Chimney Cleaning Mistakes To Avoid

“If saving money is wrong, then I don’t want to be right,” William Shatner somewhat famously said. It’s a good sentiment as long as you don’t make any of the chimney cleaning mistakes below for the sake of saving money on home maintenance. Chimney cleaning is an essential safety matter, and ineffective chimney cleaning shortcuts, like the ones below, are mistakes to be avoided.

Using Chimney Sweep Logs

Creosote removal is a necessity for anyone with a wood-burning heating appliance. This highly flammable, toxic, tar-like substance is the primary reason chimney cleaning is routinely needed. Aware that the pleasure of a fireplace using the fuel with the best ambiance comes with the need to address chimney cleaning, many homeowners use a product they mistakenly think will replace chimney services from a chimney sweep. The product has various names, depending on the manufacturer, and those names include creosote sweeping logs, chimney sweep logs, and creosote logs.

Although debate always seems to surround the topic of chimney sweeping logs, members of the chimney sweeping industry agree that creosote logs cannot replace professional chimney cleaning services. Potential benefits of the logs include causing the creosote to loosen, but this also creates a possible hazard. A chimney fire could start while a creosote log is being burned because the loosened creosote can be ignited by a hot ember. Bottom line: It is a big mistake to use chimney sweeping logs as an alternative to chimney cleaning.

Procrastinating

The need to schedule chimney sweeping is a task that too many homeowners sweep under the rug for later, so to speak. Thousands of home fires occur every year because of a fireplace being lit when the chimney has not been cleaned, inspected, or maintained. Procrastination is a normal human flaw but it is dangerous if it means a chimney is used during the wintertime but never cleaned. Potential dangers of excess creosote buildup in a chimney flue include chimney fires and chimney obstruction that causes toxic fumes to enter the home instead of going up the chimney.

Do-It-Yourself Chimney Cleaning

DIY projects at home can be satisfying, but chimney cleaning is not the type of chore to do yourself. There are a number of reasons that DIY chimney cleaning is a mistake, including the following:

• Climbing on a roof is necessary for chimney cleaning, and it is extremely dangerous to climb onto and work on a roof.
• Professional chimney sweeps have training and experience to ensure that homes stay clean while chimneys are getting clean, though a huge mess is possible.
• Only one of the three types of creosote common in chimneys can be removed using a chimney sweep brush.
• Exposure to toxic creosote can threaten your health.

Using Chemicals or Salts

Centuries-old chimney cleaning myths have been remarkably durable.  Many homeowners still try outdated chimney cleaning methods that have long been known as mistakes to avoid. Using chemicals or salts for chimney cleaning purposes are good examples. They are methods that don’t get a chimney clean. On the contrary, salts can do harm, causing corrosion of metal components in wood-burning stoves and chimneys.

For reliable chimney cleaning services from CSIA-certified chimney sweeps, contact Above & Beyond Chimney Service in Cohasset MA. Enjoy greater peace of mind knowing that your chimney is truly clean and safe to use. You can’t go wrong scheduling a chimney inspection, chimney repairs, and chimney cleaning services with Above & Beyond Chimney Service. Call us at (781) 383-0415 today.