The Chore of Chimney Cleaning

Chimney cleaning and maintenance is a must to keep your home and family safe. Regardless if you have a wood burner, pellet stove, gas fireplace, or other appliances that exhausts through a chimney system, the particles it gives off will build up over time. This build-up is called creosote and it lines the inside walls of a metal or masonry chimney. If not maintained, a hot ember or spark can get into the chimney igniting the creosote. A full-blown chimney fire only takes a matter of minutes once it ignites.

Hiring a professional chimney cleaner will do more than just a routine sweeping of the chimney. The professional will inspect the integrity of the chimney structure, making sure that it is sound and there are not cracks that will cause leaks or drafting issues. The chimney will be inspected from top to bottom.

Now, getting a professional chimney cleaner during this time of year will be a challenge, unless you made your appointment last spring. While it's great to have a professional, chimney cleaning is a chore that can certainly be done by the homeowner. While cleaning your own chimney is a way to cut costs, it's important that you know what you are doing. There are many aspects that go into properly cleaning and maintaining a chimney.

The most common chimney type is the metal chimney. A metal chimney can be a chimney pipe, pellet vent pipe, or a relined masonry chimney. It is important to make sure that the pipes are not leaking and that all the connections are tight. To clean, use the poly brush and rod system .

This is a dirty job and requires the do it yourselfer to be on top of their roof, so if either of these things do not sound appealing, you'll want to get a professional to clean the chimney. Also, if you suspect you have a problem with your chimney system or masonry chimney, contact a professional to inspect it.

Chimney maintenance is not just a once-a-year chore. It must be maintained throughout the fall and winter season (or all year if you use your chimney all year). You need to keep the creosote build-up to a minimum in between chimney cleanings, whether you use the professionals or do it yourself. Creosote removers removes the un-burned wood particles and condensed flue gases deposited on the inside of the chimney. Doing this helps immensely and makes chimney cleaning a much easier task.

Northline Express is here to answer all your questions. Feel free to give us a toll free call at 1-877-734-2458 or email us at fireplaceorders@onlinestores.com .