Knowing how and why to clean your chimney properly is an important part of home safety.
If you have a masonry chimney then a wire bristle brush would be ideal to break down the creosote.
If your chimney has a metal liner then you would want to use a poly brush instead because the wire chimney brush could scratch your chimney liner.
Chimney brushes usually come in either round or rectangular shapes and different widths. You will want to get the size and shape of brush that will best fit your chimney.
Because chimneys are long you will also need some fiberglass rods or some flexible poly-rods in order to brush the inside of your chimney. The fiberglass rods are great for straight chimneys. The flexible poly-rods flex so they can be used to clean chimneys that have curves in them.
Depending on the type of chimney you have there are different methods you will use. For instance you will want to seal the bottom part of the chimney so the creosote and debris is not getting your house or garage.
There are also capping system that will work for some chimneys. These can be really useful because they seal off the chimney and have a place to insert a vacuum hose so the debris not only stays inside the fireplace but it gets vacuumed up at the same time.
When it comes to maintaining your own chimney safety is of the utmost importance. Make sure to have your chimney properly inspected and properly maintained.
There is a right way and a wrong way to use a chimney cleaning brush set.
If you are doing the maintenance yourself make sure to use a strong light to inspect your chimney for cleanliness and any possible damage. Also if you’re going to be climbing on roofs make sure to be safe. A chimney brush cleaning set can be a wonderful choice in fireplace accessories.
Depending on the job and the type of chimney you have there should be a brush to fit your needs. Use a square brush for square chimneys and a round brush for round chimneys.
If you have a masonry chimney you can use a wire brush if your chimney is lined with metal be sure to use a flexible poly brush so you don’t scratch the metal liner.
If your chimney is damaged or you are unsure of its condition make sure to have a professional check it out. With a little effort and some common sense you can easily keep your chimney in top working order.
Visit Landscape and Lighting for more home improvement tips and ideas.
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