If you have a working chimney, it is important to have it examined at least once a year, even if you do not use the attached fireplace very often. Not only will your chimney sweep clean out the chimney, but he or she will also find various areas in the chimney that are weak and in need of repair. If this is the first time you have ever had your chimney cleaned since buying your home, here is how the chimney sweep performs his or her job and what you can expect on the day of the cleaning.

All of the Exposed Parts of the Chimney Are Examined

Any exposed sections of the chimney outside are examined for cracks, loose bricks, etc. To avoid damaging your chimney, the sweep has to spot areas where work on the inside of the chimney has to stop or not be completed at all. If the damage is especially bad, the sweep may refuse to clean your chimney until you have it repaired, since it could prove to be very dangerous to clean the chimney with lots of loose stones or loose bricks. 

The Floor, Walls, and Furniture Are Covered with Tarps or Protective Plastic

Next, the sweep will protect everything inside the room where the fireplace sits. Scraping ash and creosote from the chimney creates quite a mess. If you do not or cannot remove the furniture a safe distance away from your fireplace, then you can expect your chimney sweep to cover the furniture, the walls, and the floor with tarps or protective plastic. If the fireplace screen is removable, that will be removed and set aside before the sweep begins the messy part of his/her job.

"Sweeping" the Chimney

Although the sweep uses a couple of long-handled wire bristle "brooms" to clean and clear the chimney, the action itself really is not sweeping. Instead the sweep uses these metal bristle brooms to scrape all along the inside walls of the chimney, starting at the bottom and working his/her way up inside the chimney. After every so many feet of scraping, the sweep stops and uses an industrial vacuum to suck up all of the ash and creosote. By vacuuming up the debris after every few feet have been scraped, the sweep is able to keep the mess to a minimum. As the handle of the bristle broom loses its reach, the sweep adds on another extension piece to the handle until the bristle broom can reach higher up inside the chimney. This process is continued until the chimney is pronounced clean and clear. Then the sweep takes apart his/her bristle broom, vacuums up the space, and takes down the tarps or plastic. The plastic is rolled up and disposed of and the vacuum is emptied into a trash bag and tossed out on the curb.

Now that you know the process a chimney sweep should follow, don't hesitate to call a professional from a company like Ground to Crown Chimney and Fireplace Services, LLC.