When should you clean your chimney, and how is it done?
Short answer. Have the chimney inspected once a year and cleaned whenever soot or creosote reaches about 1/8 inch, which for regular wood burners usually means every year, ideally in late summer or early fall before Georgia's burning season. Cleaning is done by running properly sized brushes through the flue while the fireplace opening is sealed and a vacuum controls the soot; glazed creosote needs professional removal.
When
- An inspection every year, as NFPA 211, the national standard for chimneys and fireplaces, calls for.
- A cleaning when deposits reach about 1/8 inch, or right away if you see shiny, glazed creosote.
- Before the first fire of the season. Sweeps get busy in fall, so book in late summer.
- After a chimney fire, an animal nest, or years of disuse.
- Gas fireplaces do not build creosote but still need a yearly check for debris and blocked vents.
How a sweep cleans a chimney
- Seals the fireplace opening, protects the room, and runs a high-efficiency vacuum.
- Brushes the flue with a brush sized and shaped to the liner, from the firebox or the roof.
- Cleans the smoke shelf, damper and firebox.
- Inspects the liner, often with a camera.
- Checks the cap, crown and flashing, and notes anything for a mason or roofer.
Doing it yourself
Rod and brush kits can handle light soot in a straightforward flue, but glazed creosote, damaged liners and steep roofs are jobs for a certified sweep, and you still want the yearly inspection.
Reducing buildup
- Burn seasoned hardwood with a moisture content of 20 percent or less.
- Burn hot, bright fires rather than slow, smoldering ones.
- Keep a cap on to keep rain out of the flue.
See chimney leaks and crickets and the roof maintenance checklist.