Black syrup

[sclarke]

I just started burning wood and I have an old regular buck stove insert into a masonry chimney. I was up on the roof looking around and noticed a black syrup/sap substance on the top of the chimney, coating the spark arrestor. it has completely lined everything. it is like sap in its consistency and black. any ideas what that could be?

 

[oldspark]

I just started burning wood and I have an old regular buck stove insert into a masonry chimney. I was up on the roof looking around and noticed a black syrup/sap substance on the top of the chimney, coating the spark arrestor. it has completely lined everything. it is like sap in its consistency and black. any ideas what that could be?

Creosote and I would not be burning any more wood until you get that problem fixed.

 

[begreen]

+1 That chimney needs to be cleaned asap and before any more burning takes place.

It would also be good to figure out why the creosote accumulation. This could be due to burning too cooling (smoldering fires) or poorly seasoned wood. And often it is a combo of these two that leads to the worst cases of creosote deposits.