A properly constructed and maintained fireplace should pull all smoke and combustible gases up through the chimney during burning. If smoke is entering your home when you use your fireplace you may be experiencing draft problems. The professionals at Middle Georgia Chimney Sweeps LLC are skilled at diagnosing and troubleshooting the root cause of your smoky chimney. Many factors can affect chimney drafting:

Animal Blockages:

If your chimney flue is blocked with animal debris your chimney draft can be severely diminished. These conditions can create dangerous and sometimes deadly situations inside of your home. Blocked chimneys can lead to carbon monoxide poisoning and or hazardous respiratory conditions from combustible gas inhalation during burning.

Soot or Creosote:

As you burn a fire, soot and creosote buildup begins to form inside of your chimney. As this highly combustible residue continues to accumulate on the inside of your chimney, smoke issues can begin and diminish the draft of your venting system. Annual sweeping can eliminate the creosote and soot buildup and correct drafting issues.

Fireboxes:

An improperly designed firebox can lead to drafting issues. A firebox that is too small or large for the connected chimney vent can cause smoke to back up inside of your house. Proper dimension ratio between your firebox and corresponding chimney vent are a must for the efficient drafting of your fireplace.