Glossary of Terms

We Intend to Eliminate Any Confusion

Chimney sweeping and repair services use a lot of terms that are not used everyday by the average person. Below we have included a brief glossary of terms to eliminate any confusion you have before contacting us for help.

Call Mr. Joe's Chimney Sweep Service today to see what we can do for you! We have manufacturer's warranties available on purchased parts, so your satisfaction is guaranteed. We offer a 10% discount on sweeping and chimney caps for seniors and military personnel.

Andirons - Two specially designed pieces of metal that support firewood inside a firebox.

Ash Pit Door - A door located in the base of the firebox that provides access to the ash dump, through which ashes are dumped into the ash pit.

Ash Pit - A storage area for ashes, usually located in the chimney base.

Breast - The area located above the damper on the front smoke chamber wall of a typical masonry fireplace.

Chase - An enclosure for a "Class A" or factory-built chimney which obscures the metal chimney from view.

Chimney - One or more passageways, usually vertical, to carry flue gases to the outside atmosphere.

Chimney Cap or Flue Cap - A factory-manufactured appliance that is installed on top of the chimney to protect the chimney from collecting water, birds, leaves, and any other debris.

Sweep-Out Door - A door located on the exterior base of the chimney to provide access to the ash pit for the purpose of removing ashes.

Creosote - Chimney and stovepipe deposits that collect over time originating as condensed wood smoke and having three distinct stages. The1st stage is soot, the 2nd stage is lumpy and crisp and the 3rd and final stage looks like roofing tar and is smooth as glass in texture.

Damper - A moveable blade located in the throat of the fireplace that is specifically designed to impede air flow into the chimney.

Factory-Built Fireplace- Metal fireplace components, manufactured in a factory to be field-installed.

Firebox - The area of the fireplace containing the grate or andirons upon which the materials are arranged for burning.

Firebrick - Heat refractory brick used specifically for the construction of a firebox.

Fireplace - Includes the hearth, firebox, fascia and the chimney.

Flashing - Sheet metal used to create a water-tight seal between the chimney and your roof.

Flue - The passage in the chimney from which the products of combustion are moved up and out through the chimney's top.

Flue Liners - Materials added to the inside of the chimney to protect it from intense heat.

Grate - Raised grid-like metal structure where fuel is meant to be placed in the firebox.

Hearth (Inner) - The floor or base of the firebox.

Hearth (Outer) - The area directly in front of the firebox opening which is constructed of non-combustible material.

Insert - A factory-manufactured and field-installed product that consists of a firebox assembly that is designed to be installed within, or partially within, the firebox. These are generally installed with approved stainless steel liner materials.

Kindling - Small pieces of very dry wood that, when mixed with newspaper, will help to ignite fire logs.

Lintel - The metal bar, or other non-combustible material, that spans the entire top opening of the firebox.

Parging - This means to coat or to spread and typically mortar parging can be located in the smoke chamber of a new fireplace.

Pyrolysis - The chemical alteration of wood, coal, or other combustible materials that result from their exposure to heat.

Smoke Chamber - The area of a masonry fireplace that contains the smoke chamber walls and the smoke shelf. This is located between the throat or damper area and the flue.

Smoke Shelf - The shelf located directly behind the fireplace damper.

Spark Arrestor - A wire cage that is installed on the chimney termination that helps to prevent sparks from escaping into the atmosphere.

Throat - The opening just above a fireplace. The damper is generally located in the throat of a fireplace.

Top Sealing Damper - A device meant to be installed on the chimney top to help impede air flow.

Crownwash - Concrete piece on the top of a chimney that is intended to seal off air space between the inner walls of a masonry chimney and the flue liner. In most cases, it will slope away from the liner to help shed water.

Wythe - A wall of bricks that is meant to separate two or more flues within a chimney. These are typically an unlined flue.