Chimney sweep and soot removal for Killarney homes

Glazed creosote removal with a separate treatment

Third-degree glazed creosote is hard to remove with brushing alone. Removal products made for it are applied to the glazed section, where they soak into the deposit. As the treatment dries it loses its grip on the flue wall and falls away, and the rest comes out with a normal sweep.

One maker's product label describes how that works on clay flue tile and stainless liners. The treatment is brushed on where the surface is within reach, or loaded onto an applicator that a winch pulls up through the flue. The fireplace opening stays covered during application, and the crew wears the protective gear the label requires.

Any glazed creosote treatment used on a chimney in Killarney goes on the way its label directs. It is priced as its own job on the estimate, apart from the standard sweep, so you can see what it adds.

Cleaning the damper and testing its movement

Soot and creosote build up on the damper plate, its frame and the pivot it swings on. A coated damper sticks, closes unevenly or leaves a gap. The Florida Building Code requires a masonry fireplace to have a ferrous metal damper that can be operated from the room containing the fireplace, and that only works if it moves freely.

Our technicians scrape and brush the plate and frame, clear the pivot points and then work the control from the room, open and closed, several times. They check that it opens fully and closes without binding, then test it once more at the very end, after the firebox is cleaned.

A warped plate, a broken handle or rust that has eaten through the metal is noted in writing and priced separately. You leave the visit knowing whether the damper works instead of guessing.

Dry, split, seasoned wood stored off the ground

Wet wood burns smoky, and EPA guidance links unseasoned wood directly to creosote buildup, since the fire spends its energy driving off water and makes more smoke doing it. The guidance is plain. Burn only dry, split, well-seasoned wood, and skip anything wet, rotted or moldy.

Seasoned wood is darker, weighs less and sounds hollow when two pieces are knocked together, according to the same guidance, which calls for seasoning wood at least six months. Stack it outdoors, off the ground, with only the top covered, because covering the sides traps moisture.

From the deposits, our technicians can often tell whether the wood has been wet, and they will say so.

• Split, dry and seasoned before it burns
• Stacked outdoors and off the ground
• Covered on top only
• Checked for mold or rot before use

Where the ashes go after a fire

Ashes can hold heat long after a fire looks out. NFPA safety advice has ashes cool down first, then go into a metal container set well away from the house. EPA guidance adds a covered metal container stored outdoors on a nonflammable surface.

Old ash left in the firebox for weeks also holds moisture and adds to the smell of an idle fireplace. During a sweep, our crew removes the old ash and debris for you. Between visits, emptying the firebox into the right container is the homeowner's part.

• A metal container with a tight lid
• Set outside on concrete or bare ground, not a wood deck
• No paper bags, plastic bins or cardboard boxes
• Kept away from the house, fences and the garage