Fireplaces require regular cleaning and inspection. Probably the easiest and perhaps the best way to accomplish this is to call a chimney sweep. For $50 to $120, a sweep will closely inspect the interior of your fireplace and chimney for safety hazards. They’re in such demand that you’ll probably have to wait weeks for an appointment.
Cleaning and inspecting are dirty but necessary jobs. One of the most potentially dangerous conditions that can be created in your fireplace is the buildup of creosote. This black, tarlike material is a residue from burning wood. When left from one burning season to another, it can be difficult to remove.
Built-up creosote can virtually explode into a flash fire with no warning.
A buildup of this material can crack masonry fireplaces and chimneys. Metal piping for some fireplaces also can be loosened. No type of fireplace is immune.
If you plan to inspect and clean a fireplace yourself, prepare yourself and the area around it.
– Move nearby furniture and cover the area with a clean dropcloth. Put on a dust mask; you can purchase one for a few dollars in almost any paint store, hardware store or home center.
– Close the fireplace damper and any windows and doors in the room. You don’t want a gust of air blowing the ashes around.
– If you have had a fire recently, put the ashes into a metal bucket for a few days, and set it outside to make sure there are no embers. If the bucket has a lid, all the better.
Ready to clean
Next comes the really difficult part-cleaning the interior of the firebox and flue. This is a dirty job, so wear a cap or hat, goggles and gloves. Take a stiff-bristle brush and flashlight with you.
Beginning at the top of your reach, start scrubbing the walls with the brush. Work your way down. Clean into the corners; they tend to harbor creosote. If you have a fireplace with a smoke shelf, clean it, too. Clean the damper thoroughly.
Do not spray on ordinary household cleaners, which could contribute to a flash fire when you use the fireplace again. Special cleaners are made for this purpose. A fireplace shop should have them available or can make a recommendation.
Once all the debris from your cleaning has fallen into the fireplace, sweep up as much as possible before using a vacuum cleaner-preferably a wet-dry vacuum-to finish. It’s important to remove the creosote you’ve cleaned from the fireplace walls.
All this cleaning and inspection can be a hassle. You shouldn’t avoid the inspection-that’s a safety imperative. But you can cut down on the amount of cleaning and effort. Burn hot fires, which leave much less creosote. For the most part, that means using as much hardwood, such as oak, as you can afford.
If you can’t afford strictly hardwoods, at least burn them in a mixture with softwoods.
When you do light the fire, build a small, hot fire first so it will heat the firebox and chimney.
Place small kindling on your fire grate first and light the fire. Introduce a few larger pieces of kindling when the smaller pieces have fully caught fire. When the larger pieces are burning well, put on one or two logs.
Make sure the damper is fully open. Leave it that way for about half an hour.
