Our Process
How glazed creosote is removed in Woodruff Springs
Sealing the fireplace opening
Removal products are not something you want in the living room. The PCR data sheet instructs covering the fireplace opening or the stove thimble so the product does not enter the living area, and it lists eye protection, a respirator, protective clothing and gloves for the people applying it.
Our crew seals the opening and protects the hearth and floor before anything goes into the flue. Please keep children and pets away from the fireplace and the work area until the cleanup is done. The seal stays in place until the treatment is dry and the flue has been swept.
Powder modifiers for glaze in a working flue
A different approach uses a powder modifier. SaverSystems' Cre-Away data sheet describes a four-component powder that turns glazed creosote into a more brittle form, which loses its adhesion through heating and cooling so it can be swept out more easily.
The data sheet says to apply it directly into the chimney and not in the fire, then burn a fire to trigger its catalyst, repeating with each new fire for about a week before the chimney is cleaned. Because it relies on continued fires, we suggest it only where an inspection has found the flue sound enough to use.
Leave the glaze for professional removal
Scraping at glaze from the firebox, spraying unfamiliar products up the flue or trying to burn a deposit off with a hot fire can make the situation worse. Creosote is combustible, EPA notes, and enough of it can cause a chimney fire.
Leave the deposit as it is, keep the fireplace unused and describe what you have seen when you get in touch. Our specialists assess it safely from the top and the bottom of the chimney during the free inspection. A short description of what you see from the room is enough for us to start planning the visit.
Creosote removal before a home sale
A buyer's inspector who notes heavy or glazed creosote may recommend further evaluation, and a sale can stall while nobody knows the scope of the work or how long it will take. Sellers also want to know whether the fireplace can be advertised as usable.
A free flue inspection confirms the deposit, and the written plan gives the method, the visits and the price. The document is written so a buyer, a seller and their agents can all follow it, and removal can be timed to fit the closing.
