I’ve been very busy these past few weeks helping the people of Eugene/Springfield, OR and surrounding areas get ready for the wood burning season.  It’s nice to be able to help so many people with their safety during the burning season.  It’s very important that if you use your fireplace, wood stove or pellet stove for a main source of heat, it should be cleaned and checked for safety annually.  If you don’t use it for a main source of heat, it should be cleaned and checked every two cords (4 feet high by 4 feet wide by 8 feet long stack) of wood.   Expansion and contraction play a major role in changes that take place in your firebox and flue that you can’t see that can be a serious hazard to your safety.  Expansion and contraction cause metal and masonry to weaken over time. This can cause cracks to form which make it possible for creosote to wick through and set fire to the wood framing of your home in the event of a flue fire.  This is why it is so important to have a professional clean and check your wood burning appliance.

Another major aspect of my work is inspecting masonry for structural integrity.  I have been to many customers homes recently that need some repair to the masonry chimney above the roofline.  If you go to my Facebook page you can see some pictures of chimneys that need some masonry repair.  www.facebook.com/advantageadc  Check back often as I am always uploading photos and valuable information about the industry we work in.  The most common repair I do is mortar crown replacement, moss removal, and waterproofing.  A good mortar crown is a critical point in masonry chimneys that preserve the life of the brick and mortar below it.  The purpose of a mortar crown is to shed water from the top of the chimney to keep it from penetrating the brick and keep the masonry from self destructing from the inside out.   Just one crack in your mortar crown can cause water penetration which promotes moss growth which will cause premature deterioration of your masonry.  After many years, brick loses its ability to repel water which causes water penetration and promotes the growth of moss.  Moss is very detrimental to masonry and cuts its lifespan drastically.  The cost of waterproofing is much less than having to rebuild your chimney due to water penetration.  A small investment in reconditioning your mortar crown, pressure washing and waterproofing your chimney can save you thousands of dollars in costly repairs down the road.

Call us today to schedule an appointment with us!  541-653-8585

Have a comfortable and safe burning season!

Sincerely,

Nate Hollembaek