The Chimney Sweep Process of Clean Sweep is based on years of personal experience and recommendations from the Chimney Safety Institute of America (Reference Manual for Certified Chimney Sweep Program of the Chimney Safety Institute of America). We want to ensure you know what you are a paying for when we clean your chimney, below provides you an overview of the process… (don’t hesitate to call Us at 828-456-9775, if you have specific chimney questions you want answered personally). If you aren’t even certain if you chimney needs cleaning, read about the inspection process to determine if your chimney needs cleaning?
The Actual Chimney Sweep Process
First, we set up my drop cloths in front of the fireplace and all other places that are required to maintain the cleanliness of your home. We dedicate time and come prepared to ensure your house will be as clean as when we walked through the door.
Next we set up my industrial vacuum by running a 4-inch diameter hose under a cover that I seal over the fireplace opening. The vacuum is turned on and remains running to collect the debris created from the actual cleaning. Although the vacuum isn’t for chimney cleaning, it helps keep your house clean and clean up after work is done. A good industrial vacuum is essential for professional chimney work, but the vacuum’s job is only to keep the dust out of the house and to pick up the loose material that is produced during the cleaning process. It does not, nor can any vacuum, actually clean the chimney.
We then go up on the roof and run my brushes on rods up and down the flue removing the soot and creosote deposits as much as possible while the vacuum below prevents dust from getting into the house.
When we are done brushing the flue on the roof, we shine our light down the chimney to check my work and perform a visual inspection as to the overall physical condition of the chimney. We will share our assessment of the chimney with the customer when the chimney cleaning work is complete.
Next, we come back inside the house to the fireplace, or stove, and continue the cleaning process. There in not a chimney that can be properly cleaned with only accessing the chimney from the roof. Any chimney cleaning performed according to conventional standards has the chimney sweep perform work both from the roof and inside the home. For a fireplace, we will run small brushes into the smoke chamber up through the throat by the damper.
We then either scoop or vacuum the soot and creosote off the smoke shelf.
Next, we scrub out the firebox and then further examine work and the condition of those parts of the system. In a wood burning stove, we need to remove the baffles inside the stove in order to clean out the debris that was just brushed down the chimney. With some stoves, depending on a particular appliance, or with certain types of installations, chimney connectors may have to be taken apart from stoves to properly clean.
Finally, when the work is complete, the vacuum is turned off, and the equipment is loaded back into the van. As a convenience, and to promote fire safety, we provide a chimney system evaluation report to my customers with respect to the condition of the chimney and the system overall.
To schedule a chimney cleaning for your home, or to discuss the likely cost for providing services, please contact us at 828-456-9775.