You light a fire in your fireplace, assuming that you’ll feel more comfortable in no time. But shortly after you build a fire, smoke is sent through the fireplace and back to your home. This is a scary problem that often deserves professional attention in order to prevent fires and other health and safety issues. We’ve provided the list below so that you can ask yourself a few questions before you call in a technician, and know what to tell the chimney sweeps when they arrive.
- Is the damper open? The first step is to make sure that the damper is actually open so that smoke and other byproducts can move out of your home safely. It’s a common mistake, so don’t be embarrassed if you forget.
- Is it a windy day? Sometimes, there’s little you can do to prevent the downdraft that affects the chimney on a windy day. However, excessive smoking on a windy day could be a sign of an oversized flue or another chimney issue, as the design of your chimney should, ideally, prevent smoking.
- Did you use the right wood? Using the wrong firewood in your fireplace could potentially lead to a major problem, causing a safety issue that leads to the excessive buildup of creosote (a fire risk) and smoke backing up into your home. Only use dry wood that has seasoned for 6 months or more.
- Have you had an inspection lately? If your chimney is sending smoke back into your home and you haven’t had an inspection from a professional chimney sweep yet, now is the time. It’s so important that you have an expert check out the problem and make sure your chimney is safe to use. A smoky chimney could be a sign of trouble, either due to structural issues or something else that could be a fire hazard.
Schedule an inspection with a chimney expert today to see whether your chimney is safe. This is a problem you shouldn’t ignore because your family’s health and safety is at risk.
For a chimney inspection in Minneapolis, MN, call 2nd Generation Chimneys, Inc.!