HOME SAFETY
Be sure to maintain your fireplace
Who doesn’t like a roaring fire over the holidays?
There are many different types of fireplaces — including wood burning, gas and electric — but no matter what type of fireplace you have, you must make sure it’s working properly. If not, you’re looking at things like a potential chimney fire or carbon monoxide leaking into your home.
How often you should be getting it professionally checked and cleaned depends on how often you use it. The more you use it, the more often you want an inspector and/or chimney pro to make sure the flue isn’t cracked or that there isn’t a buildup of creosote (or soot) — a big fire hazard.
Typically, you should be getting your chimney and fireplace checked every two to three years.
The good news is if your chimney was built right it won’t need many repairs. Chimneys are built to last. (Ever notice how the chimney and footings are usually the last things left after a major disaster, like a fire?) If they aren’t, it’s either because of poor materials, poor workmanship or a combination of both.
When it comes to chimney repairs, it’s the ones you don’t see that are more important than the ones you do. Any repairs made to the outside of your chimney are usually cosmetic; repairs on the inside are what you should be really concerned about — for example, cracks in the flue. Even a tiny fracture can open up to as much as a centimetre once a fire starts going, thanks to all the heat.
A cracked flue is very hazardous for a couple of reasons. First, it allows heat and smoke to travel to other areas in the home, which is dangerous. And it can also cause soot to build up quicker, which we know is unsafe.
Spalling brick and missing mortar isn’t safe either. It’s also an invitation for water and moisture to come in, but the top priority is to make sure everything on the inside of your fireplace and chimney is working properly and in good shape.
Nowadays, more and more homeowners are opting to turn their wood-burning fireplace into a gas one. The reason? Heat loss. (Some insurance companies might ask if you have a woodburning fireplace, and if so, require you get it WETT certified — the acronym stands for wood energy technology transfer — but heat loss is usually the top reason why homeowners might make the switch.)
Although a wood-burning fireplace is more natural, you will always get more heat loss than you do with gas because of the constant draft (despite the damper). A proper inspection of your fireplace can also tell you if the damper is sealing properly. Sometimes bits of mortar can fall inside the chimney, which can stop the damper from sealing the way it should, leading to more heat loss.
Converting a wood-burning fireplace to a gas one is pretty straightforward. The job itself should only take about a day. If you want to make the switch, your first call should be to a pro that specializes in chimneys and fireplaces — wood-burning would be best. A WETT certified technician might be your best bet. They are trained to deal specifically with wood-burning systems.
A chimney pro will be able to tell you what condition it’s in and what needs to be done to make the proper switch safely. Most pros will get everything ready for the installation of the gas unit, such as removing the damper.
Your next call should be to a professional gas fitter who has plenty of experience converting woodburning fireplaces to gas. They will be able to run the gas line, install the new unit and liner, and make sure you have the proper venting.
It’s easy to forget about your chimney but it’s an important part of your home. It needs to be checked regularly. If not, you could be looking at a major safety hazard; not to mention you’ll end up on Santa’s naughty list. Don’t risk it. Make it right.