Will a Cleaning Suffice or do I need to Apply a Coat Sealant?

[jakedean9903]

Hello guys. I recently bought a house and had my chimney inspected. They said I had third degree creosote build up and some cracks in the flue. They quoted me $2,000 to sling the sealant in there to fix it. It’s expensive because they use a sealant that’s UL listed and up to code. I got a quote form a smaller business and he said that a flue up to code is the ideal flue, but in reality most chimneys have cracks in them. He said main reason peoples houses catch fire is because of improper use. I’m not planning on keeping my house warm with it or having fires all the time. I just want a cozy fire every now and then without having to worry about my house burning down. I have third degree creosote build up. If I hire someone to clean it and have the occasional fire should I be fine. I know there will be the guy that will say no not 100%, but I want to know if I have good odds here?

 

[begreen]

Cleaning out glaze creosote properly is not a trivial or cheap task. And that doesn't address the cracks. It may be less expensive and safer to have the tile liner busted out and have an insulated stainless steel liner installed.
Have you thought about having a wood burning insert installed so that the fireplace actually heats well?

 

[jakedean9903]

Cleaning out glaze creosote properly is not a trivial or cheap task. And that doesn't address the cracks. It may be less expensive and safer to have the tile liner busted out and have an insulated stainless steel liner installed.
Have you thought about having a wood burning insert installed so that the fireplace actually heats well?

Yes eventually, but until then I’m curious if the cleaning would suffice.

 

[bholler]

Yes eventually, but until then I’m curious if the cleaning would suffice.

The first line of defense between a potential chimney fire and your house is compromised. I would not recommend a sealer at all if the liners are actually cracked i would remove the broken and glazed tiles and replace with an insulated liner. Your chimney probably doesnt have the required clearances anyway.

 

[begreen]

If I hire someone to clean it and have the occasional fire should I be fine. I know there will be the guy that will say no not 100%, but I want to know if I have good odds here?

The odds are not good at all. We are not looking down the chimney with a camera so the best I can say is that I wouldn't use the fireplace, even occasionally, until the issues are properly addressed.