With the winter round the corner, it's time to find some warm corner in your house. Some place, which will provide you with the best comfort. Even when the temperature outside dips below zero, it is important to have a cozy ambiance inside the house. And to do that, you will need to light your fireplace during these days.
It's always a nice feeling to curl up in the sofa and enjoy the warmth of the blazing fireplace when it's snowing outside. But it is essential to keep the fireplace and the chimney clean before adding fire to it. Otherwise, it might even lead to fire accidents.
But cleaning a chimney isn't an easy task. Creosote builds up within the chimney flue and being highly inflammable, it can catch fire any moment. So, it is important to get rid of the creosote. Besides, creosote is also harmful for health. Moreover, the other parts of the chimney also need to be cleaned. And for this, the best way out is to employ a professional chimney sweep.
It is not always mandatory to call the professional chimney sweeps to help you clean the chimney. You can try it out yourself. But for that, you will need quite a few tools, which can help you perform the task in the perfect way.
Here's a quick look at some of the most important tools that you will need while cleaning the chimney.
Different Types of Brushes
Brushes are the most basic things that you will need to clean the chimney of your house. You can use different types of brushes. These chimney brushes vary in shapes and sizes. Depending on the shape, the brushes can be:
- Circular
- Square
- Rectangular
You need to use the brushes hard enough to get rid of the dirt and creosote that get accumulated in the inner wall of the chimney flue.
Scrubbers for Dust that Won't Go Easily
No matter how hard you try with the brushes, it is almost impossible for you to do away with all the dirt and creosote. So, the inflammable substance stays on the wall of your chimney and, with it, the chances of a fire accident remains as well. Hence, it is important to do something else to make the chimney walls free from these substances. This is where the scrubbers also come in handy. You can use different types of scrubbers and scrub the walls as much as possible to get rid of the creosote.
Safety Gears to Avoid Problems
You will need a number of safety gears to keep the dust and dirt away. The creosote that gets accumulated in the chimney can also cause different health hazards. For example, they can do harm to the eyes. Hence, it is essential to use goggles that will cover the eyes completely. Besides, you will also need gloves and dust masks when cleaning the chimney. It will help you prevent skin problems, which might occur from creosote and dust.
Ladders to Climb to the Mouth of the Chimney
Chimneys are pretty long. So, just the brushes would be of no help, as your reach will be limited. To overcome this, you should use chimney rods. This will also impart strength to the brushes. Besides, the ropes and pull rings will help you to use the brush properly inside the chimney flue. Moreover, you might also need to insert the brushes externally from the upper side of the chimney. For this, you will need a ladder to climb up to the terrace.
Vacuum Cleaners
Despite the best efforts, the brushes and scrubbers are not always able to clear the dust that gets accumulated within a chimney. This is when a vacuum cleaner is necessary. It removes the stubborn dust and creosote and makes the chimney ready for the upcoming winters.
Many of these tools are used by the professional chimney sweeps as well. These tools help them to perform the tasks in a perfect way and, at the same time, remain safe while cleaning the chimney.
Source: http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/
