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Causes of a Stinky Chimney

Post by : Admin

21-Feb-2022

Stacked stone fireplace

Using a fireplace is great in the winter season. It not only keeps your home warm and cozy but also creates a welcoming ambiance. However, you might not expect unusual odors coming into your home from the fireplace. Bad odors can happen for many reasons. While using air fresheners might do the trick, it temporarily masks the odor.

Chimney odors can be a sign of a bigger and more serious problem. It can be due to blockages and blockages can come in different forms. Therefore, timely chimney inspections can help you avoid these issues and address them as soon as possible. Meanwhile, here are some common causes of a smelly chimney:

Chimney tops on houses

Decomposing Leaves And Moisture Penetration

Does your living room fireplace smell of rot? That can be due to the decomposition of fallen leaves in your chimney. Moss, branches, leaves, and other debris can get trapped in the chimney. And can also result in animal nests. If a large number of leaves accumulate at the top of the chimney, it can create a blockage. It can make your chimney stinky and dangerous because it can also lead to chimney fires.

Also moisture can severely damage to your chimney. Cracked crowns on your chimney can lead to water infiltration. This damages the surrounding mortar joints. It also, causes faulty flashing and shoulders in your crown and chimney structure. Therefore, a chimney cap or complete chimney rebuild maybe required.

Dead And Alive Animals

Animals can enter chimneys to seek warmth, a dark place, or safety. And some animals make their homes inside the brick stacks. So, if you are experiencing sudden and sharp odors, it can be due to the presence of an animal either living there or trapped.

Animals can get in chimneys through damaged chimney caps or flu gaps. And once they get in, many are unable to get back out. Animal feces, food, and nesting materials can also cause overwhelmingly bad odors in your home and affect the air quality. To avoid exposure to microorganisms and bacteria carried by animals, it is crucial to call your local chimney cleaning services or masonry to get them removed as soon as possible

Creosote Build-up

Creosote build-up can be noticed in the summer months when the outdoor temperature begins to warm up. You can suddenly smell fires burned in the last season. Now you can smell the creosote downdrafts from your fireplace into your living area.

Soot and creosote are the natural byproducts of wood fuel burned in the fireplace. Creosote is this dark brown, flammable tar build-up produced by wood smoke while soot is produced due to incomplete burning of organic matter like wood.

The build-up is unavoidable but can be prevented to an extent by installing a steel flue liner that is not porous and by calling your local chimney cleaners you can keep the stink at bay!

If you are looking for chimney repairs, chimney rebuilding, chimney cleaning in Central Connecticut, at Creative Masonry and Chimney, we provide high-quality masonry and chimney repair services. Our professional personnel is one of the finest creative masonry teams—experts in chimney building, repairs, and installation. Call us now for an estimate and information on our services.