Cosumnes River Chimney Sweep

How long should firewood be seasoned ? The key to seasoning lies in the wood itself: some of the best woods are Oak , Almond and Walnut these are dry woods which is why the cost more per cord they burn cleaner and last longer in a fire . The sappy woods such as fruit woods , pine and eucalyptus burn fast and leave a lot of creosote in your chimney . Most firewood properly split and stacked takes at least a season to dry properly. For many of us, that is about six months. I...f you stack your wood in early spring and let it set throughout the summer it should be ready to be put away for winter use by October. Unseasoned wood is more difficult to get lit and then will burn very inefficiently. The moisture that the green wood is burning out with so much effort is also a problem. The moisture creates smoke, creates more creosote as it burns, and sticks to your chimney . Burning wet wood will contribute to a chimney fire . Burn only seasoned wood.

Are Fire Logs safe to use? This is one of the most frequently-asked questions that we, as chimney sweeps, get asked. There is something to be said for their convenience and it’s not like everybody has enough room to store a cord of wood. We also find that older people like using fire logs because they sometimes find a wood pile too physically demanding. A fire log’s convenience and ease of use is a real advantage but there are a few things you should know in order to reduce t...Continue reading

Make sure you have a proper chimney cap installed on your chimney to keep the critters out !

Have your dryer vent cleaned and inspected every year to avoid clogging, motor burn out or a dryer vent fire .