Chimney FAQ

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FAQ's

North Texas Chimney

Full Chimney Service

(972) 294-8551

Q: Why do I need help from a knowledgeable hearth professional?

A: You're choosing an appliance that can bring years of warmth and comfort to your home...if it's installed properly. Harnessing the beauty and warmth of fire for the home is not a do-it-yourself project or something you should necessarily trust to the lowest bidder. Proper placement, venting and protection from combustibles are very important considerations. Both for safety and performance, hearth products require considerable technical knowledge and skill in the designing and installation of them.

Q: Why does my chimney need a cap?

A: The chimney cap serves three main purposes:

1) To keep water out of the flue. Water coming in the chimney will cause your damper to rust and can pool on top of the smoke shelf and soak into the back wall of the firebox. This water mixed with fly ash (ash and water makes lye, a solvent) and creosote (acidic) soaks in through smoke shelf and saturates the fireplace's back wall. When heat is then applied, the moisture expands and causes the firebrick to deteriorate and crack. It is very important to keep the inside of your chimney dry to prevent costly repairs.

2) To "arrest" sparks. The mesh or louvered screening on your cap catches sparks before they can reach your roof and put your home at risk of fire.

3) To keep birds and animals out of the chimney. The smoke shelf of your chimney makes a great place for squirrels and raccoons to raise a family and avoid the Texas heat. They bring with them mites, fleas, and other parasites. Chimney swifts, which are migratory chimney nesting birds, find chimneys to be a natural habitat. They are a protected bird by order of the Migratory Bird Act and play a vital role in keeping our mosquito population under control. However, they are a nuisance and potential health hazard when they live in your chimney because of the noises they make, the parasites they host, and the dangerous bacteria contained in their feces (inhaling the dust from contaminated, bird feces can cause serious health problems).

Q: How often does my chimney need to be cleaned?

A: The National Fire Protection Association's (NFPA) recommendation is to have your hearth system inspected annually by a certified chimney professional and cleaned/serviced as needed. On average, most chimneys need to be cleaned about every one face-cord of wood burned. This varies with type of wood burned, how well "seasoned" the wood is, type of fireplace/stove and how the user is operating the fireplace.

Q: Why do I need to have my chimney cleaned regularly?

A: According to the NFPA, in 2005, heating equipment was involved in an estimated 62,200 reported U.S. home structure fires, with associated losses of 670 civilian deaths, 1,550 civilian injuries, and $909 million in direct property damage. The estimated home heating fire total is roughly one-fourth (26%) the size of its peak in 1982, and associated deaths are down by 44% from their 1982 peak.

Chimneys and chimney connectors accounted for the largest share of fire incidents (36% in 2005), because of the impact of confined fires. Confined fires accounted for 93% of total 2005 home chimney or chimney connector fires. Excluding confined fires, chimneys and chimney connectors accounted for only 6% of 2005 home heating fires.

The root cause of most of these losses is that most U.S. homeowners are unaware that chimneys are an integral part of a home heating system and that they require regular evaluation and maintenance.

The threat of chimney fires and unsafe indoor air quality conditions can be greatly reduced, perhaps even eliminated, if homeowners only understood that chimneys are active home operation systems which require regular maintenance.

Q: Why does my fireplace smoke or why isn't my chimney drawing all the smoke?

A: There are a number of reasons this problem occurs. Sometimes it's a combination of issues. Common reasons include:

Chimney is not tall enough. The top of the chimney should be two feet taller than anything within ten feet. If the chimney is the proper height wind blowing across the flue will create the "Venturi effect" which induces draft. A chimney that is not tall enough can experience "wind loading", this is where wing gusts come down the chimney's flue. Proper chimney height will, in most cases, prevent wind related down drafts. In some cases the topography of the home site can cause "wind loading" even if the chimney is tall enough. Look for tall trees, hills, mountains, or neighboring homes that could be causing unconventional wind patterns around the chimney.

Chimney and fireplace not constructed or installed properly

Uninsulated chimney or "Cold Hearth Syndrome" (this is caused when the fireplace cannot maintain high flue temperatures). A cold chimney does not draw, just as a hot air balloon does not fly without hot air. This problem is common with chimneys located on an exterior wall of the house.

Obstruction (santa, bird/animal nests, creosote build-up, an improperly designed or installed chimney cap, is your damper fully open?, etc.)

Home pressure issues - the chimney is unable to compete with other negative pressure sources in the house (examples: clothes dryer, bathroom and kitchen exhaust, vented gas appliances, central vacuum systems, can lighting, leaky attic accesses).

Air-flow in the home(ceiling fans, air returns, etc.)

Operator error. Something as simple as the placement of the grate or the position of the glass doors (usually fully open is correct) can cause smoke to come into the room. Be sure that your firewood is properly seasoned. Wet firewood will not create the heat needed to start a draft.

Have a question? Ask an expert!

972-294-8551

and hearth

Without a chimney cap,

you never know "hooo" you might find when you open your damper.

Don't let your uncapped chimney be a hide-out for a masked bandit!

Got birds? Nothing says "Get the flock out of my chimney!" like a chimney cap.

"North Texas Chimney was knowledgeable about troubleshooting our gas log fireplace. He was able to identify the problems and make the repairs quickly and we were very pleased. He put on shoe slippers before entering the house and placed a cloth on the hearth so as not to get anything dirty. I would certainly recommend North Texas Chimney."

Karolene P.

North Richland Hills, TX

"Professional, up front with cost, requirements with gas service. They were quick to start and finished in one day."

Michael W.

Keller, TX

"Kyle was very pleasant and friendly. He performed the chimney sweep very quickly and without any mess. He also painted the fire box, which now looks brand new. Thank you Kyle."

Terri B.

Roanoke, TX

"He was very professional, good, inspected the chimney and provided additional recommendations for chimney. He had answers for all of our questions. "

Stacey P.

Lewisville, TX

"Kyle was very professional and knowledgeable."

Holly N.

Southlake, TX