How To Clean A Chimney From Inside

There are some really amazing tips that chimney cleaning services follow for inside cleaning that one must know. Let’s have a quick look at a few of those tips.

Do Thorough Inspection of Chimney

This will help you decide how much depth is required for cleaning of chimney or what sort of tools you will need for a completely clean chimney. Also, make a note of your previous cleaning as when was it done last time since it is recommended to clean your chimney at least once a year or even more if you use your fireplace quite frequently, and also check if you need any repairs You will also have to check for any insects or animals that might be residing in your chimney so you may take all safety precautions. For instance, you may have rats, snakes and some insects residing there which have to remove before you start cleaning.

Gather Required Tools

Since chimney is a complicated place to clean so a wet cloth is not enough to do the necessary cleaning as in other cases of normal household cleanings. You must gather some important tools before you begin the process of cleaning so as to assure it won’t be required again for at least the next six months. This list may include a chimney brush with correct length required for your chimney, a drop cloth to cover your furniture from mess, chimney brush extension pipes in case your chimney brush length is small, broom, dust pan, stiff wire brush, dust mask and a ladder to reach the top of your chimney.

Begin with the Top of Chimney

Go to the top of your chimney using ladder keeping your chimney brush and extension pipes with you. But make sure your roof surface is okay for you to stand there otherwise you may start the same process from bottom as well. Also, if you have slanted roof, then starting from roof is highly not recommended for the sake of your own safety. However, if your roof is okay to stand easily and maintaining balance then it is best to start from the top as it is considered as an efficient way of cleaning chimneys.

Assemble the Chimney Brush with Extension Pipes

Attach one side of pipe with chimney brush and put it inside the chimney. Use up and down motion with chimney brush to clean the walls properly. However, if your chimney is long in length then you can attach the second part of extension pipe with another pipe so it may cover the total length of chimney.

Climb Down the Ladder for Bottom Cleaning

Now you may disassemble the extension pipes from chimney brush and use a stiff wire brush to clean the bottom of chimney properly. It is used as brushing may miss some forced cleaning which can be done with a stiff wire brush. You can press it against the walls of chimney and rub it so that proper grease and other substances can be removed.

Now Clean the Entrance of Flue

It is time to check basement area to clean the entrance of flue which is often there with a small door opening under the flue. Usually, soot and creosote are collected there. Shovel it into the bucket with the help of small spade and then reattach the handle of damper. You can then use a broom and dustpan to clean collect the debris from fireplace.

Dispose of Soot and Creosote

Make sure not to throw them into the local trash bin as there are flammable substances in creosote and it may ignite at degrees Fahrenheit. You need to dispose them of according to the laws followed in your area.

Safety Precautions

Other than cleaning chimney in several ways, there are some safety precautions that you must consider as this process may turn out to be quite dangerous as well. It is better to contact chimney sweep services Ellicott City once a year so they can inspect if everything is going fine inside your chimney and your house is all safe from any kind of danger associated with chimneys. Also, professionals may detect any deterioration and venting problems through their expertise and high tech tools which any layman is not able to see or assess that easily.

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