Preparing for Your Chimney Sweeping
Before the chimney sweep professional arrives, there are a few things you should do to prepare for the appointment. The company you’ve contacted will also reiterate these steps when you call to set up the appointment so the site will be prepared when they arrive.- Clear your fireplace mantle and surrounding area: obviously, the chimney sweep will be spending a lot of time at the base of the chimney near and in the fireplace. You want to clear this entire area off for them so it makes it easier to work and so nothing gets knocked off and broken. Remove fireplace tools or anything else that surrounds the fireplace that could be knocked over or in the way.
- Clean inside your fireplace: don’t forget to gather any unburned or leftover wood that remains in the firebox so you can clear the way for the inspector.
During Your Chimney Sweep Inspection
When your chimney sweep professional arrives for the appointment, they’ll first begin by setting up a work area. This includes placing a tarp around the fireplaces to prevent your living spaces from being covered in soot and dirt. Other items may need to be moved out of the way like furniture, which you can assist the technician in pushing these items away should this be required. Next, your chimney will be evaluated for inspection and cleaning. Special tools like a dust collection vacuum are used and will be run during this process. Your damper may be removed, and your chimney’s flue will be cleaned. A flexible rod with a brush head is used to clean the interior of the chimney, and with the soot and ash vacuum running, there will be no ash or soot escaping into your living areas.
The chimney sweep will clean the flue liner either from the roof or if there’s a viable opening at the appliance. The firebox—where you actually hold your fires—is cleaned by hand. It’s helpful to at least remove the large chunks of wood, either unused or those remaining that can be safely taken out—for the chimney sweep. Taking out the wood in the fireplace can help speed along the chimney sweeping process and cut down on the labor involved. The chimney sweep will clean the fireplace smoke shelf as well as the smoke chamber. Any glazed creosote and tar buildup along the chimney will be noted. If there’s a large amount of buildup, your chimney sweep will need to do more than a regular cleaning, but they’ll let you know beforehand what needs to be done.