Where Can I Hang My Holiday Stockings Without A Chimney?

T'was the night before Christmas and all through the house not a creature was stirring. Not even a mouse. The stockings were hung from the chimney with.....wait a minute....chimney?!??! What chimney? "I live in an apartment without a chimney. Where the heck do hang my stockings?"

If I had a nickel for every time that I have heard this question, I'd be loaded. As Apartmentites, many of us do not have chimneys to hang our stockings from with care over the holiday, so I have had to come up with different ideas over the years to substitute.

If you are looking for an alternative place to hang up your stockings, try some of these:

Entertainment Center- Tacking them around your entertainment center is a great idea if you have one. You can then put a continuous looping fireplace DVD on and sit around the "fire" with the stockings hanging. Just be careful not to hang the toes in the way of your view of the television.

A Window or your front Door- Santa always came in through the chimney, right? So with no chimney, how's he going to get in? Obviously...he's going to come in through a door or a window, so try hanging your stockings around your front door (on the inside of course) or your window as your substitute for the chimney. If you are tall, make sure to duck, so you avoid hitting your head on the stocking every time you walk through the door. If you hang it on your window, its a little way of letting everyone know that you are getting into the festive spirit!

Bathroom mirror- This is a little unconventional, but a really cool alternative to the chimney idea. Tack up your stockings around your bathroom mirror. They will be a fun reminder that it's the holiday season every morning when you're getting ready.

Wherever you hang your stockings, make sure that you don't hang them up too high because Santa's little helpers might have trouble reaching them.

If your shopping isn't finished, I'd suggest you getting it done soon. It can be a headache as it gets closer to Christmas!

Happy Holidays!

For more information on apartment living or to find an apartment, check out ApartmentHomeLiving.com

Jeff's just a regular guy with a funny goatee that really enjoys people and life. On top of that he is a bit of an expert on apartments, living in them, and getting the most out of the apartment living lifestyle.

As a Managing Partner of Apartment Home Living, Jeff wants to help you find the right apartment by getting to know you. Not only where you want to live & what you want to pay, but what you like. This way, we can help you find an apartment that fits your personality, not just your budget.

At AHL Apartmentites have a platform to share their own stories, get great info & tips on apartment living, read Jeff's entertaining blogs/stories, find Answers to a wide array of apartment related questions, and have a ton of fun sharing their love of apartment living with others. Don't forget to go and set up your own MyPlace page to really get the full Apartmentite experience!

How to Avoid Chimney Fires

A chimney is a stack of bricks and mortar so common sense dictates that it shouldn't ever catch fire. However there are more than 25,000 chimney fires in the USA each year. These fires happen because a fire produces soot which clings to the brickwork and builds up in layers. These sooty layers of carbon can ignite and cause a major house fire. The results can of course be tragic.

The simplest way to avoid a house fire is to clean your chimney. A sweep with a proper chimney brush at least once a year is absolutely necessary.

There are other ways to help minimise carbon build up too. The first is to ensure you only burn hardwoods rather than softwoods. These have too much oily tar in them which easily sticks to the bricks and is less easily removable by brushing.

Secondly avoid wet wood. This lowers the temperature of your fire. The hotter the fire, the more likely that sooty particulates will be whooshed straight up the chimney and out into the air without being able to settle on the chimney interior. Because a hot fireplace and flue is good for avoiding chimney fires, contractors these days will often inset a new insulated flue when installing a woodstove to keep the flue hot and thereby discourage carbon build up.

Finally you should never burn plastics or any man made materials other than those expressly designed for use in a fireplace. If you keep these tips in mind you can be assured of a safe fireplace for many years to come.

Find out more about wood burning stoves and all about heating your home the natural way.

Inspecting Your Chimney and Its Liners

If you have a chimney, when was the last time you replaced your liner? If that question stumps you, then it might be time to investigate the situation a little and probably even consider having your chimney inspected. You may be due for a new liner.

Although chimneys are designed to withstand nearly anything, it would seem, the truth is they aren’t quit as indestructible as we might think they are. The liners in particular could easily lose their former stability and be a factor in a fire or carbon monoxide poisoning by permitting the escape of gases and/or burning embers.

If you do, indeed, find that you need to have new liners installed, there are a number of different options open to you. The fireplaces of today are not the fireplaces of old – which is a good thing for homeowners. The fireplaces of today are not necessarily simply made of brick. Many are made of a variety of more supple materials. This allows you to replace the liners without essentially rebuilding the entire chimney.

But first, of course you will need to find out if you actually need a new liner. To do that it is best to have your chimney inspected by someone who knows what they’re looking for. And where would you go for such a service? Well, to a chimney sweep. Though many may have the idea that chimney sweeps don’t actually exist anymore, the truth is they are as popular as ever. As more and more homeowners are putting fireplaces into their homes, the business of chimney sweeping as become an important element in making sure we keep our homes safe. A chimney sweep will install, clean and maintain your chimney so as to keep it in working order and safe to use.

One of the chimney sweep’s main jobs is to look for potential fire hazards, as well as blockages in your chimney. This is especially important for those who have a gas fireplace. If a homeowner with a gas fireplace has blockage in their chimney, the fumes can easily build up inside the home. A chimney sweep may do an initial inspection of your chimney, and then depending on what they find, they may suggest a more in-depth inspection.

Although there are chimney sweeps who do this type of inspection for a living, you should keep in mind in most localities there is no government oversight or industry regulators. In addition to asking friends and neighbors for suggestions of someone they trust, you might also call your local fire department or even the appropriate local government office to see what they recommend.

This article on chimney liners and fireplaces was brought to you by FireplaceBasics.com. Fireplace Basics covers every fireplace-related topic under the sun. Come visit us and see for yourself!

Chimney sweep

Living in a home, your house will require maintenance. No matter what type of furnace you have, chances are that you have a chimney of some type. The chimney should be cleaned every few years to prevent the build up of dust, particulars, and to prevent any failure in how the chimney works to protect your home. A chimney sweep is one that is experienced in cleaning and in maintaining a chimney. The chimney sweep in your local area is one that is going to service, clean and make any recommendations to you about the condition of your chimney.

How do you find a chimney sweep?

If you have a need for a chimney sweep, you can look in the yellow pages online or offline for good leads. Chimney sweeps, those are certified and trained, are also found in chimney sweep directories. Affiliations and memberships to unions and to trades that are specifically chimney sweep related are regional and national.

Your chimney is important to the over all function of your home. Poisonous gases that can be emitted from the fuels that are burned in your furnace are meant to escape the home through the chimney. When your chimney is clogged with soot, damages or dirt, the gases, smoke and fumes will enter into your home.

When you have too much soot in your chimney, you could find smoke through out your home. When smoke enters your home, your contents, walls, and everything in your home could become soot covered. This would require a lot of work to clean up. Many times an insurance company is going to pay to have your home cleaned, but it is an inconvenience you could avoid if you were to have your chimney cleaned every few years.

A chimney sweep often times is going to give you the best results in the summer months. Don’t wait until it gets cold outside to call in a chimney sweep, you will find they are very busy during that time of the year. A chimney sweeps is going to have more free time during the summer months when people are thinking about their furnace or using their heat.

A chimney sweeps is often times going to be a mason as well. Ask if your chimney sweep can repair the brick on your chimney or put up a new chimney if needed. If you find that your chimney has been struck by lightening, a chimney sweep can inspect the interior of the chimney, completing a chimney scan to tell if you have additional damages.

A chimney sweep will be able to provide you with an estimate of how much it will cost to inspect your chimney. A chimney sweep will also be able to provide you with an estimate of how much it would cost to clean out your chimney. If there is anything you do not understand about a chimney sweep, what they do, or if you really need their services, do not be afraid to ask the chimney sweep that you contact in your local area. You will find this is a very select group of people, that take their time and inspect all chimneys, as a chimney sweep knows just how vital their job and their services are for those who need a chimney.

http://www.chimneysweepsite.com

Why Sweep a Chimney?

Chimneys are swept to remove residues in the chimney which can block the flue and prevent proper drafting, and to remove flammable deposits which can cause a chimney fire. All types of appliances which burn fuel and vent to the outdoors should be inspected annually and swept when needed such as:

Chimneys that need annual inspection

Fireplaces that burn wood or gas

Chimneys serving wood stoves

Water heater flues & furnace flues

Vented gas hearth products: gas fireplaces, gas freestanding stoves, gas logs & gas inserts

WOOD BURNING FIREPLACES & WOOD STOVES

Wood smoke occurs because not all the chemicals in wood can be burned by your fireplace or wood stove. Smoke contains tiny, unburned but flammable solid particles which adhere to the walls of your chimney which are called creosote. As these deposits accumulate, a stray spark from your fire can ignite them causing a chimney fire.

Chimneys and connector pipes (such as the black pipe connecting a wood stove to the chimney) are designed as a passageway for smoke which passes through at relatively low temperatures they are not built to withstand chimney fires, which can burn in excess of 2000 degrees. A chimney fire can destroy the mortar in a masonry chimney which can cause a chimney to collapse or allow the fire to spread to the framing members of your home. Sometimes a first chimney fire will "only" crack the flue tile liners. This situation is dangerous because a subsequent chimney fire now has an easy pathway to the walls of your house, allowing for massively destructive and dangerous house fires. When you have been advised that your flue tiles are cracked, it is time to take action and have the chimney repaired!

PREFABRICATED FIREPLACES

Pre-fab fireplaces are a particular concern to chimney sweeps. Although highly regulated and safety tested in the lab, too often we find hidden dangers due to improper installation. Installation defects such as improper clearances, improperly connected pipe and substitute components combined with overfiring and general deterioration can lead to home fires. A prefabricated fireplace system that has suffered a chimney fire should never be reused and should always be replaced according to the Chimney Safety Institute of America.

FURNACE FLUES & WATER HEATER FLUES

Furnaces that use oil or gas also produce dangerous byproducts. First, the fumes that are being vented are generally more dangerous than wood smoke because they contain higher levels of carbon monoxide than wood smoke. Leaky connector pipes, improper flue sizing and other chimney problems such as cracked flue tiles, oversized flues or undersized flues and structural defects or deterioration can all lead to fumes entering your home. Carbon monoxide cannot be seen and cannot be detected by the human nose.

Visible soot in the house is one indication of a problem with your furnace and it's venting system. Visible soot means you need to call your furnace repair company, but also your chimney sweep! Your chimney exists to carry fumes and soot away from the living space, so even a faulty furnace should send soot up the chimney. Sooty walls may indicate a problem with the furnace, but this ALWAYS indicates a problem with the venting!

Oil soot is particularly nasty to deal with. It is harder to remove and we use specialized equipment to deal with it. Soot from gas furnaces and water heaters is less likely, but an annual inspection can help identify problems and correct them before a small problem becomes hazardous.

Annual cleaning and inspections are very important to the safe and efficient operation of your home's central heating system. The chimney sweeping process averages one to two hours.

*Article reprinted with permission of Victorian Fireplace Shop

Karen Duke is a fireplace, chimney and hearth industry expert of over 25 years in both the retail and service sectors. She is a CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep and has numerous hearth industry certifications. She is the founder and webmaster of http://www.TheFireplaceChannel.com and she is the co-founder and webmaster of http://www.TheVictorianFireplace.com, which is one of the largest online fireplace retailers in the world. She makes her home in Mechanicsville, Virginia. Karen's contact information can be found on either of the above sites.

Chimney Drafting Problems and Solutions

No two fireplaces are alike when it comes to smoking chimneys. There are many factors as to why a chimney doesn't draft properly and your home gets filled with smoke. Chimney height. Every chimney should abide by the 10ft - 2ft rule. Under normal conditions your chimney should work fine if this rule is met but there are always exceptions. Measure out 10ft horizontally from your chimney to the nearest object (roof line, peak, room addition etc), once you have the 10ft mark go vertically 2ft up and that should be the height of your chimney. See diagram.Your chimney should be at the proper height with the stack high enough to catch the wind. Your chimney doesn't have to rise above the peak unless the peak is within the 10ft clearance. As the wind blows across your homes roof line it should create an updraft bringing the smoke with it. Sometimes a negative pressure situation might occur where the wind causes a downdraft and you may have to look at raising the height of your chimney. Recently some new products have arrived on the market to help ease the cost of raising a chimney. Flue extenders are a chimney cap that is raised up to 3ft with long sheet metal sides.

They come in stainless steel or copper and have proven to solve many drafting problems.They a relatively inexpensive compared to having a brick mason come out and raise the flue tiles.Another great product are chimney pots. These have been used in Europe for centuries and were usually made of clay. A new line of chimney pots are made out of copper. The copper chimney pots are expensive but the unique design and the beauty are very pleasing to look at. Copper ages to a beautiful verdigris green after it is exposed to the outdoor elements and will give your home great Curb Appeal. If you have a metal zero clearance fireplace you will have to get the manufacturers name and the model number off a plate inside the firebox to determine which size and brand pipe you will need to purchase to raise the chimney another 1 - 3ft. Some cities require that the pipe be enclosed in a chase and you might have to rebuild the chase up to the new height. While raising the height of your chimney will solve most of the problems some chimneys may need more help.

Other great products on the market for solving drafting problems are the Vacu-Stack and the Windbeater chimney caps.These chimney caps are designed to create an updraft as the wind blows. The cap itself stays stationary and this causes the wind to circulate creating the updraft. This solution works well with masonry, metal chimneys and even the solid pack chimney pipe for wood burning stoves. They come in several sizes and adaptors are available for masonry chimneys. The picture at the right shows a Vacu-Stack with the adaptor installed on a masonry chimney. With a metal chimney no adaptor is needed. If you have a air cooled chimney pipe one where there are 2 or 3 pipes inside each other just measure the inner one for the cap. The Vacu-Stack for the air cooled, double or triple wall pipe comes with a collar to cover the outer pipes. The Vacu-Stack and the Windbeater caps also come in smaller sizes to fit furnace and hot water tanks to solve their drafting problems.

This article is continued at The Log Rack

http://www.thelograck.com

Have Your Chimney Inspected By A Certified Chimney Sweep Before Buying

Over the years that I have been a Chimney Sweep, I have seen a lot of problems with new homeowners that have had their chimney and fireplace checked by a Home Inspector, only to find out that the chimney should not or could not be used; most are very disappointed, and some are downright mad. Some buyers bought the house with the fireplace being the main "focal point". Do not get me wrong, I am not bashing the Home Inspectors but, most are not trained to see the problems that a Certified Chimney Sweep can see. CSIA (Chimney Safety Institute of America) Chimney Sweeps, have to pass a Certification test (given every three years) that covers three National Code books:

The CSIA Test covers NFPA-211 (National Fire Protection Association), the Standard for Chimneys, Fireplaces, Vents, and Solid Fuel-Burning Appliances. NFPA-31, covers the Standard for the Installation of Oil-Burning Equipment. NFPA-54, covers the National Fuel Gas Code. It is a closed book test that is given by a representative of the Chimney Safety Institute of America.

There is not a law that requires a Chimney Sweep to be Certified but, it goes a long way with Insurance Companies when you find a problem with a Chimney or have to repair a chimney. A Certified Chimney Sweep knows what to look for inside and outside of your home. That being said, all problems can not be seen without doing demolition or creating access areas to view the chimney.

Some Chimney Sweep companies have Chim-scans that enable a camera to run through the inside of the chimney allowing the customer full view. The monitor is set up on the hearth of the fireplace and the camera can be raised or lowered, so the customer and the sweep can see the problem areas. Most Chim-Scans have the capability to be recorded and/or have snap shots made of the areas in question. Do expect to be charged extra for the chimney scanning; but, it is a worthwhile investment to show problems found to the insurance company or the previous homeowner, so further action can be taken.

Have your chimney cleaned and evaluated annually and always have your chimney evaluated before you close on the home so you neither have to pay for something you have bought but cannot use nor must pay out of your pocket later when you decide to sell...and, as the seller, before the new homeowner has the chimney inspected himself and finds your problem. Remember: a chimney is a very large selling point for the simple reason of the heating advantages that it extends to the buyer.

Joe Honea is a Chimney Sweep who lives in South Carolina. He is married to an Italian girl and they have three sons; two are in the military, and one works in automotive collision repair. They have two protective German Shepherd pups that share their home and they have also recently opened an online chimney supply store. http://www.Fireplaceandchimneysupplies.com my blog is http://www.garagedoordr.blogspot.com

Choosing The Right Chimney Cap For Your Home

Chimney Caps are a small amount to pay for the immense amount of work they do for you. A Chimney Cap does several different things. It keeps animals, birds, leaves, debris and snakes from entering your Chimney. It will also stop some "down-drafts" of air that would normally rush down the Chimney causing smoke to enter your home. Most of all, a Chimney Cap keeps rain from entering your Chimney, preventing a small "lake" inside the firebox area and deteriorating the firebox floor.

When rain enters the Chimney, it causes the fireplace to smell like an old, damp cellar filled with smoke. If you are allergic to mold spores, this is one area you may want to check if you cannot find the source of your allergy. Rain, when mixed with soot, creates a caustic acid that starts to deteriorate the mortar between the joints of the bricks. Mortar between the bricks has a life expectancy of around seventy years, but, the rain can rapidly speed up the process.

If you have Gas Logs, you definitely need a Chimney Cap. A Chimney Cap keeps the rain off the expensive gas log burner unit. If it has a remote control system, the rain will cause it to fail, costing you several hundred dollars in repairs. And, if you are burning the gas logs while it is raining, the rain hitting the ceramic logs can cause them to crack or break under the extreme heat change.

Animals can be a nightmare in a fireplace; not only for the homeowner, but for the poor ol' Chimney Sweep that has to get them out! I have taken out squirrels, birds, ducks and even released an Owl which had been trapped for several days within the Chimney. Worst of all, I once opened a damper and had a live black snake fall into my lap while sitting in the firebox! If you want to see land-speed records set...let a snake fall into my lap; I can promise you, you have never seen a six-foot, one-inch, 235-pound, former Marine, squeal like a little girl and outrun any deer in your county. So, do yourself--and the Chimney Sweep--a favor and put a Cap on it!

Chimney Caps come in three types of metals. Galvanized caps are cheap and do the job, but will also require continual maintenance of paint to prevent rust. The cap's rust will run down onto the crown and the chimney, deteriorating the mortar and the brick and will stain the roof, paint and/or siding of your home; Galvanized is also not recommended with gas logs due to caustic exhaust. Stainless Steel is durable, never has to be painted and comes with a limited lifetime warranty. Copper, very pretty, will not rust, but will later turn a nice green patina (like an old penny), leaving streaks on your roof shingles, brick and Chimney. Copper is usually the most expensive, followed by Stainless Steel and Galvanized. Do keep in mind that caps which simply slide into the flue (instead of being installed with tap screws) will fly off during heavy winds and can cause serious damage to your neighbor's home and/or vehicle. Talk with your local Chimney Sweep to see what best suits your home.

...And remember, it is "Good Luck to shake hands with a Chimney Sweep."

Joe Honea is a Chimney Sweep in South Carolina. He is married to an Italian girl and together have three sons; two are in the Military and one works in automotive collision repair. They share their home with their two German Shepherd pups and have just recently opened an online Chimney Supply store.

http://www.Fireplaceandchimneysupplies.com

http://www.garagedoordr.blogspot.com

http://chimneysweep-joe.blogspot.com

Firewood and Chimney Safety

Burn Only Seasoned Wood

Seasoned wood usually contains 20 - 25% moisture content, while unseasoned wood can have up to 45% water content. Seasoned firewood is easier to start and produces more heat. In order to make sure that you are purchasing seasoned wood, buy it in the summer 6 months before you plan to use it. Green wood or unseasoned wood must dry out before it will burn properly. Burning green wood can cause smoking problems, odor problems, creosote buildup and possibly dangerous chimney fires.

How to recognize seasoned wood when you see it

With a bit of practice you can learn to recognize seasoned wood when you see it. One sign is that the bark has loosened its hold, or has already been knocked off with handling. Also, the log ends have darkened, dried out and started to crack.

A well seasoned firelog will be lighter in weight than an unseasoned or green piece of the same size and species. When it really is well seasoned, expect to pay more. Cutting trees down, transporting, handling and working up wood is a risky, labor-intensive pursuit. The more times a supplier has to handle it, and the longer he ties up space storing it, the more he will charge.

Storing Firewood

Store wood off the ground in a location away from the house because termites will be looking for it. You can easily make a place to hold the wood by placing two 2x4s or 2x6s parallel to eachother on the ground. Stack wood across these boards, then cover with a tarp to protect it from the elements.

Buying Firewood

Firewood is generally sold by volume, the most common measure being the cord. A standard cord of firewood is 128 cubic feet of wood, measured as a stacked pile of wood 8 feet long by 4 feet tall by 4 feet deep.

Although firewood is usually sold by volume, heat production is dependent on weight. Pound for pound, all wood has approximately the same BTU content, but a cord of seasoned hardwood weighs about twice as much as the same volume of softwood because it is denser. It contains almost twice as much potential heat and this means that you will have to load your fireplace less often if you purchase hardwood, but it is certainly find to use soft woods. Mixed wood (soft & hard wood) by the cord or 1/2 cord is a good buy. Use the softwood to get the fire started and then add the hardwood for a nice long burn.

Never burn any construction scraps of treated or painted wood, especially treated wood from decks or landscaping ties. The chemicals used can release dangerous amounts of arsenic and other toxic compounds into your house. Never burn plastic because it releases toxic chemicals. Never burn large amounts of paper (use your shredder). As for Christmas trees, I know it's tempting but don't do It!

For more information on chimney and fireplace safety, please visit Chimney Sweep & Dryer Vent Cleaning

The Importance Of A Chimney Sweep

For those that use their chimney only on the rare occasion, consider the following facts:

• Regardless if the fireplace has been used, a chimney sweep checks for structural damage due to age and settling of the home as well as damage to brick & mortar due to rain, animals, debris and fire; This is the importance of having your chimney evaluated annually!
• A fire is burned for heat & comfort as well as for ambiance. Sometimes we lose track of the actual amount of fires which have been burned.
• If you are among the "casual burners" who seldom have a fire, it is very necessary as well as important to keep a record of how often a fire is burned and the type of fire; was it a small fire or raging hot?
• The average person burns 1 cord of wood or approximately 15 fires per burning season during a normal winter season.

If the "seldom user" burns only 2 fires in a season, and has not had their chimney cleaned in a 5 year period, this accumulated risk becomes a total of 10 fires burned per week; an estimated full year's burning season.

Please keep a list of fires burned so as not to put your family at risk for a chimney fire and/or structural damage to your chimney. Many a customer will say:

"I clean it myself" or "I had a friend clean it"

"I do not think it's necessary" or "I will call you when I think it's necessary"

"I have only had 3 fires this year, so I do not think it needs to be cleaned!"

Little do they know that there is a LOT more to chimney sweeping than removing ashes.

A chimney sweep is trained to look for stress cracks in the flue liners, the 3 stages of creosote & signs of a chimney fire, broken mortar joints, weakened areas within the brick, footing, smoke chamber, and firebox, water damage and the general overall safety of the chimney itself.

• A chimney sweep is trained in National Gas & Fire Codes, according to NFPA-211 to provide their customers with the best care, safety & prevention methods available.
• A chimney is a heat source in times of power outage; do not be caught without it from neglect!

My husband has owned our Chimney Sweep business in SC for the past 27 years. In this trade we have both seen just about anything & everything you can imagine in the way of builders, troubled and distressed chimneys, the devastation wrought by the horrors of fire and those saved only by the Grace of God. Please do not put your family, your home, and possibly your neighbor's home, in jeopardy by neglecting one of the most important assets in your home; please be sure to have your chimney evaluated and/or cleaned by a certified chimney sweep, annually! Please look for my next article on the topic of the types of fireplace systems.

Pamela Honea is a mother of two, a sweep's apprentice and the wife of a chimney sweep. Among her many creative abilities of woodworking, she and her husband Joe enjoy writing articles and creating websites about their business http://www.Fireplaceandchimneysupplies.com and http://www.garagedoordr.blogspot.com and videos and blogs about their German Shepherd Dogs Mia and Bella http://www.germanshepherddogsdig-pamela.blogspot.com

How to Clean Your Chimney

Springtime chimney cleaning is very important. A through cleaning is recommended
after a long winter of burning fires. The initial cost of purchasing a brush and
the rods for cleaning your chimney can be in the $100 - $150 range depending on
the size of your flue and the height of your chimney. Many times a chimney sweep
can charge up to $100 to clean your chimney depending on the height and how dirty
it is. Once you’ve purchased the brush and rods the rest of your chimney sweeping
only requires some elbow grease instead of paying for a cleaning. If you want to
share the cost see if a neighbor might want to split it with you. Cleaning your
chimney isn’t difficult; the hardest part of the job is getting out the ladder.
Once you’ve dug the ladder out of the garage you’re well on your way. Don’t forget
to take a tape measure, pen and paper up there with you, (there’s nothing worse
than getting back on the ground and forgetting what the dimensions were). Now that
you’re on the roof if you have a chimney cap remove it. Some chimney caps can easily
be removed by loosening 4 thumb screws at the base. Some chimney caps are permanently
mounted and the screws are on the lid.

Next measure the inside of your flue tiles and write it down. Take a good look
at your chimney while you’re up there. Creosote will tend to be the heaviest at
the top of the chimney were it starts to cool during the burning process. If there
appears to be little or no creosote buildup just black soot a wire brush will work
fine. If the creosote is really thick you may want to consider a flat wire brush
that will give you more surface contact.

Always use the bush that is the same size and the flue tiles. If the brush is
too small you won’t make surface contact or if too large you will jam the brush
and bend the bristles. Next determine the total height of your chimney, from smoke
chamber to the top. If it is a one story home the chimney would average 15’, two
story around 25’. Chimney brush rods are available in 3’ 4’ 5’ and 6’ sections that
screw together. Chimney brush rods are made of fiberglass and are very flexible;
they can bend 90 degrees or more. This allows for cleaning any bends in your chimney.

When selecting a chimney brush you will be amazed at the differences and cost.
The double spiral brush contains more bristles which will give you more surface
contact. This is great for moderately cleaning the soot. A single spiral brush with
fewer wires is great for the quick sweep when there is just a light dusting of soot.
The flat wire brush is best for the heavy jobs. If you have a metal chimney or your
chimney has been relined a poly brush is recommended for cleaning. A poly brush
will not scratch the inside or your pipe.

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