However, having a wood-burning fireplace requires serious maintenance.
There are a few ways to clean your chimney yourself.
What Causes a Dirty Chimney?
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Wood fires do not burn clean.
When wood burns, it releases a host of contaminants that coat the inside of the chimney.
In addition, wind can deposit leaves and twigs in chimneys lackingflue caps.
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Atop-rated chimney capis a key to preventing debris from entering the chimney.
What Is Creosote?
Creosote is an oily, black substance that is a contaminant byproduct of wood-burning fires.
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Fires will be more reluctant to start, and they will not burn with as much vigor as before.
But the main reason to clean a chimney is to avoid a chimney fire.
Chimney fires begin with snaps and pops as loud as gunshots, progressing to a deep rumbling sound.
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Oily, black, flaming creosote rains down into the firebox.
What Happens During a Chimney Fire
When the fire begins, it starts like an explosion.
Flames blast out of the top of the chimney and back down into the firebox.
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Chimney fires typically cannot be controlled by the homeowner.
Because firefighters have to shoot water from the top downward, the house suffers damage fromflooding.
In many cases, the entire house is lost.
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Find a reputable chimney sweep company by asking friends and neighbors for their recommendations.
Stay safe bypracticing good ladder safetyand by having an assistant monitor you when you are on the roof.
Tape this over the fireplace to seal it against debris.
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Bring your chimney cleaning tools up to the roof.
You will also need to bring your cordless drill and a dust mask.
Warning
ensure your roof is dry before attempting to climb onto it from your ladder.
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Always have an assistant securely hold the ladder for safety.
Prepare the Chimney Cleaning Brush
Attach the chimney sweeping brush to the first extension rod.
Keep the additional rods nearby because you will need to add them to the first rod.
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Scrub until you reach the end of the first rod.
Take your next rod and screw it onto the back of the first rod.
Continue scrubbing downwards, adding more rods, until you cannot go any further.
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Eventually, you will reach the smoke shelf, typically a stopping point for most do-it-yourself chimney sweeping operations.
Scrub as You Remove the Brush
Do not remove the brush in one motion.
Instead, take this opportunity to lightly scrub up and down as you pull the rod assembly upward.
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When you reach a joining point, remove a rod and set it aside.
Repeat brushing until you don’t see much left with a flashlight.
Finish Roof Operations
The roof side of this project is almost finished.
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Replace the chimney caps.
Gather your tools and hand them down to your assistant.
Exit the roof and remove the ladder.
Clean visible areas that it’s possible for you to reach with the smaller chimney cleaning brush.
Suck up all debris with the shop vacuum.
Remove all tools, then wad up the flooring plastic to enclose all fallen debris.
There should not be any cracks in your chimney that could catch a brush.
A crack has the potential to spread flames to other structures of your home.
Call a professional if you spot other problems while cleaning, such as:
Chimney Fire Precautions.
United States Federal Emergency Management Agency.
What to Know About Chimney Cleaning and Repair.Connecticut State Department of Consumer Protection.
Frequent Questions About Wood-Burning Appliances.United States Environmental Protection Agency.
