3 Tips For Successful Chimney Cleaning

If you enjoy gathering around a fire at night, then having a functional fireplace in your home can be a great benefit. In order to ensure that your fireplace doesn't become a hazard, you need to keep the chimney clean for allowing smoke to escape clean.

Here are three tips that you can use when cleaning your chimney to ensure the project is a success.

1. Make sure you have access to the right tools.

Chimneys are often made of steel, iron, or masonry materials. In order to ensure that you are able to give these materials a thorough cleaning, you will need access to the right tools. The first step in any chimney cleaning project should be making a trip to your local home improvement store.

Purchase some chimney brushes that are not only designed to clean the specific material your chimney is made from, but that are the right size to facilitate the proper cleaning of your chimney's interior walls.

2. Don't let soot create a big mess.

The last thing you want to do when cleaning your chimney is create a large mess inside your home. Finding a way to contain the soot residue that will be pushed back into the fireplace as you clean the chimney's interior walls is critical if you want to avoid having a soot-covered mantle.

If your fireplace is equipped with doors that can close completely and seal, then you should make sure these doors are closed before you begin cleaning. If you have an open fireplace, then you will need to cover the opening with a large piece of cloth or cardboard to keep soot safely contained within the fireplace during chimney cleaning.

3. Test for leaks before cleaning your chimney.

Repairing a chimney that is leaking will create a mess, so it can be beneficial to wait to clean the chimney until after the repair process is complete. You can easily check to see if your chimney is leaking by starting a fire in your fireplace and then covering the top of the chimney with a piece of heavy, wet cloth.

Throw some green wood into the fire to create a lot of smoke, then visually inspect your chimney to see if the smoke leaks out. Mark the leaking areas with a piece of chalk, and have a professional make repairs before you clean the interior walls of your chimney.

Being able to successfully clean your chimney will allow you to safely enjoy the beauty and serenity of your home's fireplace well into the future. 

If you feel you cannot accomplish this task by yourself, contact a professional chimney cleaning company, such as Country Corner Chimney Sweeps.

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