What is Creosote and What Makes It Dangerous?

When you think about starting a fire in the fireplace at the end of a long day, the potential danger lurking within your chimney is certainly the last thing on your mind. It is not something to be taken lightly, however. Today, we want to talk about a substance called creosote, what makes it dangerous, and how to get rid of it.

What is creosote?

Creosote is a black, sticky, tar-like by-product of burning wood. It’s also highly flammable. The volume of creosote and how fast it accumulates within your flue will depend on several factors. The first is how often you have an annual sweep and chimney inspection. Even the most proactive homeowner will likely have this by-product within their chimney.

Is creosote dangerous?

In a word, yes. Creosote is dangerous for several reasons. The first and most obvious we’ll discuss shortly. However, there are secondary considerations why you do not want creosote in your flue.

The first is that it’s a toxic substance. It can lead to eye and skin irritations as well as respiratory issues. It’s carcinogenic, which means it has cancer-causing agents. Finally, creosote can cause blockages within your flue itself. These blockages can then, in turn, cause toxic gasses to back up into your home.

So what is the cause of creosote?

Creosote is a natural by-product of burning wood. However, the primary cause of creosote production is the burning of unseasoned, freshly cut wood that hasn’t had a chance to dry out. With a higher moisture content, this wood creates more smoke and soot which magnifies the creosote problem.

Can a homeowner prevent creosote buildup?

While creosote cannot be prevented, there are several things you can do to slow its process. The first may be obvious: only burn seasoned wood that has had at least six months to dry out. The second is to schedule an annual sweep and inspection with Chimney Solutions Indiana. We’ll eliminate the creosote in your flue before it becomes a problem in the first place.

The major creosote risk: house fires

A moment ago we said that creosote has a primary concern while listing several serious concerns. We’re sure that raised a few eyebrows, what can be worse than a cancer-causing, irritation-inducing, blockage-causing substance?

Creosote is one of the leading causes of house fires. You can start a fire and never experience any of the previous problems we mentioned since the creosote exposure is up in your flue.

However, if any of the creosote in your flue breaks off, the draft while burning a fire can cause those creosote pieces to become embers. If they escape your flue, they then can land on your roof and start an uncontrollable house fire.

We can help eliminate the creosote in your chimney

Creosote is a thick, black, tar-like substance that you don’t want to have in your chimney. While it’s a natural by-product of burning wood, there are several things you can do to minimize its impact on your home.

The biggest of those is to schedule an annual sweep and inspection with our team. We’ll both inspect the physical structure of your chimney as well as remove debris, blockages, and yes, creosote.

Would you like to get onto our schedule? Then contact Chimney Solutions Indiana by giving us a call at (317) 757-6979 or by sending us a message via our online contact form.