Tips for Making Chimney Maintenance Easier
I love my fireplace, but I’m not always in the mood to deal with soot and creosote when it comes time to clean the chimney. That is why I compiled a list of tips that make chimney maintenance easier. Y’all might not like maintaining your chimneys, but it’s necessary to keep your home safe from house fires.
Use Chimney Sweeping Logs
Have y’all ever heard of chimney sweeping logs? These logs go inside your hearth like normal firewood, but the purpose of burning this wood is to help remove creosote buildup. While the log itself will not eliminate the creosote, it will make it much more straightforward to clean. Instead of spending hours on your hands and knees scraping away soot and buildup, the log will do the dirty work for y’all by loosening the debris for easy removal.
Purchase an Ash Vacuum
My chimney cleaning routine has forever been changed after discovering ash vacuums. Residue from the ash sticks to your hands and clothing and can become a pesky fire byproduct to remove. It won’t be a messy task anymore—use an ash vacuum to remove the debris in a matter of seconds! Although, y’all should note that a typical house vacuum is not equipped to handle ash, so y’all will need to buy a vacuum specifically for cleaning up this debris.
Install a Chimney Liner
Consider the importance of having a chimney liner inside your fireplace. A liner inside your chimney creates a barrier between the brickwork and any byproduct—like creosote—your fire creates. When soot and creosote build up, it’s much easier to clean off a liner than off a porous surface like a brick. Plus, liners make your fireplace safer.
Annual Inspections & Sweepings
I cannot stress enough how essential an annual chimney inspection and sweeping are, and how much they can do to make future chimney maintenance easier. These inspections are done by a professional who can detect issues with your fireplace. Ignoring or failing to look for these problems will make cleaning between fires much more complicated and time-consuming.
Having a fireplace can turn a house into a home, but maintaining and cleaning this part of your home is never fun. Don’t stress about this chore—use my tips to make cleaning the chimney a breeze. The better y’all maintain the fireplace, the safer it will be for your family.
