We Offer Smoking Fireplace & Draft Resolution Services!

In a properly-functioning chimney, draft pulls the hot air, gases, and byproducts up your flue, and out of your home. Draft is the result of a difference in pressure inside and outside of your chimney — those hot chimney gases are lighter than the air in the room, so the air in your chimney rises, reducing pressure in the lower part of the chimney and pulling room air in. Draft is a key part of your chimney’s design and is essential if your system is to work effectively.

When your chimney’s draft is impeded, smoke often follows. Smoke is produced when the fuel in your fireplace or stove isn’t totally consumed (usually as a result of poor draft and too-low temperature). Without proper draft, the smoke flows back into your living area, instead of rising up and out of the chimney.

If proper draft isn’t occurring in your chimney, it could be for a variety of reasons — you might have a flue that’s too big or small for the appliance it’s venting, or a chimney that isn’t high enough to facilitate the right level of draft. As soon as you notice a problem, give Blue Sky Chimney Sweeps a call. We’ll take a close look at your chimney, figure out what’s affecting its proper function, and repair it so that you can enjoy an efficient system once again.

Smoke and draft issues don’t always mean a need for repairs, though. There are a few small things you can check for that might be contributing to the problem.

Did You Open Your Damper?
You should never light a fire with a closed damper, but we’re all human, and sometimes humans forget. If you’re seeing smoke, check to make sure your damper is fully opened — if it isn’t, smoke and poor draft are an almost certain result.

Are You Using Seasoned Cordwood?
Wood that still has moisture in it invariably leads to smoke. Make sure to only use seasoned, dry hardwood in your fire.

Do You Have A Cold Flue?
Draft can be impeded if the air in your flue is particularly cold. Priming the flue can sometimes help. Before lighting a fire, roll up some newspaper into a cone shape, light the larger end, and hold it above the firebox — it can encourage draft, and sometimes gets rid of your smoke problems.

Has Your Chimney Been Swept This Year?
Smoking fireplaces are sometimes just the product of chimneys that are in need of a good sweeping. Creosote buildup can constrict the flue, impeding draft, and causing smoke to hang around where it isn’t welcome. If your chimney has been drafting properly and smoking back starts abruptly, you may have experienced a chimney fire.  Chimney fires often result in expanded creosote blockages.

Do You Have Energy-Efficient Doors And Windows?
New, energy-efficient doors and windows are great for energy savings, but they sometimes don’t allow enough oxygen into the room and into the fire to encourage sufficient draft. Opening a window or door a little can sometimes give the fire the air it needs for proper draft. If opening a door or window helps, ask Blue Sky Chimney Sweeps about permanent solutions for air-flow issues.

Contact Blue Sky!

Do you have a smoking fireplace or a chimney that isn’t drafting properly? Call Blue Sky Chimney Sweeps or click here to schedule an appointment online. We’re experts when it comes to resolving chimney issues – Let us “Bless Your Hearth”, today!

We can resolve your leaky chimney problems, too, with our chimney troubleshooting expertise. Call on us today.