Regular chimney cleaning is essential for the sanity of your fireplace. Besides the warmth and the light from the fireplace, smoke is emitted as a result of combustion in limited oxygen. This brings about the accumulation of soot, tar, and creosote. These substances are highly flammable and clog the labial pipe of the chimney if not removed at the right time. If you don’t have money to hire a chimney contractor to clean the chimney for you, you can always do the work by yourself.

Preparations for chimney cleaning

First, you need to identify whether the chimney requires cleaning by looking up inside the chimney with a flashlight. Brief scrapping on the walls of the chimney especially if it has been long since the last cleaning will also help you determine if the chimney is ripe for cleaning.

Chimney cleaning process

Before you begin the cleaning process you need to ensure that you have the necessary protective gear. This includes the apron, gloves, gas mask, and safety goggles. You also should ensure that you have a flashlight, wire brush, chimney brush, ladder, broom, and scooper. The cleaning process is better done from the roof down. You should use the brush to clean the soot and work your way down using either cables or connected pipes attached to the brush. You should do it by moving the brush up and down along the inside walls of the flue. If you have a wire brush, use it to remove the firm sticky sooty particles.

According to fireplace repair professionals, you can also do the cleaning from the bottom up; however, this will require a second wave of brushing. This is due to falling off of soot particles from the top to the already scrubbed surfaces beneath. When cleaning, emphasize on cleaning the entry of the labial pipe which is at the lower part, where huge amounts of soot and creosote often accumulate. After the labial pipe is clean, collect the soot and other dirt using the scooper and empty into a disposal container. You should then dispose the dirt as per the local environmental regulations.

Conclusion

You don’t have to hire a chimney sweeping professional to clean your chimney if you have the necessary tools and skills. To reduce the frequency at which you clean the chimney you should ensure that the damper is always kept open during burning. This is to increase air circulation thus allowing complete combustion. You should also only burn seasoned wood.