Remove Glazed Creosote From Chimney

Glazed creosote is tough to remove.

Remove glazed creosote from chimney.

To properly remove creosote from your chimney it is important to understand the different stages of glazed creosote that can be present. Glazed creosote must be chemically altered before it can be properly removed. Over time creosote can build up and become a fire hazard. Creosote is a brown or black tar like material that sticks to a chimney s walls flue and hearth.

The photos below show the inside of a chimney covered with glazed creosote before during and after a pcr application. Also known as glazed creosote level 3 is extremely difficult to remove and poses a serious fire hazard. Any blunt force to the glazing that is powerful enough to remove it will more than likely damage the flue system as well and that is certainly not a problem that you want to have to tackle. Sometimes however the creosote is not in this loose puffy form.

Every type of wood burning appliance experiences creosote buildup. The dangers of glazed creosote. In part 2 we explained how to remove creosote. Creosote is usually puffy and loose and relatively easy to remove from the walls of the flue system.

To remove glazed creosote in smoke chambers pcr can be applied with saversystems smoke chamber sprayer. According to oregon chimney repair and cleaning inc. In part 1 of this series we explained the three stages of creosote buildup. Tar and soot are also combustion byproducts and they are mixed in with the creosote.

Creosote is a black tarry substance formed from the incomplete burning of wood and as it flows up the chimney with the smoke it cools and clings to the surface of the chimney. Home blog the dangers of glazed creosote. In tile lined chimneys it s the exceptional chimney that has good mortar joints. Creosote is combustion material from wood fires that is found in chimneys in three forms and glazed creosote is the most difficult type to remove from a chimney liner.

We have seen amateurs try to get rid of it with chains chisels and other heavy duty tools that damage the chimney liner in the process. Cleaning your chimney at least once a year helps remove creosote and prevent sudden fires from breaking out. Now for the case for not removing 3 rd degree creosote from tile chimney liners. Using a fireplace with a damaged chimney liner can be as dangerous as a chimney lined with glazed creosote.

Glazed creosote starts out as a substance that is a lot like tar in texture and viscosity. Creosote like this is caused by the natural byproducts of burning wood. Removing glazed creosote is no easy task. The most serious and hard to remove form of creosote level 3 creosote is a thick hardened layer similar to tar.