How do I know if my chimney is safe enough to have a fire in the fireplace?

Posted by admin on April 6th, 2010 and filed under fire inspection | 9 Comments »

It’s been about a year since it’s been used. How do I conduct an inspection to decide if it’s safe to do so?

No problem. Chimney fires are definitely in style this season. But if you don’t want to be the koolest kid in school get it cleaned

9 Responses

  1. Joe Says:

    I love answering questions on here but i am gonna have to step down on this one…. Honestly I would call a professional in to inspect it, call a chimney sweep, they know what to look for, and if it hasn’t been cleaned in the last couple years it may be time for a cleaning anyway. because if something goes wrong that you didn’t notice looking at it urself you could have a dangerous situation on your hands
    References :

  2. Irv S Says:

    That’s a job for a ‘pro’.
    If it hasn’t been used in a year, getting it cleaned before use is a good idea.
    The inspection can be part of the cleaning.
    References :
    (Had a wood-burning fireplace in family home)

  3. gadget1961 Says:

    look in the fireplace to see if their is anything unusual that should not be their and look outside at the chimney cap , open flue use paper and start fire and see what happens has it been cleaned out , check with a flash light in look up in the chimney area , cleanthe inside and get marsh mellows
    References :

  4. Corky R Says:

    The odds are that a year isn’t enough time to have caused any serious deterioration in the chimney, if it was in good shape at that time. If it really bothers you call a chimney sweep company and have them come inspect it. They are about the only folks I know that do that sort of thing. There are usually a few of them listed in the yellow pages.
    References :
    40 + years of home repairs and maint.

  5. edwin Says:

    depends on your roof if it is wood shingle forget it wood shingle roofs catch fire to easy otherwise call a reputable chimney sweep sometimes birds build a summer home in peoples chimney
    References :

  6. pissy_old_lady Says:

    You should have your chimney cleaned every year before using to ensure there are no bird nests/blockages and then you will know the chimney is at least clean. Have a pro check the safety of your chimney to be sure..chimney fires kill people every year…not worth the chance of loosing you and/or your family/pets. Get it checked before using every year.
    References :

  7. jean_has_cats Says:

    A ‘proffesional’ will take a chard of mirror place it in your chimmney or clean out and see if he can find sky.

    After that they will check for points – motar replacement, cracks, and animal nests.

    Then they will try to sell you the brookline bridge. Anywhere from waterproofing that they claim needs to be done every year (ever see a chimney water proofing aisle at home depot?) or a cap which absolutely everyone should have (keeps the possum skunk and birds out).

    The problem is that the field is full of smoke and glass sales men and you risk your life if they are wrong.

    My suggestion is to stuff a piece of mirror in the chimney and look for sun light, then remember smoke rises, so if the sides are cracked its irrrelavent unless a strong wind cometgh
    References :
    had a tree fall on my chimney. Ended up making 2 grown men cry when they lied to my mom

  8. clcprodigy Says:

    You have a wood roof forget the wood fire, otherwise look up the chimney from the top and bottom, if there are no obstructions, and you have a good damper you are ready to make a fire. If your fire place works well all that other baloney is nonsense. make sure all your heat doesn’t go out the chimney use your damper correctly. If there are problems you will know soon enough. They can be dealt with then.
    This kinda reminds me at walmart today, someone was saying we need some bread for the birds, then they picked up the most expensive loaf of wheat bread , and said I heard wheat bread is better for them. Different strokes for different folks. I’m just silly enough I’d of stopped at the wonder bread outlet for out dated bread. Wouldn’t have worried about the wheat or whatever they’ll eat it.
    References :

  9. Big Bear Says:

    No problem. Chimney fires are definitely in style this season. But if you don’t want to be the koolest kid in school get it cleaned
    References :

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