-2

Creosote logs are not a replacement for sweeping

I keep seeing homeowners posting on local Facebook groups saying they just burn a creosote log and think that's good enough for the season. I had a guy in Portland last month tell me he's been doing that for 3 years and his flue looked fine when I finally got up there with a rotary brush. It wasn't fine, there was a solid 1/4 inch buildup in the smoke chamber that could have easily lit off. Why do people trust a chemical fix over actually having someone clean the chimney?

2 comments

2 Comments

cole_mitchell85d ago

I had a buddy up in Washington who swore by those creosote logs for years. He'd burn one every fall and convince himself his chimney was good to go. I finally talked him into letting me take a look last winter and I found chunks of glazed creosote that looked like tar stuck to the liner, way worse than what your guy had. After we got it cleaned out proper and he saw all that crap come down, he never used a log again. I get wanting a quick fix but there's just no replacement for someone actually getting up there and scraping it clean.

claire9925d ago

Same thing happened with my neighbor. He used those logs for two seasons and ended up with a chimney fire that scared him straight. Now he just pays a guy to brush it out every year. Not worth the risk.