Tools and Materials

Tools

Materials

Note

Product costs, availability and item numbers may vary online or by market.

Why Does a Chimney Need to Be Cleaned?

As you use your fireplace, creosote builds up inside of the chimney. This flammable substance can ignite into a fire that spreads throughout the chimney and to your home. Even a minor chimney fire can damage the flue liner, leaving the chimney more vulnerable to fires in the future.

Chimney cleaning or chimney sweeping is a good idea at the start and the end of the season. Regular cleaning of a chimney can reduce the risk of a chimney fire, but even if you choose to clean the chimney yourself, you should also have the chimney inspected by a professional on a regular basis. Professional inspection will check for creosote as well as blockage, damage and structural problems.

Shop Chimney Brushes Shop Chimney Brush Rods Shop Chimney Caps

Tip

Wet or green wood doesn’t burn as efficiently as dry wood. If you burn mostly green wood, you need to have the chimney cleaned and inspected more frequently.

Can I Clean My Chimney Myself?

A red brick chimney with a black metal mesh chimney cap.

Chimney cleaning can be a DIY project depending on:

Level of Buildup and Creosote: If you find 1/8 inch of buildup or more, or if you see indications of a serious accumulation of creosote, the chimney cleaning is a job for a professional.
Experience and Method: If there’s not much creosote or buildup, you may be able to handle the job yourself depending on your experience and whether you clean the chimney from the roof or from the fireplace.

General steps for two types of chimney cleaning are below. Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions and cautions for the tools you use. Even if you don’t clean the chimney yourself, learn the steps so you understand the work that a professional chimney sweep will do for you.

Caution

If you’re not comfortable with the idea of cleaning the chimney yourself or if you find evidence of chimney damage, hire a professional chimney cleaning service.

How to Clean a Chimney From the Roof or Fireplace

You can clean a chimney top-down from the roof or from the bottom-up inside the house. 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. With the bottom-up method, you won’t have to go on the roof, but the job will be messier.

Shop Safety & Workwear Shop Shop Vacuums

Caution

Wear goggles and a respirator or dust mask when inspecting and cleaning the chimney. It's also a good idea to wear work gloves to protect your hands.

Steps for Chimney Cleaning

Measure the diameter of your flue liner so you can get the correct brush size. The brush should be about 1/4 to 1/2 inch larger than the chimney diameter. A brush that’s too small won’t be effective, while one that’s too large will be difficult to use and may get stuck in the flue. Make sure the brush is suitable for your type of chimney.

You’ll connect the brush to several rods to clean the entire chimney. Determine the height of the chimney to ensure you have enough. Make sure the rod and brush connectors are compatible.

Caution

If you're going to be working on the roof, use a fall protection system, with equipment such as a harness, lanyard, roof anchor and lifeline. Follow all instructions for use and safety.

Tape a tarp down around the fireplace to protect your floor from soot, ash and any other debris. Remove the andirons and grate as well as any other accessories as needed to access the firebox, and clean any ashes and pieces of wood from the fireplace.

Open a window or an exterior door for several minutes to let the air pressure of the room balance with the pressure outside. This step can prevent a larger mess when you open the damper.

A man lying down next to an empty fireplace shining a flashlight up into the chimney.

Open the damper and wait a couple of minutes for the room to equalize with the outside. Shine a flashlight or work light up into the smoke chamber just above the firebox and up into the chimney. A mirror may be helpful. Scrape a poker or metal rod along the surface of the firebox and the flue to check for buildup. An accumulation of material that is 1/8 of an inch or more, or buildup with a shiny surface, needs to be cleaned before using the fireplace again. Remember, these types of buildup should be left to a professional.

Caution

If you can’t easily access the smoke chamber and smoke shelf — the flat area at the bottom of the chamber — contact a professional for the cleaning job. They’ll be able to clean this crucial area.

A man attaching an extension rod to a wire chimney brush.

On the roof, you may need to remove a chimney cap or other type of fitting covering the chimney. Attach a rod to the brush and insert the brush down the chimney, moving it up and down to clean the flue. Expect some resistance if the brush is the correct size. Add more rods as you lower the brush to clean farther down the flue. Scrub the interior of the flue thoroughly. Remove the brush, disassembling the rods as you take them from the flue. Reattach the chimney cap or other fitting as necessary.

If you’re cleaning from inside the house, push the brush up the chimney, cleaning with an up-and-down motion. As you push the brush farther up, add additional rods until you’ve cleaned the length of the chimney. Then remove the brush, disassembling the rods as you go.

After removing the brush, it’s a good idea to shine a light into the flue and make sure you’ve done a thorough cleaning.

Caution

Use care when ascending and descending the ladder. Follow the warnings and safety instructions on the ladder. Our Ladder Buying Guide also has tips for using a ladder safely. When you’re using the ladder and when you’re on the roof, stay away from power lines.

Tip

Devise a method to keep your rods in place on the roof while cleaning the chimney.

Allow time for the dust and debris to settle. Carefully remove enough of the cover to clean the areas you couldn’t reach with the chimney brush. You can use a small chimney brush or a wire brush. Clean the smoke shelf thoroughly. A long, bendable brush will be helpful to reach it. Cover the fireplace again and wait a few minutes for everything to settle.

Tip

When removing the cover, work carefully to avoid stirring up the debris. Make sure windows and exterior doors remain closed to avoid drafts that could spread soot and dust.

A man using a shop vacuum to clean the fireplace hearth after cleaning the chimney.

Carefully remove the cover again and brush or vacuum off the smoke shelf. Shovel or vacuum up the debris from the fireplace. Dispose of the debris properly. Check the regulations for your area that govern the disposal of creosote.

Tip

If you use a shop vacuum to clean up the debris, have enough extension hose to position the vacuum outside so the exhaust doesn’t blow into the house; the filter may not catch all of the soot.

How to Clean a Chimney: DIY or Call a Professional?

Tools and Materials

Tools

Materials

Why Does a Chimney Need to Be Cleaned?

Can I Clean My Chimney Myself?

How to Clean a Chimney From the Roof or Fireplace

Steps for Chimney Cleaning

Related Tags: