Chimney Cleaning

Due to burning of fuel in the fireplace, creosote and soot get accumulated as residue on the chimney walls. Creosote catches fire easily and a blocked chimney with trapped creosote inside it can cause house fires. Moreover, creosote has carcinogenic properties too. For all these reasons, cleaning chimney is very important. A general rule is that one should go for cleaning chimney when there is a one-eighth inch thick layer of creosote inside the chimney. Thus you can ensure fire safety for your house and family members.

Instructions for Cleaning a Chimney

Before you start out for chimney cleaning, you should equip yourself with some equipment. These include: cleaning brushes with stiff bristles, extension poles or ropes, vacuum cleaner, broom, dust pan, ladder, flashlight, old newspaper and drop cloth. Once you have gathered all these things, you can start the cleaning job. The step by step instructions for cleaning a chimney are as follows:

Preparation
The work area needs to be covered so that the dirt and debris from the chimney does not spread all over the floor. Lay down old newspapers in the area near fireplace opening extending up to 3-4 feet. Spray some water on the drop cloth to make it damp and drape it well over the fireplace opening. Thus the fine particle of soot and creosote will remain trapped on the damp cloth.

Cleaning from the Top
For this, you have to reach the rooftop by climbing the ladder. If the chimney has a cover, then it should be removed and cleaned with the chimney brush and keep it aside. Tie the cleaning brush with the rope and lower it into the chimney through the opening and push it up and down the length of the chimney so that the soot and creosote becomes loose. Flash the flashlight into the chimney to check out if there are any spots that have not been cleaned. Repeat the brushing process in those unclean areas.

Cleaning from the Bottom
Here the cleaning brush is inserted into the chimney from the base. This task is much more messier than cleaning from the top. Take out the drop cloth covering the fireplace opening. Take a short brush and clean up the pipe that extends from the fireplace to the chimney. Insert the cleaning brush into the chimney and rub the walls with it as far as your hands can reach out. Brush the back of the damper or the metal door inside the fireplace to clear the creosote build up from there. Gather all the cold ashes and creosote with the help of a broom and dust pan. Finally, go to the basement of the chimney and vacuum out the area so that all the soot and creosote fallen over there are cleaned up.

While taking up the task of chimney cleaning, you should ensure that you protect yourself with proper safety gear. This includes goggles for the eyes, a dust mask to cover mouth and nose, gloves, full sleeved shirts, pants, and bandanna to cover the head. The ash and other debris can cause irritation to the eyes and skin and affect your respiratory health. If you think that the task will be tough for you or the safety concerns are bothering you too much you should hire professionals. Usually, cleaning costs depends on the region where your house is located, the amount of work that needs to be done and the number of chimneys to be cleaned.