How to Clean Your Chimney

There is nothing quite like a crackling fire in the fireplace on a cold winter day. As wonderful as this may sound, this lovely fire can turn deadly if your chimney is not properly maintained. Every chimney should be cleaned at least once a year to prevent fires.

Difficulty: Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Wire chimney brush
• Drop cloths
• Flashlight
• Ladder
• Shop vacuum
• Safety goggles
• Dust mask
• Masking/Duct/Painters tape
• Gloves
• Bucket

1. Take out the damper plate if necessary. Take any wood or grates out of the fireplace.

2. Check the chimney for obstructions. Look into the chimney using a flashlight from the fireplace and the roof.

3. Place a drop cloth on the floor in front of the fireplace, and tape a cloth over the opening of the fireplace.

4. Lower the chimney brush into the chimney. Run the brush up and down the chimney until there is no resistance and you can feel the brush hit the opening of the fireplace.

5. Allow the ash and creosote to settle before taking the cloth off the opening of the fireplace. Dust off the inside of the fireplace and flue. Scoop the majority of the ashes into the bucket before vacuuming out the remainder of debris.

Tips & Warnings

• Chimney cleaning is a best accomplished with two people.
• Consider burning creosote logs to manage build up.
• Allow plenty of time to clean your chimney. While few in steps, the process can take quite a bit of time if you are inexperienced.
• Before you climb up on your roof, you must know the overall condition of your chimney. A deteriorating chimney can spell disaster for a well meaning home-owner.