KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The warmth and soothing sounds of a roaring fire make any home comfortable on a cold winter day. But skip a few precautions and that comfort can turn to catastrophe.
Glen Simmons owns
Sleep Easy Chimney Service and Repair: “We do all different aspects of chimney repair, service, safety tips.”
Sleep Easy Chimney Service has been hitting metro rooftops for almost 25 years now. For Simmons -- safety is paramount.
“The National Fire Protection Agency recommends that chimneys be cleaned or inspected at least once a year.”
Fires in a chimney filled with heavy creosote or other combustible deposits can lead to flue fires. Simmons says despite what you might have heard growing up, that's not a good thing.
“The old-timers, you know, they like flue fires,” Simmons said. “I have them tell me all the time 'I only had one or two blowouts this year.' Flue fires are never good. They're probably 80,000 some houses that are burned down in the United States every year from flue fires.”
Sleep Easy's service starts with a visual inspection and evaluation -- both inside with the fireplace -- and on the roof with the chimney. Then the cleaning process begins.
“We're going to brush down the flue's clay tile system with a very aggressive brushing system, steel brushes, flat iron brushes, to get all the creosote that's possible off the sides of the tiles,” Simmons said.
Sleep easy also recommends a visual inspection inside the chimney using a camera.
“So with a camera,” Simmons explains. “We can run it up there, we can inspect every one of those mortar joints and make sure you're safe. It's really the only way a chimney sweep can say you're safe to burn is if they run a camera up the chimney.”
They finish by cleaning out the damper and smoke chamber and you're soon good to go.
A little precaution from the experts and you'll be cozying up to your fireplace, safely, all winter long.
Finally, Simmons says building the right fire can keep your chimney cleaner longer. Avoid burning unseasoned or wet wood -- as that moisture increases the build-up. Covering your backyard pile with a tarp will make a big difference.
