I forgot the camera, so here's a 1000 words

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karl

Minister of Fire
Apr 9, 2007
1,058
Huntington, West Virginia
I climbed on the roof today to wrap trash bags around my attic whirly birds. I usually do this in the fall but I procrastinated a bit this year. Hopefully it will hold a little more heat in.

Anyway I thought I would check the Chimney. The first thing I noticed was the top plate I siliconed to the Chimney had come loose on one corner. I didn't have any silicon handy, so I laid a brick on it to hold it down. I pulled the cap off to see how much buildup I had. Im going to call it somewhere between an 1/8" and 1/4". Probably closer to the 1/8" than the 1/4". It's a flexible liner and you can clearly see the corugations. It's dry and flakey too. I had some coals going in the stove and when I stuck my hand down the chimney to see how tight the stuff was stuck on, it went fly up in the air. The cap is a magnaflex cap. It doesn't have a screen it has maybe 1" square holes in it. There was some buildup in the holes but most all of it came off when I pulled the cap loose. I tapped the cap a few times and came up with a couple tablespoons of gunk. All in all, I think that's pretty good. I've gone through a little over 2 cords so far.

Do you think I need a mid-season cleaning?
 
I don't think it could ever hurt to run a brush through your chimney.


Why are you trying to hold heat in the attic? It's already above the living area.

Matt
 
Most sweeps recommend a cleaning when you have about 1/4" of creosote anywhere in you system. I did mine yesterday, came up with about 1/2 gal of fine black powder. Probably could of went the rest of the season, but I feel better doing a mid season sweep.
 
You could be fine Karl but my take on it is with between an 1/8 and a 1/4 of velvet creosote in it I would brush it. You have the hardest burning months ahead of you. Of course I brush both flues in late December/Early January not matter how much is in them to be ready for the real burning season.
 
This has nothing to do with your original question, but the eve vents and gable end vents are not only designed to keep the attic cool in the summer, but they are designed to keep the attic cool in the winter as well. You want to keep your attic as close to the outside temp as you can. If you allow your attic to warm up this will melt the snow and ice that is on your roof the water will then run to your over hang where there is no house to heat it and refreeze right at the edge of your roof causing ice dams. this is usually evident by ice cicles hanging off the side of your house. Ice dams will build up on the edge of the roof to a point where it will not allow the water to run off the side of your roof and pool up behind them. this allows the water to seep up under the shingles into your roof attic and walls causing major water damage. Most people don't notice or realize this until it is to late. Right now I'm trying to cool my attic to keep this from happening. If you are worried about heat loss through the roof I think you might be better off investing a liitle in some insulation, just make sure you do not cover up you overhang vents.
 
The attic of my last house was full of mold due to the soffit vents being covered with insulation. The inspector did not catch this when I bought the house, only when I was selling it 2 years later. The mold removal cost my insurance company 7k. Be careful with what you are doing.
 
I don't even consider the velvet stuff creo. You are obviously burning right, keep doing what your doing.
I sweep once a year, 2 cups of tan powder after burning 3.5 cords.
 
First year of burning so this might seem like a stupid question - but here goes:
When you use the poly brush, are you going from the top and everything you brush is going down into the stove?(obviously with no fire going). Are you brushing the entire length of the liner? I have about 20 feet of SS liner with a straight shot into stove.
 
I've heard that moose, but I have been doing it for years. You need to remember our daytime temps here are almost always above freezing so the stuff melts off anyway. Having them covered two or three months a year during the lowest humidty time of the year, shouldn't cause mold. I have insulation on the attic floor as well as the roof, so if i can trap heat in the attic, it slows the heat escaping from the whole house.

As for the chimney. I thought I was doing pretty well. I don't have a problem with the mid-season cleaning other than I don't have a brush yet. This stuff is dark brown and flakey wouldn't even be the right word for it. It's like brown ash. If I can find a brush locally, I might run it down through the thing. If not i'll wait until spring. I'm a newbie afterall.

Thanks for the replies,

Karl
 
bcnu said:
First year of burning so this might seem like a stupid question - but here goes:
When you use the poly brush, are you going from the top and everything you brush is going down into the stove?(obviously with no fire going). Are you brushing the entire length of the liner? I have about 20 feet of SS liner with a straight shot into stove.
Click to expand...

if it is a strait shot in to the stove then yes you are going to brush all the way in to the stove and it is the best way is a strait shot then you have nothing else to brush or take apart to brush
 
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