'Cleaner Logs' no substitute
BY SAMANTHA MAZZOTTA King Features Syndicate

Q. My wife and I recently moved into a house with a nice fireplace, and we love to have a fire going almost every night. I want to make sure the chimney does not get too filled with creosote, however, so about once a month I burn a "cleaner log" that says it cleans the creosote from chimneys. A friend told me these logs are useless. What's your take? -- Jamie T., Hartford, Conn.

A. While the cleaner log industry might argue with me, I'm inclined to side with your friend on this one. Burning matter - wood, paper and so on - creates ash, soot and other byproducts.

Much of this floats up and out of the chimney, but some of it - especially heavier particles - drifts to the side and down and adheres to the inside of the chimney. It doesn't matter how "clean" an item burns -- it still produces ash, soot, pitch and other residues. A "cleaner log" produces less of these items, but you're still burning something in your fireplace.

Abetter way to maintain your fireplace for the long run - and ensure nice, bright and warm fires for many years to come - is to avoid burning items that contribute more creosote deposits than others. These include trash, food items, glossy magazines, "cheap" wood like many pine logs, and green wood (fresh-cut wood that hasn't had time to season properly).

Once a year, in the late spring or summer, have a professional chimney cleaner inspect, clean and make any needed repairs to your chimney. He or she will check the system thoroughly -- including a look up on the roof at the stack -- and will scrub away creosote deposits. That's the only sure way to have a clean fireplace system.

HOME TIP: Hardwoods like oak and birch that have been well-seasoned (allowed to cure outdoors for several months after cutting) are among the cleanest-burning materials for your fireplace.