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Talked to a firefighter at a job in Cedar Rapids and he changed my view on creosote logs
I was cleaning a chimney for a regular customer last Tuesday and a firefighter from Station 3 was doing a home safety check. He asked if I ever recommend those creosote cleaning logs. I used to think they were a decent backup for light maintenance. He showed me a photo from a call where one of those logs caused a hidden, intense flare-up behind a blocked cleanout door. The homeowner had used them for three years straight instead of a proper sweep. Made me realize those things give a false sense of security, you know? Has anyone else had a pro point out a risk you were totally overlooking?
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jamie_adams2mo ago
Totally get that. I used to think those logs were a smart shortcut too, until I almost learned the hard way. Had a customer insist they kept their chimney clean with them. I opened the cleanout and a pile of shiny, hardened creosote chunks just fell out. It looked like black glass. That stuff was way more dangerous than fluffy soot. Felt like an idiot for ever giving them the benefit of the doubt. Now I just tell people straight, they're a waste of money and a real gamble.
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jordanmartinez2mo ago
You're right on the money, @jamie_adams. I saw the same thing at my sister's place last winter. She swore by those logs, but her fireplace started smelling funny. We called a sweep, and he pulled out these same glassy sheets you described. The sweep said the chemical treatment can actually bake the creosote into that dangerous stage three form. It made a believer out of her, and now she gets a proper cleaning every year. That visual proof is what finally changes people's minds.
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