According to the Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA), fires related to poor chimney maintenance and other heating appliance related accidents account for over 125 million dollars a year in damages to residential property.
As the colder winter season reaches north Georgia and more residents start heating up fireplaces, experts warn of the dangers associated with chimney damage that can cause a fire.
The CSIA recommends that residents have their chimneys inspected regularly regardless of if they use them throughout the year and the President of Georgia based Chimney Solutions Inc, Christian LeBlanc, agrees.
"They recommend that you need to have your chimney cleaned and inspected yearly. A big misconception is when people say 'well, I haven't used in it three years, or only on Thanksgiving, so it cant be that dirty,' but fire hazards can still persist whether you you use the fireplace or not," said LeBlanc.
LeBlanc says one of the many fire hazards he sees in Georgia's residential chimneys and fireplaces is something completely out of the control and sight of homeowners.
"Birds, squirrels and other varmint can create blockages and fire hazards without the home owner ever knowing. So, the best thing to do is to have it at least looked at with a visual inspection before you start burning."
Along with blockages in chimneys that might cause a fire, CSIA also states that water damage can create problems.
"Water intrusion really can compromise the integrity of your system. If you have a rain cap up there and it is rusted, it likely has been allowing water in and you will likely never see the evidence of it in the dry-wall or the ceiling because it goes straight down into the cavity of the chimney. That could rust out the metal pre-fab fire box or do damage to the masonry," said LeBlanc .
"So over time, lets say five to ten years, you could have a totally compromised system that is a severe safety hazard. So it is not just the fire aspects, but also water intrusion because that can do a lot of damage to your system."
CSIA suggests before starting a fire this winter, make sure that a certified professional has inspected your fireplace and chimney for safety hazards.
As for some of the strangest blockages that Chimney Solutions Inc have encountered in homes, LeBlanc says his team has a list of strange encounters.
"Myself and the other guys always go into the season wondering what we will pull out this winter, We have had squirrels , racoons, owls, snakes and everything in-between from pillows to paraphernalia . We recently had a live Canadian goose fly out during an inspection."
More information on chimney safety is available on the Chimney Safety Institute of America website.
Friday
April 19th, 2024
1:29AM
