On the rooftops where chimney sweeps and chimney repair service people hang out even the simplest, most innocuous task can turn into a horror show, or at least a comedy of circumstance.  I remember the afternoon in late fall when I went out a sparsely populated rural road to do a simple chimney inspection above the roofline.  No one was home.  It was sunny and dry and house was a low, ranch style with an easy, walkable roof.  How complicated could it be?!
     I went around to the back deck, which provided an even, firm footing for my mini-extension ladder.  I noted that there was a lot of slimy algae on the deck planks, so I set my ladder at an unusually steep angle to keep pressure straight down on the rubber ladder feet to minimize any lateral pressure that could result in a tumble from the ladder feet kicking back out on the slippery algae surface.
   I climbed up to the roof with my tools, light and mirror with no problem.  I was able to look at the chimney easily and observe the bad mortar joints, cracked crown and lack of a raincap.  Pretty routine.  I jotted down some notes and measurements and took a few Polaroid pictures – aah, the old days!  Time to head back down.  As soon as I put my hand and a foot on the top of the ladder, the feet kicked out.  I was barely able to hand onto the ladder and keep my body on the roof, away from midair.  Hmmmmm!  I reset the ladder at a steeper angle, but no matter how I placed it, it continued to kick out!
   Now we had a dilemma!  The homeowner was not home.  No nearby houses or pedestrians.  And, remember the old days, no cell phone to call for help.  I walked around the roof perimeter, canvassing my options.  No soft ground and a 10 foot drop.  My 50 year old body didn’t like the looks of that.  A locust tree stood about 6 feet away – maybe a jump to its branches could work.  But I foresaw missing skin and bruises – or worse.
   There was occasional traffic about 100 feet away.  I swallowed my pride and started waving and gesturing – trying to communicate distress without looking too “uncool”.  Some drivers ignored me.  Others waved back!  I was being too tentative and not getting results.  Meanwhile the sun was going down.  A brisk wind was picking up.  The temperature was dropping.  I was in shirt sleeves.  Not pleasant.
   I cranked up my antics – sometimes looking freaked out, sometimes, I fear, angry, but definitely crazy.  Most drivers looked away and kept on driving.  I’m a pretty positive, optimistic guy, but I was starting to feel uncomfortable and think negative (desperate?) thoughts.  I had no idea when the homeowners would be back and dark was approaching.  The only solution I could think of, sure to work, was to (blush) strip down to my underwear and crank up the crazy look to the level of mentally deranged, degenerate, dangerous, disgusting (the 4 D’s of successful communication!).  Such actions I knew would bring a police response that would save me.  Maybe my name wouldn’t even get in the papers!  
   I took a deep breath and then tried one more wave, fully clothed.  The driver slowed down, pulled in the driveway and got out of the car with no apparent trepidation.  “You all right?” she asked pleasantly like she’d been dealing with guys like me all her life.  I resisted the urge to blow kisses and simply explained by embarrassing position – chimney sweep marooned on the roof (a little two-bit sissy roof!).  She braced the ladder.  I climbed down.  We chatted a bit and laughed at the circumstances.  I thanked her profusely, got her name and said I would call her to set up a free chimney clean.  I did.  No publicity.  Twenty years later and no recurrence of anything as laughably humiliating as this!

Why a Raincap is a good Idea!

1)  Water is the Big Enemy

• When it penetrates masonry, it activates acids that cause corrosion in liners and brickwork and dampers.
• Water breaks things up when freeze-thaw cycles occur -- cracking joints, loosening and cracking bricks, and popping the faces off bricks (called "spalling).
• Water leaches out both white calcium salts and sooty deposits and then stains chimney exteriors, and even interior house walls.
• Water carries odors.
• Water encourages moss and lichen growth, as well as mold. 

 

Raincaps are your first and best line of defense!

 

 

2)  Raincaps with meshed sides keep out critters that can block venting, with their nests and dead bodies.  And wild life can also spread disease and parasites.  If birds, squirels or racoons get inside your house they can do unbelievable damage out of both curriosity, hunger or desperation.

 

 

3)  Meshed raincaps also guard against sparks and flying embers emerging to damaged roofs or start structure or brush fires.

 

 

Causes of Infrequent Problems

     Raincaps need to be roomy enough and elevated above chimney top terminations, including liners, so that any back pressure is insignificant in retarding the free flow of venting gases (e.g., as in a smoking fireplace).  Every once in a while we'll run into a "cantankerous" fireplace that has enough inherent smoking problems so that the adition of a raincap noticeably impedes good performance.  Although this condition is no more frequent than once in a hundred situations, it may require adapting the raincap design or using no cap at all or better yet modify or repair the internal chimney issues that are the primary cause of the problem.

     Look up at your chimney today and consider whether you might benefit from a raincap!





 

 

 



Why inspect/clean chimneys in spring and summer?

1. It's good to get acidic, smelly stuff out of there early on, preferably before hot, humid summer air makes things worse.
2. Prior to the "fall rush" we always experience, we have much more leeway to schedule a time that's most convenient for you.
3. If we find items that need repair, we have ample time and good weather to take care of them -- probably less expensively too.
4. We give cleaning discounts on a sliding scale up till August 1st.
5. Any needed appointment rearrangement can be taken care of without stress!
6. The weather is favorable for high quality work.
7. We can stop invasive animal nesting patterns early to prevent damage and distress.
8. And, of course, the odds of catching us dancing on your roof are much better in our "happy season"!

    Chimney Scammers Strike Again!

     The chimney service industry is particularly susceptible to fraud and scamming.  This is largely due to the inaccessibility of most chimneys for homeowners to verify unscrupulous, bogus claims about damage and repair issues.  Add to that the issue of safety -- such as fire and carbon monoxide -- inherent to chimney conditions, and homeowner anxiety is ripe for the picking.
     Two other factors enter in also.  One is the fact that chimney technicians are not required to be licensed by most states, including New Hampshire and Maine, so there is no way to bring errant service providers and fly-by-nighters under the discipline of state law.  On the other hand, the one relevant and substantial credential to demand of any unknown chimney sweep is national certification by CSIA (Chimney Safety Institute of America).  Shysters are not likely to go to the trouble of qualifying for this credential.
     The second additional complicating factor here is the easy availability to scammers of database info that can identify particularly vulnerable members of the population -- namely the elderly -- who for various reasons may be more gullible and prone to being fooled.
     Here is how it works!  In the past two years, and most recently in May of 2012 in the Manchester, NH area, a company named Lysco, with a crew of two men, approaches elderly homeowners and offers a bargain.  "We happen to be in your neighborhood and can offer you a free chimney inspection and a cut rate sweeping (say $60.00 instead of the usual $200.00)."  Sounds like a good deal -- what can we lose?!  As it turns out -- plenty!
     In the last 2 years A Merrie Sweepe has been called to two of our previous customers who got suspicious when Lysco informed them that their stainless steel liners, required for safe and efficient oil burner venting, were damaged or incomplete, with risky deterioration beginning  in the chimney brickwork.  Lysco had brought down to the ground sections of liner that they themselves had corrupted, and then they offered to replace the defective liner with a new one, which they conveniently had on their truck, priced at an exorbitant $2000.00 or more (at least $500.00 over fair and normal costs).
     In both these cases, we confirmed our clients' suspicions and identified the fraud.  The police were called.  Lysco was chased off, often with a legal citation of one sort or another.  As far as we know, however, no significant punishment has been meted out to Lycsco.  The "wheels of justice" are often ponderous and ineffective and the easy rewards of scanning keep Lysco and their ilk coming back again and again.  So beware!  If in doubt, check integrity by demanding CSIA credentials, checking established long-time local sweeps, or consulting local agencies like the BBB, Chamber of Commerce, fire or police departments, or even stove shops.
 

   

Lots of people ask us about why their fireplace smokes -- a complex question, indeed!  Here's a list of possible, contributing reasons:

1. The flue is too small for the size of the fireplace, and all the air rushing in from the big fireplace opening has trouble squeezing through the narrow flue size.
2. The chimney may be too short --
   *  A minimum 15' height is recommended.
   *  The top of the chimney should be at least 2' above any part of the house within 10' -- to avoid    wind induced down drafts!
3. The damper may be too small or not opening properly.
4. The "smoke chamber" dome above the damper is poorly designed and not aerodynamic.
5. The firebox is too shallow, or wood is being placed too far forward.
6. Your house configuration allows for "thermosiphening" of air down the fireplace flue to replace air being lost via other vents or poorly sealed openings, thus counteracting your fireplace draft -- your house may be too tight or conversely too drafty.
7. Wind currents against the house may set up high pressure zones that force air back down the chimney.
8. You may need a raincap to buffer wind currents.
9. Your raincap lid may be too low on the chimney, creating back pressure.
10. Tall trees or other, nearby buildings may divert wind currents, leading to chimney interference.
11. A cold, outside chimney may take a long time to heat up enough to establish adequate draft.
12. Your personal fire building skills may need some improvement on top of everything else!

Long story short, you probably need us to come look at your whole system and, including fire building experimentation, help you isolate and determine the contributing factors -- we're good at this!

 

Example of fireplace smoke stains.  Black soot above fireplace opening.

     Welcome to our blog - a chance to share ideas and info about what's happening in the chimney world.  Our name comes from my wife Merrie with a nod to the time-honored olde English roots to the sweeping tradition.  In 1983, Merrie and I gave up our teaching positions in Rye and Portsmouth for the risky position of small business owners, never mind the field of operations on top of Seacoast roofs! (or the fact that I had all my life been anxious about high places!).
     A $5000 loan bought rods and brushes, a powerful vacuum and some serious ladders, along with a study manual and top hat - all crammed into and on top of my old, beat up 1971 Volvo station wagon.  Then it was off to my brave banker Mel Low's house for the first paid fireplace cleaning engagement.  What's a little soot, along with a duck carcass and an old, antique bottle?!
     That was the beginning, and, as they say, the rest is history.  In future blogs I'll share some of our adventures and some helpful chimney tips.