A quick tip for potential homeowners

January 12, 2019 | Training and tips

Sometimes I come across a situation where the sellers have either painted the attic (white most of the time) or try to keep me from inspecting the attic area. The is a instant red flag and once I gain access, typical I find a lot of damage. Just a few instances of severe attic damage from a previous fire and one attempt at hiding the damage by painting the attic. Always make sure the attic is inspected when buying a home, it could potentially cost you thousands of dollars!

Drone inspections with pets on location

January 10, 2019 | A Day in the Life

A few things to take into consideration when inspecting with a drone, does the client have pets and will the pet be upset or possibly destroy your drone. The safest option is to have the client bring the pet inside since most animals have not seen a drone before and the reaction to it could be bad. For example, a few years ago when I got one of my drones I was testing it in my back yard. My wife let the dog out while I was flying the drone and it led to one pissed off French Bulldog! One last thing to mention if you are a drone owner. Territorial birds can and will quickly destroy your drone. If you see a swarm of birds chasing your drone or a larger bird of prey getting close to your drone, bring it down quickly!

Gas starters in a factory built fireplace

January 10, 2019 | A Day in the Life

This is a interesting one that I always get pushback from both home owners and gas installers.. While gas starters may be allowed in masonry systems, they are not approved for factory built fireplaces and could lead to over firing of the system and insurance issues if a fire occurred. Factory built (pre fabricated) fireplaces are a UL listed appliances and only approved parts can be used in these systems. It may be a convenient way to start a fire but it is not worth the risk!

Sometimes sharing is NOT a good thing

January 10, 2019 | Dangers!

If you live in a multi-family condo or apartment you may have a situation where several flue systems are sharing one common space. The concern when this happens is that all parties need to maintain their chimney system to help ensure the safety of everyone in that shared space. This is not always the case and typically the property management company does not have definitive guidelines for maintenance or unsafe systems. The example above is one common situation where four condos are sharing one chimney chase. The condo inspected had a system that was no longer safe for use and using the system could have led to fire and or carbon monoxide entry into the condo, or even adjacent condos. Currently, the only proactive prevention you can take is to make sure you have the appropriate amount of smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in your home and always have multiple … Continued

Improperly sized chimney caps

January 10, 2019 | A Day in the Life

Already in 2019, I have inspected three homes where a 8″ chimney cap was “installed” into a 10″ flue termination. The obvious is that the person installing these chimney caps knows exactly what is going to happen eventually, along with the water intrusion damage that will occur when it does happen. What isn’t obvious is that a chimney cap was incorrectly installed and even the active water intrusion can be hard to spot until it progresses. This drone image shows a 8″ cap that was at one point installed into the 10″ flue termination. As you can see, the end result is wind removing the chimney cap, sometimes turning it into a giant metal frisbee (huge liability issue). When you are having your chimney cap replaced ask for proof of measurement. This issue could not be seen from ground level (it was blocked by the shroud) and the client was … Continued

A roofing disaster

January 10, 2019 | A Day in the Life

On one of my inspections yesterday, I encountered an absolute mess of a job performed by a roofer I will not mention. A new roof was installed a few months ago without replacing the chimney step and counter flashing and now the deteriorated flashing has started to allow water intrusion into the home. The roofer was called out again and this was the initial fix: 🤦‍♂️ Not only did they not replace the flashing (again), they covered the cracks on the crown with sealant that I now have to remove before correctly repairing the crown. All of this could have been prevented if the job was done correctly in the first place and it would have also prevented the water damage that is now inside of the home.

Dryer Vent Safety

January 6, 2019 | Common Questions

It may not be one of the most exciting things to do (kinda like having your car worked on), but performing regular maintenance on your dryer venting system is essential for safety and also extends the life of your dryer. Consider this, a dryer vent is only four inches wide and even with 1/2″ of buildup around the inside of the vent, your dryer vent is now only flowing through a three inch opening. As the dryer vent becomes more and more restricted, it causes the dryer to work overtime and the additional buildup of lint can easily cause a dryer fire. The danger can be even greater if you are using gas dryer, you now add in the extra hazards of carbon monoxide and potential gas leaks. In summary, always be proactive about dryer maintenance and always make sure a professional is servicing your system such as a CSIA … Continued

Why are chimney sweeps considered lucky?

January 6, 2019 | A Day in the Life

Several theories exist but certainly no one knows for sure. One of the most popular theories is that King William of Great Britain was saved by a chimney sweep after almost being killed by a runaway horse carriage. Another theory is that a chimney sweep was working one day (timeframe unknown) and almost fell from a roof. While hanging from a gutter, about to fall to his doom, a woman inside of the house saw him and pulled him inside saving his life. After the near death experience, the two fell instantly in love and were married. It is still a popular tradition in Great Brittian for a chimney sweep to attend a couples wedding as a sign of good luck!

Radiant heat and the impact on combustibles

January 6, 2019 | Chimney Basics

So you may have heard me talk about clearances to combustibles once or twice before but here is a quick example of what the heat does to combustibles and how it can start a fire. As heat is absorbed by a combustible, in the form of radiant heat, it slowly breaks down the ignition temperature that is needed to ignite the combustible. the process is called pyrolysis which is the thermal decomposition of a material through elevated heat. Ignition temperature of wood can drop to as low as 300 degrees after long-term exposure to heat! One very key thing to also remember with ignition of the combustible is that it will ignite without any direct contact with flame. Here is a example in fast forward: 1. Initial break down of wood from heat As you can see, the Wood is not touching any flame throughout the timeframe. 2. Ignition temperature … Continued

2019 for Mike the Chimney Guy

January 6, 2019 | A Day in the Life

So anyone who knows me is aware that I am a little bit obsessed with training and certifications. I typically spend a few thousand dollars a year and several weeks of my time on education and obtaining new certifications. 2019 will finally be the year for one of the most difficult certifications of all – The NFI Master Hearth Professional. A MHP has passed and is currently certified in all three of the major NFI categories: -Gas -Wood -Pellet Stove Until this year I haven’t put much effort into mastering the installation and maintenance of pellet stoves, we really do not see them down South! 2019 will finally be the year so time for me to get studying.

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