Cleaning your fireplace regularly, as we all know, is a very important part of your fireplace maintenance. It not only helps you maximize your fireplace’s efficiency, but also makes your fireplace much safer. Especially when cleaning wood burning appliances like stoves, inserts, and fireplaces, you must be careful because an annoying substance called creosote will build up when burning wood. But what exactly is creosote?
Creosote is a substance formed when wood is burned, especially when there’s limited airflow, and is a chemical mass of carbon. This occurs because of an incomplete combustion of the oils in the wood which results in them distributing as volatiles in the smoke. These particles then condense with water and carbon to create the black, oily residue that you may recognize building up in your fireplace or wood burning stove. This is creosote. As this substance builds up layers, it only further restricts the airflow to your chimney, making your fireplace less effective and increasing the likelihood more creosote will form. This is combustible but toxic, so if you allow this to build up in your fireplace and let it catch fire it will create fumes that are very harmful to you.
This makes it important to have the proper equipment to maintain and clean your fireplace. At AdamsFireplaceShop.com, we have a large selection of vintage fireplace tools as well as antique lighting fixtures. Our tools can help you properly maintain your fireplace and we’ll continue posting content that can help you get the most out of your fireplace and its accessories. Browse our collection today.