You can clean a chimney top down from the roof or from the bottom up inside the house.
Can you clean a chimney from inside the house.
Most people are better off hiring a pro and for good reason.
If you spot damage you need a pro who s familiar with nfpa standard 211 to make repairs.
Certified chimney sweeps are trained to recognize chimney deterioration and venting problems and can assess your chimney s condition.
If you burn mostly green wet logs have your chimney cleaned or inspected every 50 burns.
If you re not experienced working on the roof of a house or if your roof is particularly steep hire a professional or consider the bottom up method of cleaning the chimney from the fireplace.
If you find creosote the chimney needs cleaning.
Chimney cleaning is less straightforward than it may seem and it s a job where experience counts.
This isn t just any ol diy you ll be on the roof after all.
But safety comes first.
When you decide to clean your chimney the powder will fly free and coat everything inside your house it can reach unless you take preventative measures.
Even if you clean your chimney regularly you should still have it inspected by a qualified chimney sweep once a year.
A professional that specializes in chimney cleaning will also know what to look for during the inspection and may be able to do repairs on the spot.
If you want to save some cash you can remove chimney soot yourself.
In less than a minute it builds to more than 2 000 degrees f and can engulf your entire chimney and destroy your home.