Common spring chimney issues comes from an email sent to me from a local Baltimore company called Clean Sweep Chimney Service.

Clean Sweep cleans chimneys, does inspections, and also does repairs when necessary.

They are also a very good source of information when it comes to chimneys.

What are four common issues they see in chimneys in the Spring? Per the Clean Sweep post:

  1. Obstructions. Sometimes they find bird’s nests, animals, or sometimes the build up of creosote is enough that it creates an obstruction. Either could prevent smoke from escaping up the chimney as it is supposed to, and smoke could potentially go into your home.
  2. Creosote. What is creosote? Clean Sweep has a post called Creosote 101 , detailing how “creosote is a corrosive and flammable substance that builds up on the inside walls of chimneys and fireplaces. Creosote is made when ash, other gases and wood particles combine on the way out of your chimney. Whenever a chimney is not adequately vented or cleaned, creosote can accumulate on the walls and lead to sparking or a fire.” This is a big part of what is cleaned when you have your chimney and fireplace cleaned.
  3. Cracks in the flue. Cracks in the flue can come in part due to creosote with moisture entering the chimney. Rain water and other natural environmental issues can cause cracks to start in the chimney. Cracks can be dangerous because the flue is where fire by-products travel from the fire to the outside, and cracks can potentially cause the by-product fumes to not draft properly out of your home. One potentially dangerous by-product of a fire is carbon monoxide. See more details in a post from Northeastern Chimney LLC.
  4. Brick Issues. Moisture such as rain or snow can cause cracks or breakage in masonry. Repairing masonry and brickwork can prevent structural failure down the line.

Thank you to Clean Sweep Maryland for this great information! If you would like more information or some recommendations for Baltimore Chimney Sweeps, please let me know. There are a number of reputable chimney sweeps in our area!