The chimney is an essential part of the overall air conditioning in the home. For many homes, having a chimney is a sense of pride and during the cold winter months, it will come in handy making sure that the furnace is working in good condition. However, a chimney has to be clean in order to work properly. As you can imagine, the smoke and the dust that accumulate on the chimney over the years can really hamper its efficiency and in the end, you may have to deal with the risk of breathing diseases due to the impurities. It’s because of this reason that the idea of keeping your chimney clean is very important.
Here are some simple steps that you can take to ensure this job is done well:
Step 1
Start by covering up the fireplace before house repairs. There are a few things you can use for this. However, a simple plastic tarp will do. Once the cover is on, go ahead and remove the ash and stray bits of wood that may have been left on the firebox. Seal the front of the fireplace using tape and move to the next step.
Step 2
Wear protective gear before you start the job. This is something that many homeowners tend to ignore but it can really be a costly mistake. The chimney takes in a lot of smoke, dust, and other chemicals so you can never be too sure of what you are breathing. In that case, make sure you have a quality dust mask, some chimney brushes, and a good sturdy ladder to get you on top.
Step 3
Proceed to the top of the chimney and remove any hardware that’s there. This will include things like the chimney cap as well as the animal guard. Once you are done with this, you can now begin with handyman services. It’s advisable to use the large diameter brush first before moving forward with small brushes. Once you are confident that the area is clean enough, go ahead and return the cap and the animal guards in place. Ensure that the caps are fastened as effectively as possible to avoid any risk.
Step 4
The fourth step is more of a waiting game since when you clean up the chimney, you will upset a lot of dust, so give it time to settle around the firebox area. Once the dust is settled, you can now use the smaller brush to reach out as high as possible and clean up the remaining dust. Ensure that you have done this process 3 or 4 times. Once you are done, cover up the fireplace and let the dust fall over to the firebox.
As you can see from these basic steps, handyman by yourself is not an impossible task. In order to ensure you have an easy time, make it a habit. If you clean up the chimney on a regular basis, you won’t have to deal with a lot of dust.
