepared is worthwhile for both adults and kids. The U.S. Fire Administration recommends practicing an escape plan with your kids, and it makes sense: Having a plan helps your whole family react quickly when you need to, and since kids often learn best by doing, practicing will be particularly valuable for them.

That learning process should including hearing what the fire alarm sounds like, and knowing what it means. You can also talk to kids about firemen: what they look like, what they do and why we shouldn’t be afraid of them. Knowing how to react if their clothes were to catch fire — the stop, drop and roll method — is important too, as is developing several escape routes and meeting places, and practicing all of it.

An escape plan is a serious thing, and fire safety is a serious topic, but practicing can be fun — and that definitely helps kids learn, and remember.

Getting Your Wood Stove Ready During Summer

Keep Your Wood Stove Clean

Summer is the time to get your wood stove ready cooler nights. During the seasons of heavier use, your wood stove should be cleaned out at least once a month. However, in warmer months, it is time to schedule a certified sweep to take a look at the parts of your stove you aren’t trained to inspect or clean. An unclean wood stove is not only messier and hazardous, it is also inefficient.

Keep Wood Stove Clean – Jackson MS – Santa’s Friend Chimney Service

Let’s start with the most important reason why you need to regularly clean your wood stove and chimney — safety. According to the EPA nearly 7% of house fires are a result of creosote buildup in your chimney. Creosote is the unburned remainder of gases and is highly flammable. If you burn anything other than dry, seasoned wood, you increase the amount and the frequency with which the creosote accumulates. This includes any type of paper. A certified sweep will let you know if the layer of creosote in your chimney must be removed. Believe it or not, any more than one-quarter inch is perilous.

Now you are ready to clean the stove…what do you need? Here is a good checklist:

• A drop cloth or newspapers to protect your floor.
• Old newspapers or paper towels for glass cleaning
• Gloves to protect your hands while cleaning.
• Small brush for ash
• Small ash shovel to scoop out the ashes.
• Metal ash container to collect the ashes in for disposal later. Make sure the ash is well-cooled before removal.
• Spray bottle containing a vinegar, water, and soap solution, two parts water to one part vinegar with a squeeze of dish soap.
• Dust mask to protect yourself from breathing in ash.
• A fireplace ash vacuum is great, but not necessary. A household vacuum isn’t recommended. You can use fireplace ash in your garden if distributed evenly and lightly.

Hiring a sweep to clean out your stove pipe will ensure that creosote doesn’t become a fire or health hazard for your family. Remember to always follow any directions provided with your wood stove. Keep a fire extinguisher close at hand for emergencies. You are on your way to toasty rooms in winter and a worry-free mind.

Common Repairs to Chimney Liners

Common Chimney Flue Liner Repairs

 Although many people have chimneys in their homes, most do not know much about the parts that comprise them. One of the most important parts of a functioning chimney is the flue liner. This is a layer, usually made of clay, metal, or ceramic tile that covers the inside of the chimney. Its function is to protect the inner wall of the chimney as well as to contain combustible materials while sending them out of the home. Keeping the chimney flue liner in good working condition is essential to having a safe chimney.

Prior to the 1940’s, it was not mandatory for homes to have liners in their chimneys. This is why tragic house fires were so common in the middle part of the Twentieth Century. Someone who is living in a home that was built before the 1940’s should have their chimney inspected and make sure that it has a liner to begin with. If it does not, one must be installed before the fireplace can be safely used.

Chimney Liners Prevent Fires – Jackson MS – Santa’s Friend Chimney Service

In most cases, the flue liner needs to be replaced or repaired because of normal wear and tear from years of use. In this case, the liner will simply start to wear away or, in the case of an older tile liner, it will begin to crack. This is dangerous because the liner will not be able to contain hazardous gasses the way that it is supposed to. These materials may be allowed to ignite, causing a devastating chimney fire.

Combustible gasses themselves will eventually take their toll on the liner, which is another thing a professional inspection should catch. When this happens, the connection between the liner and the wall of the chimney weakens, causing it to become loose. Although the cause is different, this creates more or less the same effect as an eroding liner. It can be extremely unsafe and a chimney in this condition should not be used under any circumstances.

When the time comes to repair or replace the chimney liner, people with metal or tile liners in their homes find that it is best to make a complete change. Today, it is often recommended that these liners be replaced with ones that are made of clay. The reason is that clay is extremely durable and can withstand not only exposure to combustible materials but also to extremely high temperatures. If someone installs a new clay liner in their chimney, they can expect that it will remain in good working condition for about fifty years.

While making the switch, it is important to avoid fire hazards by completely removing all pieces of the old liner. It is also necessary to measure the chimney precisely and account for any irregularities, such as a crooked chimney. In order to function safely, the liner must fit the chimney exactly. These repairs are extremely complicated and it is not recommended that they are done as a do it yourself project. A profession should always be employed to do this precise work and make sure that it is safe before use.

Although many people are not aware of the condition of their chimney liner, it is a very important safety issue. An annual chimney inspection will give insight into whether or not any repairs or a complete replacement is necessary. These days, many homeowners opt for a clay liner because it is durable and will most likely last for the duration of their time in the home.

Choosing a Dryer Vent Cleaning Professional

Many homeowners think that dryer vent cleaning is a DIY job, when in reality, dryer venting systems can be complicated and hard to access, and can sometimes cover great distances. Without professional skill and equipment, safe and thorough cleaning can be next to impossible. Here are some tips on how to go about choosing the right company for the job.

Your next door neighbor may be a great help when it comes to a variety of household jobs, but dryer vent maintenance should never be one of them. It is important to find someone who has the proper training and the required experience to do the job properly.

When beginning the search, it is a good idea to inquire of friends and family who have recently had their vents cleaned. They will be able to narrow down the search and recommend a professional with whom they were pleased. Word of mouth can save you from having a bad experience, and can help make sure that your money is well spent on a job well done.

Once you have narrowed down your search, it is important to speak with each professional  about their experience and certifications. A professional will be able to explain the entire process and its benefits, answering any questions you may have, and giving you peace of mind.

If you are satisfied with his or her knowledge and experience, ask yourself whether or not you feel comfortable having them in your home. Are they courteous and professional? Do they seem trustworthy? Do they guarantee a mess-free cleaning? If the answer to these questions is “yes”, then you’ve found the right professional.

Having the dryer vents cleaned on a regular basis is an important part of dryer upkeep. It helps ensure the safety of your family and home, and preserves the life of your dryer and clothes. Once you’ve found a trustworthy, qualified professional to service and clean your venting system, you’ll have no problem making annual maintenance a priority in your home.