Below are different ways on how to clean a chimney yourself instead of getting a professional chimney sweep to clean up your chimney.
Below are different ways on how to clean a chimney yourself instead of getting a professional chimney sweep to clean up your chimney.
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Determine how to clean the chimney
- First, check the thickness of the creosote using a plastic knife and also with the help of a flashlight torch. If it's 1-9inch thick or more then it has to be washed up
- Check out for any animals that like nesting in the chimney, especially in the cold season and drive them off
- To get the right and properly sized materials to clean the chimney, then you will have to measure the size and shape of the chimney flue and also the height of the chimney.
- With the right measurements then you can head to buy the necessary cleaning items which include; a chimney brush, brush extension pipes, broom, dustpan, ladder, small stiff wire brush, and a plastic tarp or cloth.
- Dress appropriately to avoid getting messy
- Remove your nice rugs and roll the drop cloth to avoid messing up the house
- Locate and remove the damper from the chimney to avoid obstructions during the cleaning process.
Cleaning process
- If comfortable cleaning from the top then, you have to attach the pipe to the brush so as to help insert the brush in the chimney for scrubbing.
- Scrub using up and down methods and to extend the brush further you can add another section of the pipe to the brush until you've cleaned the entire chimney flue.
- If you prefer cleaning from the bottom, then you only have to fix one section of the pipe to the brush insert into the chimney via the fireplace and scrub while extending the brush with the pipe until the flue is clean
Completing the cleaning process
- Using a spade shovel the creosote that will have accumulated at the flue entrance
- Reattach the damper handle
- Sweep up the debris from the drop cloth and empty it
- Roll back your rugs
