Can I Clean My Chimney Myself

DIY chimney cleaning can help you save a lot of money annually which you spend on chimney sweep services. However, this is only for the men who are really good at DIY chimney cleaning.

All of us enjoy our fireplaces, but very few homeowners actually care about the maintenance and upkeep of fireplaces and chimneys. If you do not clean the chimney of your fireplace in a timely manner, the dust and dirt accumulated in the chimney can decrease the efficiency of your chimney considerably.

If you want to clean your chimney by yourself, you must know more about the sticky materials, soot and creosote, which build up in the chimney as a result of the combustion process. They can become a real fire hazard. They actually the cause of fires in many houses.

While hiring and experts for chimney maintenance and upkeep is highly recommended, you can also clean it by yourself by reading the steps mentioned in this blog.

Prepare For The Process

Before starting the chimney cleaning process, spread a cloth or plastic wrap below the chimney to avoid the fireplace from getting messy. After this process, remove any bits of wood from the fireplace. Once you proceed towards opening the damper, make sure that the rest of the room is isolated from the fireplace. Keep in mind that you should completely isolate the chimney and fireplace from the rest of the room, as cutting corners in this step can cause all of your furniture to be covered in dust at the end of the chimney cleaning process.

Use Protective Gear

Whenever you are going to clean your chimney, make sure that you use enough protective gear to keep yourself safe as well. The protective goggles you use in this process should be good enough to seal your eyes and keep them safe from the dust coming out of your chimney. Not protecting your eyes completely can make them hurt, so, do not take any chances with your safety. Additionally, you will also need to use a mask, a ladder, and chimney brushes which are long enough to clean the chimney completely.

Use Brushes The Right Way

Before starting to clean the chimney, you should remove anything obstructing the upper part of your chimney including the chimney crown. After the obstruction is removed, you can use a brush of large diameter to clean the inside of your chimney perfectly. Once you start using the brush, start from the top and make your way to the bottom by taking enough time for proper cleaning.

Once the inside of your chimney is properly cleaned, you can go ahead and screw back any hardware on the top of your chimney, and get down from the roof safely by using your ladder.

Let The Dust Settle Down

After you are done cleaning the inside of your chimney with a brush, you should let the dust settle down for some time. Once you have waited enough, open the seal of the plastic wrap you used to isolate the chimney from your room, and use a small brush to clean the opening of the chimney from the down side as well. After using the smaller brush, close the seal once again and let the dust settle down.

Remove The Dust Carefully

Once all the dust is settled down, you can open the seal of the chimney carefully. Keep in mind that you will have to be very careful in removing the dust and soot in the last part, as not being careful enough can cause the dust to spread all over the room.

Also, be careful not to open any doors of the room before packing the dust completely. Opening any door can cause a sudden burst of fear into the room, and can spread the dust on your furniture and carpet in an instant. A small mistake at the end can ruin all of your effort of cleaning your chimney.

This is how you can properly clean your chimney by yourself. Keep in mind that if you do not have a proper experience of working on heights, you should not take the risk of treating this as a DIY project, and should hire chimney cleaning services Upper Marlboro to do the job perfectly.