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  • Homeowners
    • Find a Certified Pro
    • Homeowner Resources >
      • Homeowner FAQs
      • Hiring a Chimney Sweep >
        • When to Hire a Chimney Sweep
        • What to Expect - Chimney Sweep & Inspection
        • Cost Guide - Chimney Care
        • Multiple Estimates - Now What?
      • Chimney Info >
        • Chimney Safety Overview
        • About Chimney Inspections
        • Facts About Chimney Fires
        • How do Chimneys Work?
      • Blog
      • CSIA® Accepted Products >
        • ChimFex Fire Suppressant
        • Creosote Buster Firelog
        • CSL Creosote Sweeping Log
        • Duraflame Firelogs
        • Duct Cleaners Supply
        • National Chimney
        • SaverSystems
  • Professionals
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    • Listings2Leads Login
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      • Certification >
        • CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep®
        • CSIA Certified Chimney Specialist®
        • CSIA Certified Dryer Exhaust Technician®
        • CSIA Master Chimney Sweep®
      • Renew Your Credential >
        • Renew CSIA® Certified Chimney Sweep Credential
        • Renew CSIA® Certified Chimney Specialist Credential
        • Renew CSIA® CDET Credential
        • Renew CSIA® Master Chimney Sweep Credential
    • CEU Tips
    • CSIA® Exam Guide >
      • Proctored Exams
      • Accepted Exam Proctors
      • Proctor Free
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    • Military Benefits
    • Annual Certification Fee
  • Sweep Shop
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    • CSIA Education & Training
    • CSIA Global Online Campus through SureFire
    • CSIA® Contracted Mobile Training
    • CSIA Instructors >
      • Instructor Application
    • NEW Center for Education, Training & Research
    • Preferred Hotels
    • Chimney Science & Research >
      • CSIA White Papers
    • CEU Course Application
  • Sponsorship
    • Sponsorship Opportunities
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      • Join the Board
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      • Sweep Away Cancer
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    • Our Mission & Values
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News

ARTICLE

Date ArticleType
12/7/2009 Press Release

When it Comes to Chimney Safety, D-I-Y Can Spell Disaster

December 7, 2009 – Plainfield, IN The National Fire Protection Association and the Chimney Safety Institute of America both recommend that homeowners call a qualified professional for an annual chimney inspection. Only a qualified professional will be able to identify and resolve structural and maintenance issues before potential carbon monoxide intrusion and chimney fire hazards risk your time, health or money.

Famous last words of do-it-yourself “chimney sweeps”:

“I’ve swept my own chimney for 25 years and we’ve been fine…” Many homeowners don’t realize that a very thin, very combustible, layer of glazed creosote can build up over time. A qualified professional has the knowledge to identify and the tools to remove this dangerous byproduct of combustion.

“That crack has been there for years! It’ll be okay.” When a flue liner is cracked, these cracks open during the heating phase and may allow heat to be transferred to the vulnerable chimney walls. One of the important functions of the flue lining is to serve as an insulator between the hot flue gases and the chimney wall.

“I heat with gas. I don’t need to have my chimney swept.” Qualified professionals do so much more than simply run a brush up the flue. A CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep® will identify and help address installation issues, and possible venting issues, and provide needed maintenance and help the homeowner identify operational efficiencies.

“If I start a chimney fire, I’ll burn out all of the creosote.” Chimney fires are no casual matter. Chimney fires may melt mortar, crack tiles, cause liners to collapse and damage the outer masonry material. Most often, tiles crack and mortar is displaced, which provides a pathway for flames to reach the wood frame of the house. One chimney fire may not harm a home. A second can burn it down.

Annual chimney inspections and chimney maintenance is best left to a qualified chimney professional. The Chimney Safety Institute of America administers the CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep program. Chimney sweeps earn the credential by passing a series of two exams on industry codes and standards and by signing the CSIA Code of Ethics.

# # #

The Chimney Safety Institute of America is a non-profit, educational organization dedicated to chimney and venting system safety. CSIA is committed to the elimination of residential chimney fires, carbon monoxide intrusion and other chimney-related hazards that result in the loss of lives and property. To achieve these goals, CSIA devotes its resources to educating the public, chimney and venting professionals and other fire prevention specialists about the prevention and correction of chimney and venting system hazards.

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