Update: creosote buildup isn't always the main problem

For 2 years I thought heavy creosote was my biggest issue on these old brick chimneys in Portland. But after a consult with Mike at Apex Sweeps, he showed me how a cracked clay liner was causing all the real smoke flow problems. The before-and-after on the draft after we fixed that one liner was night and day. Anyone else ever focus on the wrong thing for too long?

3 comments

3 Comments

william_torres17d ago

Man, that's frustrating. Its a shame when you've been chasing the wrong problem for so long, especially when the fix was something that basic.

scott.miles17d ago

Figured out the same thing with my own stack last winter. Was ready to tear the whole chimney down because of creosote buildup but it turned out the draft was just sucking in cold air through a gap in the mortar. A simple patch job fixed the smoke problem overnight without any deep cleaning. Makes you wonder how many people are buying expensive chimney sweeps or chemical treatments when the real fix is just sealing up a crack or two. The pros know this stuff but they don't always tell you upfront because the regular cleaning is their bread and butter.

grantmartinez17d ago

Yeah I read somewhere that like 90% of chimney issues are actually airflow problems not creosote. Kinda wild how the simplest fix is usually the one nobody tries first.