Ways On Doing A Proper Chimney Cleaning

By Susan Myers


Chimneys are very useful in the homes. These can provide ventilation for the smoke, furnace, fireplace, hot flue gases, or stove into the atmosphere outside. Aside from the homes, these are also often used in steam locomotives, ships, and buildings. These are usually being placed on higher altitudes in order to reduce their effect into the surroundings.

Burning fires in chimneys may possibly result to having an accumulation of some soot and creosote. These are both sticky and are flammable substances that may cause fire if not being removed immediately. Hiring some professionals for a chimney cleaning NJ is expensive. If you decide to do this by yourself, be sure to acquire all the necessary tools that can be bought from nearby stores for hardware in New Jersey, NJ. The following are the methods of cleaning your chimneys.

Preparing for the process of cleaning. First, determine if ever cleaning it is really necessary. Typically, the process is suggested to be performed every year. But if using it frequently, it must be cleaned more often. One very common method that is being used is scraping off the creosote with using either a pencil or a plastic knife. To see the flue clearly, use a flashlight.

Check as well for some animals that might be living such as squirrels, birds, critters, and raccoons. Some animals may be nesting there especially when the chimney is not being used for a long time already. So before you clean it, check for some animals. A flashlight can be used for seeing clearly your fireplace. Remove immediately the animal if you see one.

The measurement of flue. The whole chimney parts can only be properly cleaned if you are using the tools with proper sizes. In the fireplace, measure all sides from bottom. Measure as well the sides on the top and use a ladder to reach the highest part. Make sure to determine the size and the shape of the flue. The height of chimney must also be determined.

Buy the supplies. These supplies are available in the hardware stores. Some of these supplies would include a brush which is either made of plastic or wire, brush extension pipes or a weighted rope as an alternative, stiff wire brush, drop cloth or plastic tarp, tall ladder, dust pan, broom, goggles, and dust mask. You need also to dress appropriately such as wearing old clothes, bandanna, and gloves since you will be dealing with the messy soot.

Your house should also be prepared. The fireplace must be placed with a drop cloth or a tarp which is extending to your living room. Acquire another set of sheets or tarps for the furniture to be covered with light fabrics. Roll back the expensive rugs. Locate the damper handle of the chimney, clean it, then detach it.

Cleaning from top to bottom. Climb up to the roof with the use of the ladder. But make sure that it is safe to stand into your roof. But if you are not sure of its quality, just clean it instead from the bottom. Assemble the pipe section and the brush and use them to scrub and clean the flue.

After doing all these methods, clean the flue entrance. The soot and the creosote may fell down and collect there. Clean as well the debris in the fireplace. Be sure to properly dispose all the collected dirt since these are flammable.




About the Author: