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Many people who choose to buy a new home find themselves with household elements that they’ve never had in homes before. Fireplaces are one of those kinds of features that many people—particularly people who’ve never had them before—find charming and delightful. If you’ve never lived in a home with a fireplace and chimney, it’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with what owning and maintaining one entails.
When you burn wood in your fireplace it produces particles which then stick to the inside of the fireplace and chimney; this residue is called creosote and is very sticky and flammable. If you get a build up of creosote in your chimney it can ignite and cause a chimney fire.
When you buy a home that has a wood burning heating system it is best to assume that the chimney is going to need a good once over to make sure that it’s in good condition and is clean. While your whole home should have had an inspection before you purchased, your chimney may require a more thorough inspection to ensure that the chimney is in optimal shape for the coming cold season.
If your new home has a dirty chimney, you will want to have it cleaned before you use it. Chimneys are usually cleaned with a large wire brush that scrapes the residue off the inside of the chimney and flue. At the very least you’ll need to have your chimney cleaned every year if you plan to use it.
Regular yearly cleaning will help get rid of not only creosote and soot build up but also any bird or animal nests from the warmer months when you weren’t using your fireplace. A blocked chimney can cause other problems beyond a fire if there is a blockage in it; a blocked flue can cause the levels of carbon monoxide to build up in your home. Structural problems in your chimney like cracks and crumbling mortar can contribute to carbon monoxide leaks into your home as well. Carbon monoxide gas in your home can cause serious health problems and death if the levels are high enough.
No matter if you think that the old owners might have had the chimney cleaned or that it “looks” like the chimney is in good shape, it is still a good idea to have a professional come in and inspect the chimney in your new house and have it cleaned if the inspector thinks that it’d be a good idea. You will be able then to enjoy your fireplace without any concerns about problems that could arise from using a poorly maintained or cleaned chimney.
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