Imagine this. You’ve scheduled your chimney sweep and put it on the calendar, and now the time has arrived for it to arrive. At this point, you may be wondering, “Do I need to do anything for when my Chimney Sweep arrives?”

Your sweep requires little from you, but knowing what they do is a huge help in ensuring your appointment goes successfully. Since most contractors charge by the hour, it’s wise to prepare your chimney so that your contractor spends less time on your property, saving you a lot of money.

Some of the things you can do to prepare your chimney for cleaning include:

Put the fire out

This may sound obvious, but it is usual for your sweep to arrive to sweep a chimney while the fire’s embers are still burning hot. This is wrong.

Ideally, you shouldn’t use your appliance or fireplace in the 24 hours before your appointment; nevertheless, if your fire is your sole source of it, this may not be practical.

Speak with your sweep and let them know about this. They may be able to schedule your appointment for later in the day to give your fire time to properly cool down if you used it the night before.

Stoking your ash pan and ensuring that your coals are out before your sweep’s appointment is an excellent practice that your sweep will greatly appreciate.

Clear the space in front of your fireplace.

Your cleaning professional will come with a variety of tools. The first step in every chimney sweep’s routine is to lay down a ground sheet in front of the fireplace for them and their equipment to live and work on for the length of the sweep.

Most sweeps should be able to fit in a space two meters wide and a meter and a half in front of the fireplace.

To give your cleaning professional enough space, move any furniture, carpets, and ornaments from this area and around the fireplace in preparation for your sweep’s arrival.

Keep away children, pets, and valuable items.

Chimney debris is not something you want to breathe in. You and your family must remain at a safe distance from your sweep while they are operating.

Your sweep will wear a PPE3-certified (or higher) air filtering mask and utilize the aforementioned Hepa-rated vacuum to ensure that no one is inhaling anything they shouldn’t.

For the safety of your pets and your sweep, keep all pets (yes, even the cute ones) away from the sweeping area or, better yet, out of the room entirely.

To reduce the danger of damage, lock any valuables away or remove them from the work route. Remember that it’s always better to be cautious than sorry.

Clear your mantle

In addition to removing valuable items, fireplace equipment, and anything else near the fireplace, you should also clean the items on your mantle.

This is particularly true if any of the goods are fragile. While the chimney sweep will try not to disturb these items, the cleaning procedure may generate vibrations that cause them to fall.

Remove anything that may fall on the chimney sweep as well.

Make a list of things wrong with your chimney.

If you discover anything unusual about your fireplace, you should put it on a list and notify the chimney sweep before they begin work. This includes any unusual odors or evidence of wetness.

Before beginning, your chimney sweep will discuss your fireplace and its condition. During this time, express any concerns you may have.

You should carefully review the risk to ensure you don’t skip anything.

This list helps the sweepers understand what they’re dealing with and which portions of the chimney may require special care. It also informs them if any damage to the chimney may necessitate additional repairs.

Even after the contractor is done with the work, you should go over the list to confirm that they covered all areas.

Don’t worry about covering your furniture with dust sheets

The days when cleaning professionals walked into your home and just threw a brush up the chimney, releasing an avalanche of soot and other chimney debris, are over.

Modern sweeps will ‘sheet up’ your fireplace to prevent debris from entering your home, and they will be fitted with Hepa-certified vacuums to eliminate dangerous particulates.

Rest assured that what was previously a very nasty task has now been thoroughly cleaned up.

While this is the case, there is nothing wrong with adding extra care and another layer of protection.

Clean the fire grate and ash pan.

In addition to inspecting your embers, now is a good time to empty the ash from the previous fire. Cleaning out the ash from your fire is not normally included in the sweeping service, but if you forget, your sweep will most likely take care of it for you.

While this is the case, it’s always wise to clear the grate and ash pan to make the cleaning professional’s job easier.

How often should you clean your chimney?

Sweeping your chimney once a year is enough to keep it clean and free of harmful creosote accumulation and other obstacles.

Besides regular cleaning, you should also undertake a chimney inspection, allowing you to spot even the most minor abnormalities before they become fatal.

Some of the issues that you should look out for include:

• Cracked or split brickwork
• Broken or missing chimney cap.
• Cracked chimney flue.
• Decaying wood/damaged mortar

When you are hiring chimney cleaning services Bowie providers, don’t hire the first one you come across. Instead, you should take your time to research and find a reputable professional who will not only professionally inspect and clean the chimney but also recommend the best way to keep the unit in top working shape at all times.

Since you will be working with the contractor each year, you should find one with a great personality. You don’t want to be stuck with someone you don’t enjoy spending time with, do you?

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