Regular Chimney Cleaning Is Important For Reducing The Risk Of A Home Fire
If you haven't used your fireplace in a long time and you're thinking of starting it up again, be sure to have an inspection and cleaning done first. If your chimney hasn't been used, there might even be birds or other animals living in it. Even if the chimney is free of debris, it still needs the sides cleaned to reduce the risk of fire. Here are some things to know about getting your fireplace and chimney cleaned.
Your Home Is Protected From A Sooty Mess
The cleaning crew protects your home from soot by putting down tarps and sealing up your fireplace temporarily. First, the fireplace is cleaned out so it's easy to get the soot out once it's knocked off the walls of the chimney.
A professional chimney cleaning company doesn't make a mess in your home even though it's easy to spread soot around. They take special care to ensure your home is kept clean during the procedure.
The Chimney Cleaner Works From The Roof
The chimney cleaner will probably work from the roof so all the debris won't fall on them as it is knocked from the sides of the chimney. When working from the roof, the chimney sweep uses a brush on a long pole to clean the sides of the chimney. When they reach the bottom, they go inside to vacuum out the old creosote and soot.
Chimney Cleaning Shouldn't Take Too Long
The company wants to be thorough, so they take their time cleaning the chimney, but as long as the coating is mostly powdery soot, cleaning goes fast. If your fireplace was used a long time without cleaning it, there might be a buildup of thick creosote, and that is much harder to remove and it takes longer.
You Should Plan On Annual Chimney Cleaning
Once you start using your fireplace again, plan on having your chimney cleaned at least once a year. It's difficult to know how dirty a chimney gets since different factors affect how fast creosote builds. For instance, burning wood that hasn't dried out thoroughly increases the amount of creosote that sticks to the walls of the chimney.
Plus, different species of wood make different amounts of creosote. That's why it's best to play it safe and schedule chimney cleaning for once each year before you start using your fireplace in the fall or winter.
Getting rid of creosote is important because it's flammable. If your chimney gets too dirty, it can catch on fire, and the fire might spread through your home. It's better to be proactive and keep the chimney as clean as possible.
For more information about chimney cleaning, contact a local cleaning service.
