Chimney-sweeping logs chemically react with creosote deposits, drying, thinning and making them easier to be removed by mechanical means. However, according to sweeps I have discussed the issue with, the logs have not been as effective as claimed.
The Chimney Safety Institute of America (www.csia.org) is concerned about claims implying that this product is an effective alternative to regular sweeping and inspection. My opinion of the sweeping-log promotional claims is that they are somewhat realistic, tempered with sound advice.
The problem with relying on a sweeping log is that many chimneys do not provide a straight path from the flue to the firebox, or from the firebox to the outside. And sweeping logs have little effect on glazed creosote. A large percentage of owner-installed wood-burning inserts do not have complete flue liners, letting the dried, falling creosote drop around the perimeter of the insert itself (a potential fire hazard). Use of a chimney-sweeping log can allow creosote to accumulate on a curvature, smoke shelf, baffle, catalytic combustor or offset, and, if not removed, may lead to a blockage.
Feel free to use a chimney-sweeping log, but please remember it is no substitute for regular mechanical sweeping and inspection.
Q: Radon dangers and radon health risks have been in the news quite a bit lately. How much of this is hype?
A: Radon is a colorless, odorless, gaseous radioactive element, produced by decaying uranium underground. It cannot be detected without special instrumentation, although testing is relatively inexpensive. The most recent figures from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency show that 21,000 people die annually of lung cancer with radon exposure as a contributing factor.
Radon levels vary around the country. EPA provides a risk-assessment map at www.epa.gov/iaq/radon/zonemap.html. All Puget Sound counties are fortunate enough to be classified under zone 3, the lowest risk classification, in which the levels of predicted indoor radon levels are less than 2 pCi/L.
EPA's action level is 4 pCi/L, and lowering radon levels below 2pCi/L is difficult. But we have levels below that amount here even before mitigation work begins. In fact, the average outdoor radon levels in many parts of the country will exceed our indoor levels.
Q: I have a home with a flat roof, and unfortunately I owned another home in the past with a flat roof. Why is it that the drain scuppers must always be placed in the highest areas? Seems to me this is done on purpose, just so flat roofs can pool water!
A: I feel your pain, brother. This is a cosmic rule of the universe, not a vast conspiracy, and I have not a single rational explanation for it. Maybe less settling occurs near the scuppers, since it has less weight constantly pushing downward into the sheathing and framing than the areas with the standing water? A self-fulfilling prophecy of flat roofs? But then again, maybe not ...
Darrell Hay answers readers' questions. Call 206-464-8514 to record your question |
