If you plan to use your fireplace this winter, the time to look at it is now, a few weeks before you need it. Most of the check takes an afternoon and a flashlight. The rest needs someone on the roof with a camera, and it is much easier to book that in early October than on the first cold Friday in November, when half the Valley has the same idea.
Here is what we would look at, in the order we would look at it.
Start inside, with the damper
Open the damper and close it again. It should move without a fight and seal when it is shut. A damper that has sat closed since March can rust in place, and one that will not close all the way lets warm air out of the house all winter, which you pay for whether you light a fire or not.
With the damper open, put your head in the firebox and shine a light up. You will not see much past the smoke shelf, but you will see enough to spot twigs, leaves, a nest, or chunks of anything that fell down over the summer. If you hear scratching or chirping, leave it alone and call us. Some birds that use chimneys are protected under federal law, and smoking out a raccoon is how people end up with an angry raccoon in the living room.
Look hard at the firebox
The firebox takes the direct heat, so it wears first. Look for firebrick that is cracked right through, bricks that have come loose, and mortar joints you can dig into with a key. Fine hairline cracks on the face of firebrick are normal and nothing to worry about. Gaps in the joints matter more, because heat gets through a gap to whatever is behind the brick.
If the back wall has a gap you can fit a coin into, or a whole brick moves when you push it, that wants a firebox repair before you light the first fire.
Walk around the outside
You do not need to get on the roof for this. Stand back far enough to see the whole chimney, or use binoculars from across the street.
Check that the cap is still there and still straight. Summer and early fall winds move more caps than people expect, and a missing one lets rain, leaves and animals straight down the flue. If yours is gone, bent, or rusted through, a new chimney cap is a short job.
Then look at the brick. White staining, flaking faces, dark streaks running down from the top, or a stack that does not look quite vertical are all worth a closer look by someone who can get up there.
Test the alarms
Press the test button on every smoke alarm and every carbon monoxide alarm. California has required CO alarms since 2011 in any home with a fireplace, a gas appliance, or an attached garage, so if you have a fireplace you should already have one. If you do not, get one before you light anything. You want one outside the bedrooms and one on every level of the house.
Sort out the wood
Wet wood burns cool and smoky, and what goes up the flue as smoke comes back down the walls as creosote. Firewood should be at 20 percent moisture or less before it goes in the fireplace, which usually means it was split and stacked at least six months ago. A cheap moisture meter from a hardware store will tell you in a few seconds. Split a piece and test the fresh face, since the outside is always drier than the middle.
Keep the stack off the ground and away from the walls of the house. In the canyons and on the hillsides around Calabasas and Santa Clarita, a woodpile against the house is fuel sitting right where you least want it.
If your fireplace runs on gas
Gas fireplaces need less work, but they are not maintenance free. Turn it on and let it run for a while. A dusty smell for the first few minutes is normal after months off. If you smell gas at any point, turn it off, get everyone outside, and call the gas company from there.
Watch the flame too. It should be steady and mostly blue at the base, with yellow tips on logs designed to show them. A pilot that will not stay lit, a flame that lifts off the burner, or soot building up on the glass or the logs all mean something is off. All of those are gas fireplace repair calls.
What you cannot check from the ground
Everything above is worth doing, but it only covers the parts you can see. The flue is where the trouble usually is. Creosote builds up on the walls of the flue, and a lightly used fireplace can build up more than you would think. We wrote about why in what Los Angeles does to a chimney. Cracks in a clay liner are invisible from the firebox and from the street.
A chimney sweep clears the buildup. A chimney inspection puts a camera down the flue so you can see the liner for yourself. If you are booking one, book both. A sweep starts at $99, and the inspection is free when it comes with a sweep.
Hold off on lighting it if you notice any of these
- A tar or campfire smell in the room on warm days, when there has been no fire
- Flakes of black, shiny or crusty material falling into the firebox
- Water stains on the ceiling or wall next to the chimney
- The last fire you had pushed smoke back into the room
- Pieces of brick, mortar or rusty metal in the firebox
Any one of those is a reason to have it looked at first. None of them get better with a fire.
Why early October beats November
The Valley usually gets its first properly cold nights a little ahead of the Westside, and when the temperature drops everybody in Woodland Hills and Sherman Oaks remembers their fireplace on the same evening. From late October through November the calendar fills up fast. If the inspection turns up a repair, booking early also leaves time to get it done before you want a fire.
It is also worth knowing that no-burn days start in November in our part of Southern California, so the nights you can use the fireplace are fewer than the cold nights. Better to have it ready for the ones you get.
If you want us to take a look before the rush, call 818-854-5578. We are open 8am to 8pm every day.
Common questions
When should I get my chimney checked before winter?
September or early October. The work is the same all year, but demand jumps once the nights get cold, and booking early leaves time for any repair before you want to light a fire.
Can I inspect my own chimney?
You can check the damper, the firebox, the cap and the outside of the brick yourself with a flashlight and binoculars. You cannot see the inside of the flue or the liner from the ground, and that is where creosote and cracks usually are. That part needs a camera inspection.
How dry does firewood need to be?
20 percent moisture or less. That usually takes at least six months after splitting. A moisture meter tested on a freshly split face gives you the real number.
Do I need a carbon monoxide alarm if I have a fireplace?
Yes. California has required carbon monoxide alarms since 2011 in homes with a fireplace, a gas appliance or an attached garage. Test it before the first fire of the season.
Does a gas fireplace need a yearly check?
Yes. Run it for a while before the season and watch for a pilot that will not stay lit, a flame that lifts off the burner, or soot on the glass. Any smell of gas means turn it off, go outside, and call the gas company.