Prepare to Clean the Chimney

1.Determine whether the chimney needs to be cleaned.
Chimneys should be cleaned at least once a year, and more often if you use your fireplace frequently.
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 time for a cleaning.
If you only clean your chimney once a year, do it in the fall, before the burning season begins. Otherwise, you risk sparking a chimney fire the first time you light up your fireplace in the winter.

2.Check the chimney for animals.

If it has been awhile since the last time you used your chimney, check for critters before you begin cleaning. Birds, squirrels and raccoons like to nest there, especially in the cooler months. Shine a flashlight up the chimney from the fireplace, and if you find an animal, take steps to have it removed.

3.Measure your chimney flue.

To clean your chimney, you'll have to use properly-sized tools. Measure the sides of your chimney from the bottom, through the fireplace. You could also climb up a ladder and measure it from the top.
Determine the size and shape of the flue. It will be either square or round, 6" or 8."
Determine the height of the chimney. If you're guessing, it's better to overestimate, so you have more than enough extra rope or piping to make sure the chimney brush can reach the entire length of the chimney.

4.Buy chimney cleaning supplies.

Go to the hardware store and buy the following items in preparation for cleaning the chimney:
A chimney brush, either wire or plastic. Use your chimney's measurements to buy the right size.
Chimney brush extension pipes, to help you clean the whole length of the chimney. Alternatively, you could buy a weighted rope designed to be used with the chimney brush, or a rope pulley system.
A smaller stiff wire brush.
A plastic tarp or drop cloth for use inside your house.
A ladder tall enough to reach your roof, if you plan to clean your chimney from the top down.
A broom and dustpan.
A dust mask and goggles.

5.Dress in appropriate clothing.

Wear old clothes that you don't mind getting messy with soot. Cover your hair with a bandanna. You may want to wear work gloves to protect your hands. Use a dust mask and goggles to prevent soot from getting in your mouth and eyes

6.Prepare your house for the cleaning.

Drape the drop cloth or tarp around your fireplace, extending it out into your living room several feet. Use sheets or tarps to cover furniture with light fabric. Roll back your expensive rugs.

7.Remove the damper from the chimney flue.

Locate the damper handle inside your chimney, and use the small wire brush to clean it off. Detach it from the chimney and set it aside on the drop cloth, so it won't obstruct the chimney brush as you proceed with cleaning the chimney.

Easy Gardens for Small Spaces

An Herb Garden

What to plant: A gallon-size rosemary plant and a quart-size sage plant form the foundation of this 4½-by-3-foot herb garden. Oregano, thyme, parsley, and basil add visual contrast. 

Other options: Anything goes, depending on your palate. Consider a themed garden, such as one planted with lemon thyme, lemon basil, lemongrass, and lemon balm.

How to maintain: Herbs are relatively self-sufficient, so water about once a week―more often during dry spells and less during rainy periods. Make sure to direct the water gently toward the base of the plants, which prevents runoff and allows the moisture to percolate down to the roots.

A Salad Garden

What to plant: Here, a Better Bush tomato and a Spacemaster cucumber share a four-foot-square plot with three kinds of bell peppers (yellow, orange, and red), four varieties of red and green lettuce, and a thriving nasturtium.

Other options: If your best planting spot gets only four hours or so of direct sun, forget the tomatoes and try leafy vegetables, like spinach, lettuce, and Swiss chard. Root vegetables, such as beets, carrots, and radishes, also require less light.

How to maintain: Till in plenty of organic compost at planting time for maximum output. Be aware that as plants put out more foliage and start to bear fruit, they require more water.

A Cutting Garden

What to plant: Tall, showy dahlias and gloriosa daisies (such as those pictured in this eight-foot-square plot) make lovely arrangements. Dwarf cosmos and salvia round out the mix.

Other options: Planting combinations are almost endless. Consider a scheme from one color family, like pinks or purples. Reliable, productive, long-lasting bloomers include snapdragons, China asters, lisianthus, mallow, and larkspur.

How to maintain: After planting, put down a two-inch layer of bark mulch to suppress weeds and slow evaporation of moisture from the soil. Any blossoms that aren’t cut for bouquets should be deadheaded (snipped off) when they fade.

How Often Do You Need to Clean Your Chimney?

Why Should I get my Chimney Cleaned?
The job of the chimney sweep is to remove soot, blockages and built-up creosote from your chimney liner, firebox, smoke chamber and damper. This cleaning will help create a safer operation of your system during the heating system. It take only a small accumulation of creosote glazing to create the potential for a chimney fire. Creosote is a highly flammable substance that builds up inside your chimney or liner as a result of burning wood. The rate of accumulation can be higher if you practice poor burning practices or have a burning appliance or stove that is not working well. Different types of wood create different amounts of creosote when burned. Pine causes a rapid build-up of creosote and should be avoided as a regular source of wood. Creosote can also reduce the draw of the fireplace and reduce efficiency.

 When Do I Need A Chimney Inspection?                                                                              If you haven’t had your chimney inspected in a year or more, if you are having any performance issues with your chimney, fireplace or heating system or if you have recently purchased the home you should schedule an inspection. Don’t wait – waiting almost always results in additional repairs, and unfortunately sometimes in property loss. Every year in the US homeowners lose over 200 million dollars as a result of continuing to use unsafe systems.

Another important time to get your venting systems inspected is when you have upgraded or changed heating systems or added a stove or insert. An inspection will make sure that your chimney, lining and venting systems are adequate and in working order to handle the new changes. 

If you have not used your fireplace in a long time, pests may have built nests that could clog your flue or chimney chamber. Winter freeze cycles and moisture combine to take an annual toll on masonry and liner materials too. Over several years the deterioration will eventually require attention. Normal wear and tear that is left unchecked will affect the performance of your system. The longer the defects go without being addressed, the more expensive the repairs are likely to be. Bottom line is – staying on top of your systems is not only the smartest and safest choice, it ends up being the most cost-effective too.

How Often Should I get my Chimney Cleaned?                                                                    This depends a lot on how much you use your fireplace or stove. The National Fire Protection Association says, “Chimneys, fireplaces, and vents shall be inspected at least once a year for soundness, freedom from deposits, and correct clearances. Cleaning, maintenance, and repairs shall be done if necessary.” So, even if you don’t use your chimney a whole lot – birds, squirrels, raccoons and other critters may have been using your chimney making it unsafe to use without clearing out the accumulated debris from nesting activity.

The CSIA (Chimney Safety Institute of America) says that fireplaces should be cleaned when 1/8″ of sooty buildup is evident inside the chimney and flue system. If any glaze is appearing in the flue, cleaning should be done even if there is less than 1/8″ of build up. Any time an appreciable accumulation of soot and creosote occurs it can be enough to fuel a chimney fire that may damage the chimney and even spread to the roof and home. Furnace flue systems also require cleaning, so don’t neglect regular cleaning of those venting systems.

Some heavy use fireplaces produce an incredible amount of soot and creosote during a cleaning. Recently we removed nearly 2 full 5 gallon buckets of material from one chimney! Removing this material is critical to continued safe use of the fireplace and reduced risk of chimney fires that start when this highly combustible material builds up to unsafe levels.

What is the Best Time to Clean my Chimney?                                                              Ideally, before the start of the burning season during the summer or early fall is a great time to get your chimney inspection and / or chimney cleaning. Before you think about building a fire or starting up your furnace because the weather has changed, is the time to call your chimney sweep. Maybe you forgot the early cleaning before starting to use the fireplace, stove or furnace? Don’t wait until next year, we can do your chimney cleaning or inspection any time of year. Call the office now at 678-401-4473.