How To Clean Chimney From Bottom Up

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Called-for fires in a chimney leads to the accumulation of soot and creosote, a flammable, sticky substance that tin cause chimney fires if it's non removed. Hiring a professional chimney sweep tin can get expensive, and so if y'all use your fireplace oftentimes, consider picking up a few tools from the hardware store and cleaning your chimney yourself. This commodity provides instructions on three different methods for cleaning a chimney, equally well equally tips on chimney cleaning prophylactic.

1. 1

   Determine whether the chimney needs to be cleaned. Chimneys should be cleaned at to the lowest degree once a year, and more often if you utilise your fireplace ofttimes.^[one]

   • Take a flashlight and peer inside the chimney flute. Use a pencil or plastic knife to scrape off a bit of the creosote that has accumulated on the side of the chimney. If it's 1/8-inch thick or thicker, it's fourth dimension for a cleaning.
   • If you just make clean your chimney once a year, do it in the autumn, before the called-for flavour begins. Otherwise, you chance sparking a chimney fire the kickoff time you lite up your fireplace in the winter.

2. 2

   Bank check the chimney for animals. If information technology has been awhile since the last fourth dimension you lot used your chimney, check for critters earlier y'all begin cleaning. Birds, squirrels and raccoons like to nest in that location, especially in the cooler months. Shine a flashlight upwards the chimney from the fireplace, and if you lot detect an animal, have steps to have information technology removed.^[2]

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3. 3

   Measure your chimney flue. To make clean your chimney, you lot'll have to apply properly-sized tools. Measure out the sides of your chimney from the bottom, through the fireplace. You could also climb up a ladder and measure information technology from the summit.

   • Determine the size and shape of the flue. It will be either foursquare or circular, 6" or viii."
   • Determine the height of the chimney. If you're guessing, it'south improve to overestimate, so yous have more than enough actress rope or piping to make certain the chimney brush can achieve the entire length of the chimney.

4. four

   Buy chimney cleaning supplies. Go to the hardware store and buy the following items in preparation for cleaning the chimney:^[3]

   • A chimney brush, either wire or plastic. Use your chimney's measurements to purchase the right size.
   • Chimney castor extension pipes, to help you clean the whole length of the chimney. Alternatively, you could purchase a weighted rope designed to exist used with the chimney castor, or a rope pulley system.
   • A smaller stiff wire brush.
   • A plastic tarp or drib fabric for use within your house.
   • A ladder tall enough to reach your roof, if you plan to clean your chimney from the height down.
   • A broom and dustpan.
   • A dust mask and goggles.

5. five

   Dress in advisable clothing. Wear quondam clothes that yous don't mind getting messy with soot. Cover your hair with a bandanna. Yous may desire to wear work gloves to protect your hands. Use a dust mask and goggles to prevent soot from getting in your rima oris and optics.

6. 6

   Prepare your firm for the cleaning. Mantle the drop cloth or tarp around your fireplace, extending information technology out into your living room several feet. Apply sheets or tarps to embrace furniture with light fabric. Scroll back your expensive rugs.

7. 7

   Remove the damper from the chimney flue. Locate the damper handle inside your chimney, and employ the small wire brush to make clean it off. Disassemble information technology from the chimney and set up it aside on the drop cloth, so it won't obstruct the chimney brush as you proceed with cleaning the chimney.

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1. one

   Set upwardly the ladder and climb to the roof. Bold yous've ascertained that your roof is safety to stand on, and that you're comfortable doing then, set up your ladder correct adjacent to the house. Make full a satchel with the chimney brush and extensions, sling it over your shoulder, and climb the ladder.^[4]

   • If you lot feel any trepidation at the thought of climbing a ladder or standing on your roof, make clean your chimney from the lesser instead, using the method outlined beneath.
   • If y'all're unsure about the quality of your roof, or if your roof is slanted and you lot're non sure you'll be able to keep your remainder, use the other method.

2. ii

   Assemble the brush and ane department of pipage. Attach the first piece of piping to the brush. Insert the castor into the chimney. Using up and down motions, brainstorm to scrub the flue make clean. Add together some other section of pipe to enable you to extend the castor further down the chimney. Continue in this mode until you've cleaned the length of the flue.

   • If y'all are using the rope and weight method, attach the weighted rope to the castor. Hold the finish of the rope and lower the brush into the chimney. Lift it up and down in a scrubbing motion forth the entire length of the flue.

3. 3

   Dissemble the brush and extensions, or detach the rope. Identify the supplies in your satchel and climb dorsum downwardly the ladder.

4. 4

   Clean the bottom of the chimney. Use the small wire brush to clean the bottom of the flue that yous may have missed with the brush.

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1. 1

   Clean the chimney from the bottom upward. ^[5]

   • Gather the brush and one department of piping.
   • Attach the first slice of piping to the brush.
   • Insert the brush into the chimney through the fireplace. Using upwards and down motions, begin to scrub the flue clean.
   • Add another section of pipe to enable yous to extend the brush farther upwards the chimney. #*Go on in this fashion until you've cleaned the length of the flue.

2. 2

   Use a pulley system with a partner.

   • Purchase a pulley rope system to exist used with your chimney brush. 2 ropes are attached to the castor, one on the meridian and one on the bottom, and the castor is operated from both the roof and the fireplace.
   • Assemble the caster organization with the castor. Have one person take information technology up a ladder to the roof.
   • The person on the roof should concur one side of the rope, and drop the other side, with the brush in the middle, through the flue to the other person waiting below.
   • Working together, use the ropes to pull the castor up and down, scrubbing the unabridged chimney flue.

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1. i

   Clean the flue's entrance. At the very bottom of the chimney, ofttimes located in the basement, yous should observe a pocket-size door going into the area nether the flue. The creosote and soot will have collected there. Use a pocket-size spade to shovel it into a bucket. Reattach the damper handle.

2. 2

   Apply the castor and dustpan to clean upwards the droppings from the fireplace. Empty it into the waste saucepan.

3. three

   Use the brush and dustpan to sweep up debris from the tarp or driblet textile. Empty it into the waste bucket.

4. 4

   Dispose of the soot and creosote in accordance with your local laws. Since creosote is a flammable substance, it should not be thrown in the trash.^[six]

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Add New Question

• Question

  Are at that place any products I tin can buy to reduce creosote buildup?

  

  Burning certain woods (ie. Manzanita) will reduce and clean creosote from your chimney.

• Question

  How practise I clean heavy soot from a stove pipe?

  

  Use a stiff brush to remove built upwards soot and tar deposits on the initial sweep. And then, if the stove flue has a liner (it should, to comply with building regulations and dwelling insurance policies), use a soft castor for future twice-yearly cleaning.

• Question

  How do I fix wide cracks on the wall or floor of the chimney?

  

  You lot can use fireplace or stove cement; it comes in a caulk tube. Fill up the gap and tool the material to blend in nice, and it volition harden. (Information technology may not color match, all the same.)

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• A shop vacuum may exist used to clean upward dust and debris.

• Make certain there are no animals in the chimney. Y'all don't want a burnt animal in your home.

• Wear a scarf or put a cloth to cover your nose then the grit won't enter and wear a glass so yous can protect your optics from the direct contact of the dust particles.

Cheers for submitting a tip for review!

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• Don't effort to stand up on a roof during icy or wet weather.

• Phone call a professional if you experience uncomfortable with whatever part of the chimney cleaning process.

• Practice non operate an open flame near the chimney during the cleaning process.

• Have care non to breathe in soot or creosote, and wash your peel immediately after contact.

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Things You'll Need

• Chimney brush
• Chimney brush extension pipes, a weighted rope, or a pulley system
• Stiff wire brush
• Plastic tarp or driblet cloth
• Ladder (optional)
• Broom and dustpan
• Grit mask and goggles
• Old clothing
• Shop vacuum (optional)

Well-nigh This Article

Article Summary X

To make clean a chimney, start past putting on piece of work gloves, goggles, and a dust mask to protect yourself from soot. You should too drape a drop cloth or tarp around your fireplace to make clean up easier. When you're set to get started, remove the damper from the chimney flue so it doesn't go in your way. Then, using a chimney brush fastened to extension pipes, scrub the inside of the chimney from the bottom up using upwardly and down motions. Finally, when yous're washed, sweep upwardly whatsoever debris in and around the fireplace and dispose of it in accordance with your local laws. To learn how to clean a chimney from the top downward, ringlet down!

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