CHIMNEY CLEANING

FIRE does not care were you live, who you are or how much money you make. So with this said, why do so many homes burn every year?

In A Word: PREVENTION. Have your chimney inspected prior to use.

We offer a full line of accessories for your fireplace such as gas logs, glass doors and woodstoves. Do you need your chimney inspected? No problem. Our 21 point safety inspection covers your woodburning system from top to bottom.

How do I know when my chimney needs sweeping?

The true and tried way is to look into the smokechamber above your damper with a flashlight ( that flat plate you open and close) if you see a coating of creosote* in the chamber area, then it may need cleaning. However, it is recommended by the National Fire Protection Association Code 211 or N.F.P.A. to have your chimney inspected by a qualified service technician.

*Creosote is produced from burning wood .

An uncapped chimney:

Says "come on in, make yourself at home!" to birds and animals.

Allows rain and snow to enter your chimney, which leads to moisture damage and expensive repairs.

Creates a fire hazard as burning embers and sparks escape through the open chimney and land on your roof or in your yard.

Have you noticed a crack in the back of your firebox, back were you build the fire? This is caused by water entering the top of the

At Black Velvet Chimney, we take your safety and the well being of your family very seriously. Fire does not discriminate and destroys property equally. Black Velvet Chimney will perform a meticulous chimney cleaning with all necessary tools to remove dangerous creosote deposits from inside the chimney. Creosote is a natural byproduct of burning wood. Creosote is the most dangerous element which can cause a chimney fire. There are 3 levels of creosote build-up in a chimney:

Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3 (Level 3 being the most dangerous.) When creosote build-up reaches Level 3 it is typically glazed creosote or a gummy substance in which case we use rotary equipment to perform the chimney cleaning and sweeping. We guarantee our work on every job.

Now, Lets go through the steps we typically use to sweep your flue. *

*(This is intended as an overview of our procedure and my not be done in this order)

Chimney Sweeping Procedure

Masonry Fireplace and Chimney
Check creosote buildup in chimney flue and smoke chamber
Lay path of runners across any carpeted area to fireplace, position tarp in front of fireplace
Set up vacuums, cover fireplace opening, start dust control vacuum
Sweep chimney with brushes and rods
Powerclean the smoke chamber, vacuum behind damper, brush firebox
Vacuum remaining soot and ash on firebox floor
Notate any conditions found during sweeping process on work order
Access the roof and inspect condition of either wood or brick structures.
Discuss conditions with homeowner about their fireplace and chimney and recommended repairs

Prefab Fireplace and Chimney

Check creosote buildup in chimney flue

Lay path of runners across any carpeted area to fireplace, position tarp in front of fireplace

Set up vacuums, tools and equipment and start dust control vacuum

Sweep chimney from below with ProFlex brushing system

Brush inside of firebox

If possible, access chimney from roof and check cap and cover condition

Vacuum remaining soot and ash on firebox floor

Notate any conditions found during sweeping process on work order

Discuss conditions with homeowner about their fireplace and chimney and recommended repairs

Notes

Procedure varies somewhat for freestanding stoves and stove inserts, but the emphasis is still on being thorough with the sweeping and evaluation, and keeping the area clean

We will only sweep a stove insert if the flue pipe goes all the way to the top of the chimney!

Some chimney tops can be inaccessible either due to steep roofs or fragile tile

Always have your chimney system swept and inspected by a Trained Qualified Professional

We reserve the right to refuse any job that we feel does not comply with proper Listings, Codes or guidelines that pertain to the system's construction as well as clearances to combustibles--especially with stoves and prefab fireplaces, regardless of whether the installation was approved by any authority prior to our visit

More Notes

Many times the visual inspection performed during and after a chimney evaluation and sweeping will not be enough to detect the thin cracks that may reside in the chimney's flue lining. These cracks are a major potential hazard since they can expand when exposed to high temperatures and will no longer insulate the chimney from possibly transferring heat and gases to combustibles.

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