Chimney maintenance tips for Kankakee County homeowners
What you can safely do yourself between professional visits, what you should never attempt, and how to burn so your chimney stays cleaner longer.
Burn the right wood the right way
Nothing you do affects your chimney more than the wood you burn. Hardwood split and stacked off the ground with the top covered for at least a year, ideally two, will read under 20 percent on a moisture meter. A meter costs less than a sweep and takes the guessing out of it. Wet wood smolders, produces steam and unburned gases, and coats the flue with stage two and three creosote in a single season. Never burn treated lumber, painted wood, plywood, trash or glossy paper; the chemicals corrode liners and the temperatures can start a chimney fire.
Build small, hot fires rather than big smoldering ones. Open the damper fully before lighting and leave it open until the ashes are cold. If you like an overnight burn in a stove, load it and let it reach full temperature before you turn the air down, and accept that the flue will need sweeping more often.
Things to check yourself, from the ground
- Cap: is it there, is it straight, is the screen visibly packed with leaves or lint? A missing cap is a same-week fix.
- Crown: with binoculars, look for cracks across the top or pieces missing at the edge.
- Brick and mortar: look for white staining, mortar joints you can see daylight through, or brick faces that have popped off.
- Flashing: after heavy rain, check the ceiling and attic near the chimney for stains.
- Firebox: with a flashlight, look for cracked firebrick, missing mortar and rust or water on the damper.
- Damper: open and close it. If it sticks, grinds or will not seal, note it for the next visit.
Things you can safely do
- Remove ashes once they are completely cold, into a metal can with a lid kept outside away from the house. Leave a one-inch bed of ash in a wood stove; empty a fireplace fully.
- Clean fireplace glass doors with a fireplace glass cleaner, not oven cleaner, which etches ceramic glass.
- Clean the dryer lint screen every load and vacuum the lint trap housing monthly. Check that the exterior flap opens when the dryer runs.
- Test smoke and carbon monoxide alarms monthly and replace batteries when the clocks change.
- Keep a fire extinguisher rated for Class A fires near, but not right next to, the fireplace.
Things to leave to us
- Sweeping the flue. A hardware-store brush kit can get stuck, break a tile, or leave the smoke shelf full. It also cannot tell you what stage the creosote is or whether a tile is cracked.
- Anything on the roof. Caps, crowns, chase covers and flashing involve ladders and pitched roofs. It is not worth the fall.
- Creosote logs and powders. They can loosen light deposits but they do not replace a sweep, and they do nothing for a cracked liner.
- Gas fireplace work. Pilot assemblies, thermopiles and gas valves need a manometer and a leak detector. A small mistake in a sealed firebox is a serious one.
- Chimney fires. If you suspect one, close the damper if it is safe to reach, get everyone out, and call 911. Do not use the fireplace again until it is inspected.
A simple seasonal calendar
| When | What |
|---|---|
| Spring | Book the annual sweep and inspection while the schedule is open. Walk around the chimney after the last freeze and look at the crown and brick. |
| Summer | Handle any repairs found in spring; mortar and crowns need warm weather. Split and stack next winter’s wood. |
| Early fall | Gas fireplace tune-up and dryer vent cleaning. Test alarms. Check the cap before the leaves come down. |
| Winter | Burn dry, burn hot, keep the damper open. Watch for smoke in the room, campfire smell, or water on the damper after a thaw. |
Signs to stop and call
Smoke rolling into the room, a roaring sound in the flue, a strong creosote smell, water dripping in the firebox, a gas fireplace that smells or will not shut off, a carbon monoxide alarm, or a dryer that is hot to the touch. Each of those is a phone call, not a wait-and-see.
Homeowner questions
How do I test if my firewood is dry enough?
Use an inexpensive pin moisture meter on a freshly split face. Under 20 percent is ready. Dry wood also sounds hollow when two pieces are knocked together and shows cracks in the end grain.
Do chimney cleaning logs work?
They can soften light stage one creosote so it sheds, but they do not remove it from the flue and do nothing for glazed deposits or damage. Use them as a supplement, not a substitute.
Can I sweep my own chimney with a kit from the hardware store?
You can brush the flue, but you cannot inspect it, clear the smoke shelf properly or know whether a tile is cracked. Most of the value of a professional sweep is the inspection that comes with it.
Should the damper be closed when the fireplace is not in use?
Yes, once the ashes are fully cold. An open damper leaks heated air all winter. A top-sealing damper seals far better than an old throat damper.
How often should I clean the dryer lint screen?
Every load. Vacuum the housing behind it monthly and have the full vent run cleaned once a year.
Is it safe to burn paper and cardboard?
Small amounts of plain paper to start a fire are fine. Glossy paper, cardboard and wrapping paper burn too hot and fast and send embers up the flue.
What is the one thing that most damages chimneys around here?
Water, followed by wet wood. A cap and a sound crown handle the first; a moisture meter handles the second.
How do I know if my smoke chamber needs parging?
You cannot tell from the living room. It is part of our inspection; a rough, corbeled smoke chamber holds creosote and should be parged smooth.
Did the checklist turn something up? Call.
Call and you will talk to a person who can put you on the schedule today.
Call (815) 449-4264