Creosote Removal Is Fast & Mess-Free With Robinson Maintenance Repair

Keeping your chimney clean and in excellent working condition takes a little work each and every year, but with Robinson Maintenance Repair, it’s easy and mess-free for homeowners living in Chicagoland. Our Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) certified chimney sweeps provide thorough chimney sweepings throughout the greater Chicago area, and can make sure every last layer of soot is removed from your chimney flue and fireplace. Of course, some byproducts of combustion — like creosote — are too stubborn and tough to remove with traditional sweeping brushes and techniques. But even the toughest, most stubborn creosote doesn’t stand a chance when our team is on the job.

What Is Creosote & How Does It Get In The Chimney?

If an inspection reveals a buildup of creosote in your chimney and fireplace, you may be wondering how it got there, what exactly it is, and what makes it so bad. Here’s what you need to know:

Creosote is a flaky, sticky, and sometimes tar-like substance that’s created when wood is burned incompletely. Particles are carried up into the chimney flue by smoke, and as the flue cools, the particles settle on the walls of the flue. Over time, creosote builds up and hardens, layer upon layer, making it even more difficult to remove. This third-degree creosote is known as glazed creosote, and what makes it so bad is that:

It’s highly flammable and can easily ignite and cause a chimney fire.
It’s acidic and can corrode and damage your flue liner.
It can restrict airflow in the flue and lead to the production of even more creosote.

How Can You Prevent Creosote?

Now that you know what creosote is and how it gets in your chimney, you may be wondering what you can do to prevent it from building up in your system in the future.

While today’s woodburning fireplaces, stoves, and inserts are designed to provide a more complete burn, older hearth appliances can have high levels of creosote production. Aside from investing in a newer fireplace, stove, or insert, here are some other tips to help you keep creosote out of your chimney:

Make sure you’re only ever burning seasoned wood in your fireplace. Green, wet, or unseasoned wood will naturally produce more smoke and more creosote.
Prep your flue. Warming your flue by holding a lit, rolled up newspaper up inside the flue will help warm the flue before you light the fire. A warmer flue will usher smoke and byproducts up and out of the chimney faster, which means smoke has less time to hang around and settle on the flue walls.
Don’t overload your fireplace. Building a fire that’s too big for your fireplace and putting too many logs in at once can also encourage the production and lingering of smoke and particles. Keep your fires manageable so your flue can effectively and quickly vent the smoke produced.

How Do You Get Rid Of Creosote?

What if you already have creosote in your chimney — what can be done? As we said earlier, glazed creosote can’t be removed with brushes and traditional sweeping methods. But that doesn’t mean we can’t get rid of it for you!

Here at Robinson Maintenance Repair, we use Poultice Creosote Remover (PCR), which is a product that’s specially formulated to get rid of stubborn creosote safely, quickly, and effectively. With PCR, there are no noxious odors to fill up your home and no corrosive chemicals that could harm your chimney system.

So how’s it work?

We apply the product directly to the creosote, and as the product dries, it breaks apart and absorbs the creosote into itself. It then begins to fall off of the flue walls, and our team quickly captures and contains the debris. Any remaining debris left on the flue walls will then be easily and quickly swept away with our brushes and rods, and you’ll be left with a cleaner, safer chimney that’s ready for another burn season.

It’s as easy as that!

Request Your Inspection & Cleaning Today

Don’t let creosote eat away at your chimney system, shortening its service life, and reducing its safety — call on Robinson Maintenance Repair. Our team will have that nasty creosote out in no time so you and your family can enjoy your time by the fireside. Call 847-290-1883 or fill out our online appointment request form to schedule your inspection and cleaning today. We look forward to serving you and your family.