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Expert: - 11/6/2006


Question
Bart, please help!  My husband and I are burning woad and coal in our stove for the second winter season.  Last year we had no problem.  This year we have had creasote and water leaking down the stove pipe hole in the wall leading from the chimney.  We determined that maybe we were not burning a hot enough fire and changed this, to no avail.  Our house is full of the creasote smell and our fire alarms have gone off for carbon monoxide.  We have cleaned the chimney with steel brushes and a shop vac.  We have also put a cap on the chimney.  We also noted that it will leak water when is is not raining, or has not rained in days.  Any suggestions?  I have noticed on the outside of the chimney that there is a crack between the concrete and the brick where creasote is also leaking.  Thank you for any help you can provide!

Answer
Hi Kandy,

You need to contact a CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep to look at this situation immediately!  (Be aware that you may have to wait a while since it's the height of the busy season at this time.)  

Do NOT use your system until it has been properly evaluated.

You can find a CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep at www.csia.org.

Thanks for using AllExperts.Com and good luck with your project.

Sincerely,
A. Bart Ogden, President
Home Safe Hearth & Chimney
Wichita, KS
Voice: 316-265-9828
Fax: 316-265-9890
www.homesafeks.com

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Bart Ogden

Expertise

I can answer questions related to chimney and fireplace cleaning, construction and repair as well as questions related to the performance of chimneys and fireplaces. I can also answer questions related to clothes dryer vent cleaning and repair. Additionally, I can field questions related to masonry repair.

Experience


Experience in the area:
28 years experience in the chimney service/installation/repair field
President, Home Safe Hearth & Chimney, Inc. Wichita, Kansas

Professional Organizations:
Member, National Chimney Sweep Guild (NCSG)
Member, Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association (HPBA)
Member, Kansas Guild of Professional Chimney Sweeps (KGPCS)
Member, Midwest Chimney Safety Council (MCSC)
Member, Kansas Association of Real Estate Inspectors (KAREI)
Past At-Large Director of the National Chimney Sweep Guild
Past At-Large Director of the Chimney Safety Institute of America
Past Secretary, National Chimney Sweep Guild
Past Secretary, Chimney Safety Institute of America
Member, National Chimney Sweep Guild Technical Advisory Council
Member, Chimney Safety Institute of America Certification Committee
Past Chairman, CSIA Chimney Safety Education Brochures Committee
Past Chairman, NCSG Nomination Committee

Publications:
SWEEPING Magazine, The Journal of Chimney & Venting Technoloty, A Publication of the National Chimney Sweep Guild
SNEWS, The Chimney Sweep News
THE KANSAS SWEEP, The Voice of the KS Guild of Professional Chimney Sweeps

Education/Credentials:
BA, Wichita State University
C.S.I.A. Certified Chimney Sweep
C.S.I.A. Certified Dryer Exhaust Technician
N.F.I. Woodburning Specialist
N.F.I. Gas Specialist
Chimney Diagnosis & Documentation Seminar
Ahren's Masonry Restoration School Graduate
Advanced Gas Certification
Master Gas Certification
Licensed Mechanical Contractor
Pellet Appliance Specialist
Venting Design Specialist
Dale Carnegie Course Graduate

Awards and Honors:
Superior Dealer Award, Ventinox Chimney Lining Systems

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