Here are the steps for cleaning your chimney yourself.
How to clean your chimney from inside.
How to clean your chimney.
You could also climb up a ladder and measure it from the top.
It will be either square or round 6 or 8 determine the height of the chimney.
First you remove the creosote that has built up on the inside of the chimney walls.
Or more layer of buildup the thickness of a nickel call a chimney sweep.
Measure your chimney flue.
If you re not experienced working on the roof of a house or if your roof is particularly steep hire a professional or consider the bottom up method of cleaning the chimney from the fireplace.
Why clean your own chimney.
If the chimney has not been cleaned in a long time it is wise to have a chimney sweep do the first cleaning.
Also wear protective equipment such as a dust mask and eye protection while cleaning a chimney.
When you clean your own chimney you accomplish three things.
But it s still an important task as a smoky fire without enough oxygen emits lots of unburned tar vapors called creosote that can condense inside the fireplace flue and stick to it possibly leading to a chimney fire.
While it s a very good idea to have the chimney inspected by a csia professional serious diyers can do some maintenance themselves.
Stay safe by practicing good ladder safety and by having an assistant monitor you when you are on the roof.
There isn t a simple rule of thumb on how often to clean your chimney such as cleaning after 50 uses or one year.
A quick way to tell if your chimney needs cleaning is to run the point of your fireplace poker along the inside of your chimney liner.
If you find a 1 8 in.
You can clean a chimney top down from the roof or from the bottom up inside the house.
Measure the sides of your chimney from the bottom through the fireplace.
How to clean your chimney.
Chimney sweeps may see 40 to 50 chimney fires a year and more than half of the chimneys they service require.
Drop cloths and plastic tarps to seal off the area from all the dust protect yourself with the appropriate gear protective goggles a dust mask a sturdy ladder and purchase the right types of chimney brushes for the job.
To save yourself the time of cleaning up a mess later take proper steps to protect the inside of your home think.
Determine the size and shape of the flue.
To clean your chimney you ll have to use properly sized tools.