If you have an open fire in your home that you regularly use, you will need to have the chimney cleaned every few months. This is to remove the soot up the chimney so that there is no risk of a chimney fire starting. Most homeowners call their local chimney sweep to carry out this job for them - but is it possible to do it yourself?
It certainly is possible to sweep your own chimney, but you need to be aware that it is quite a long job; in fact, it could take you an entire day! First of all, you need to make sure that you have the right kind of equipment for the job.
You should be able to find some chimney sweeping brushes online. There are also now chimney vacuums that you can buy which should make the job a whole lot easier. Before you do start with either of these methods, make sure you have placed plenty of groundsheets around the fireplace - things could get very sooty and messy!
DIY Chimney Sweeping Tips
Stop birds nesting in the chimney - You will need to prevent birds from nesting in your chimney or else you could injure them while you are sweeping. Not only that, though, but they could add a lot of dirt to the chimney! You can now buy special covers that you can put over the top of chimneys that let smoke out the top while also preventing birds from creating nests.
Tape a sheet over the fireplace - This is important as it will keep soot and dust in your home down to a minimum while you are sweeping.
We hope you enjoyed our chimney sweeping DIY tips. If you want to keep your home warm without doing it yourself, even alongside a beautiful fireplace, then take a look at Steels, our sister company, for heating installations and repairs.