My Step by Step Chimney Cleaning Process:

First, I show up on time! If I’m running late, I’ll call you. When I arrive, drop cloths are then laid out to protect your carpets and furniture, and our equipment is brought in. A large, custom vacuum called a Soot Sweeper is used, and is specially designed to not allow any dust or soot to escape, further protecting your home.

Once set up, I assess the situation depending on your system, whether it’s an open fireplace, free standing wood stove or fireplace insert.(In order for inserts to be properly cleaned, they need to be pulled out, unless they have a flue liner connected to it. Don’t let anyone tell you differently!)

Your fireplace or wood stove is then draped with a sheet, and the vacuum is installed to capture all debris, and I head up to the roof. Once up there, I remove and clean the chimney cap and sweep the chimney, checking to be sure all creosote is removed and can inspect the condition of your system from the top down.

I’ll then return to the interior to clean the fireplace or wood stove . On fireplaces, I have to crawl into the firebox, and vacuum out the smoke shelf removing all the soot and debris that was swept down the flue. Once cleaned up, I continue a full inspection to insure the safety of your system.

While it is generally a quick and simple process, it’s of the utmost importance that it’s done right. If proper measures aren’t taken to insure cleanliness during the job, it could be disastrous! It’s also very important that a thorough inspection is done by a knowledgeable and experienced chimney sweep to insure your safety.