Show defective chimneys cause of many fires the new chimney tor for your house may be of avick concrete blocks hollow tile stone but whatever tta its md material it should have a fire lay lining to secure a straight flue of uniform dimensions this smooth inner surface eliminates the possibility of a chimney fire in case the lining Is omitted be sure there la Is an extra thickness of brick on the inside many chimneys in old houses have no fire lining and their walls are built only one brick in thickness the inside of the flue plastered with mortar this kind of chimney remains tight for a time but after a while the heat makes the mortar dry it falls out of place and an uneven flue results this single brick joint between the hot and any surrounding woodwork Is the cause of many fires fir es insurance companies claim that dei de i chimneys and sparks on the roof are responsible for nearly 20 per cent of all fires in homes abl shows that good chimney construction Is as important as a a good fire resistant or fireproof roaf f in the modern home one method 0 testing a clif chimney amney to discover its strength or its beak ness Is to use ue the smoke test build a smudge fire at the bottom ot of the hue flue and then eben the smoke begins to flow freely close it tightly if the smoke escapes into other flues or through the chimney walls it indicates that there are openings which must be closed before the the chimney Is a used remember that with chimneys as well as aa many other things in life appearances pe arances are deceitful on examination mary a chimney Is found to bei b an firo fire menace it Is mush cheaper to rebuild a chimney or build it correctly in the first place than to build a new house I 1 |