Chimney Maintenance
Chimney Maintenance Products - Fireplace Cleaning Products
Well first off why is chimney maintenance important? Chimney maintenance is any kind of action taken to discourage preventable and potentially devastating chimney problems. Problems like deterioration that may go unseen otherwise and become extremely expensive to correct; or the worst possible result could be massive creosote buildup that ultimately leads to a chimney or even a house fire. Both of these scenarios are completely preventable with regular upkeep.
So, What Is Involved in Chimney Maintenance? How Do You Maintain Your Chimney?
A chimney system, the part of the system from the fireplace up to the chimney cap, needs to be inspected at the very least once a year, taking into consideration how much you actually burn. If you use your fireplace on a regular basis you may want to play it safe and have your system inspected and cleaned more often. Wood burning could require cleaning as often as every 50 burns, gas fireplaces still produce soot though at a slower pace, cleaning will still be required just less often.
When inspecting make sure to look for the following:
- Chimney Overall Function - Functioning Properly
- Damper Operation - Functioning Properly, Moving Freely
- Protected From the Elements - Free of Water Damage
- Brick And Mortar Joint Conditions - Free of Fractures, Cracks & Weak Spots
- Chimney Cap, Crown, And Flashing - Good Condition & Operating Properly
- Creosote Buildup - 1/8" Layer Requires Cleaning Immediately, Neglect Can Result in Chimney Fire
Note: Your chimney should be cleaned and inspected for creosote buildup before and after every burning season and annually by a professional. Once the chimney has accumulated 1/8" or 1/4" of creosote buildup, it is capable of becoming a fire hazard. For this reason, it is crucial to keep an eye on creosote buildup in the chimney flue and clean it regularly. When cleaning your chimney flue, be sure to wear proper protection. Gloves, goggles, and a dust mask should be worn during creosote cleaning sessions and inspections.
For more on what Creosote is and how to manage it check out our help articles: What is Creosote?
There are plenty of professional services out there to take care of the job of chimney maintenance for you. While it is recommended that you have this done professionally at minimum annually, you can save yourself some money in the long run if you learn how to maintain your chimney and clean it in between professional jobs yourself.
Reduce Chimney Maintenance Cost | How to Maintain a Chimney yourself?
If you notice a creosote buildup:
Creosote Removers | Cleaners
Products called creosote removers are chemicals applied to the creosote deposits in the chimney. The chemical breaks down the creosote, allowing it to be easily swept away with a chimney brush.
Anti-Creo-Soot attacks built up glazed creosote (stage 3 creosote) on the chimney walls, breaks it down, and reduces it into a powder that can easily be swept away. Anti-Creo-Soot and other Creosote Removers tend to be extremely cost effective and are very easy to use. They are applied with every burn and are proven effective at reducing ongoing creosote buildup. After the creosote remover has prepped the chimney for cleaning, simply sweep it away.
Read more in our article How to Clean a Chimney
Where to Buy Chimney Brushes, Brush Rods & Other Equipment?
Northline Express has everything you need to create your own chimney cleaning kit. In any chimney cleaning kit, you should have properly fitted chimney brushes, the appropriate rod system, creosote remover, and safety equipment, especially if getting on your roof for inspection is required
Chimney Brushes & Brush Rods | Chimney Sweep Tools
Chimney Brushes are designed to keep your chimney flue free from creosote buildup and safe from chimney fires. Chimney brushes come in various shapes, sizes, and different materials specifically designed for all different kinds of chimneys. Chimneys should be cleaned out from top to bottom adding extension rods to the chimney brush as you go. This allows creosote to fall into the fireplace where it can be swept up and disposed of.
At Northline Express we have a variety of chimney brush sizes and other chimney sweep equipment. It's important to get the correct size chimney brushes as well as the correct material for an efficient job for your specific chimney system. Most chimneys can be efficiently swept with a wire brush, while a stainless-steel chimney liner would require a poly brush. For more on chimney brushes and which one you might require, read our article, How to choose a chimney brush.
Chimney Repair Products
Some things you may want to add to your chimney cleaning kit would be repair products, especially if you are anticipating issues in your upcoming inspections. Consider products like crown repair, silicone sealants and refectory cement, for quick repairs when needed.
Northline Express has what you need!
Keep your fireplace or wood stove in top shape with our large selection of fireplace maintenance items including fireplace glass cleaner, masonry patch, high-temp paint, furnace cement, gasket cement, creosote removers, soot remover, smoke clear, fireplace deodorant, brick & stone cleaner, hearth cleaner, wood stove gaskets and more!
