If you want your fireplace or wood burning stove to burn safely, you might want to install a spark arrestor. Spark arrestors prevent embers and sparks from entering the air and landing in a dry area outside your home or in your living space. They’re made of wire mesh and fit over the chimney of a wood stove or a fireplace. Made of either stainless or galvanized steel, once straying embers hit the spark arrestor they fall back into the stove or burn off. By intercepting sparks in mid-flight, spark arrestors play an important role in preventing accidental fires from occurring.

There are basically two different types of spark arrestors for a wood burning fireplace. In most cases, state laws will dictate that a mesh screen be installed on the top of the chimney. Spark arrestors come in different shapes and sizes and you’ll have to choose the one that will best fit your chimney cap. The right spark arrestor should keep embers or sparks from flying out of your chimney.

The other type of spark arrestor is used indoors and it's used either as a decoration or to block sparks and embers from entering your house. The most popular model is a stand-alone screen that’s placed not far from the fireplace. When your fireplace is in use, it's important to make sure that no embers or sparks enter your living area.

Although creosote mostly forms on the interior walls of chimneys, it does form on the exterior spark arrestor on top of the chimney. Creosote is the buildup of smoke, water, gases, unburned wood particles etc..., that accumulate on all of the components of your chimney and fireplace or stove.

As the flames and smoke rise through the chimney, the creosote flows up into the cooler regions of your chimney and through your chimney stack. Creosote becomes dangerous when allowed to accumulate in the chimney, where it becomes a fuel source for a potential chimney fire. A chimney fire will occur when built-up creosote deposits are ignited by extreme heat from the fireplace.

A certified chimney cleaner will come in and ensure that the sides of the chimney and spark arrestor are left clean from creosote. We know which techniques and tools to use on all types of chimneys. They will check for structural defects, including cracks and missing mortar joints in the chimney flue that could lead to eventual safety problems.