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How to sweep a chimney

Jul 28, 2021

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It is often said, “great things come from hard work.” Similarly, great chimneys come from regular sweeping. Unkempt chimneys are a health hazard to homeowners. They can easily cause fires and structural damages that are expensive to repair.

Chimney sweeping is one of the most fundamental procedures for those with fireplaces. Regular chimney cleaning helps to clear out creosote, a highly flammable substance. It can also detect structural damages that need urgent attention from chimney experts, we have asked Echo Chimney solutions who offer chimney sweep services in Seattle what can they share with us and here's what we got:

To homeowners, learning how to sweep a chimney can help save money. However, sweeping a chimney may sometimes not be as easy as often perceived and may require the experience and expertise of a certified professional. This particularly holds true when there’s an excess buildup of creosote, presence of pets or objects in the flue, or when a steep roof is involved in a top-down cleaning procedure. Whether you decide to sweep your chimney or call an expert, the following materials should not miss in your cleaning kit:

  • Respiratory dust mask

  • A fireplace cover

  • Chimney inspection camera

  • A ladder

  • Duct Tape

  • Chimney Brush

  • Drop clothes

  • A pair of protective glasses

  • A good torch

  • Tar and creosote removal kits

  • Bird nest removal tools

  • Dust sheets


Preparations to Sweep Your Chimney


The technicians from Echo Chimney solutions Seattle also stated that it's important to ensure your fireplace is completely extinguished before you begin your chimney sweeping procedure. As a safety measure, do not light fires the night before you clean your chimney. The tendency of big fires building up from small, harmless ones cannot be ignored.

Any chimney sweeping procedure is likely to make a big mess around the fireplace area. This is where the dust sheets come in. Ensure you cover all your valuables before you begin sweeping your chimney. Chimney debris may not only leave you with messy furniture, but it can also cause significant damage to your electronics.

Chimneys come in different shapes and sizes. For a successful cleaning procedure, you need to know the shape and size of your chimney and get the appropriate chimney brush for the cleaning process. Brushes that are too big may cause further damage to your flue while smaller brushes will not completely remove the debris on the flue walls. A shape mismatch between a chimney brush and a chimney will leave you with poor results.

You should also use your chimney inspection camera to establish how much scrubbing you are supposed to do. Chimneys with little debris will require as little as a single round of scrubbing while those with substantial amounts of debris will require multiple rounds of scrubbing.

The Chimney Seeping Techniques


There are two approaches to sweeping a chimney:

  • a bottom-up technique

  • a top-down technique.


The approach you use is in most cases a matter of preference. However, if a chimney inspection shows more debris on the upper than the lower parts of a flue, a top-bottom approach will effectively clean up your chimney.

If there is a buildup of debris on the lower parts of your flue, a bottom-up approach will be ideal. The approach you choose to sweep a chimney will help you prepare the adequate tools and equipment specific to it.

Bottom-up technique for sweeping a chimney


The safest approach when learning how to sweep a chimney is a bottom-up approach:

The first step in the bottom-up procedure is to insert a chimney brush inside the fireplace opening leading to the flute. Make a small hole on the fireplace cover, and insert the leading rod.

Connect the rod to the brush inserted earlier, and ensure they are tightly fit together.

Seal the fireplace using a dust sheet and tape. Ensure there are no loose ends that will allow debris into your living room.

Push the leading rod up the chimney while connecting more rods as you go high up the chimney flue, you can watch the video here to see more about it. You can use the affordable screw-type rods or opt for lock fast rods.

As you push the rods, rotate them in a clockwise direction to dislodge soot caught up in the flue. Be keen not to push too hard as this may make you miss some areas and bring down torrents of debris.

You will feel it when your brush gets to the top of the chimney. However, experts recommend that you go outside and check. Once you are certain, you can begin to lower the rods repeating the same procedure while removing the rods one at a time.

Give your chimney some time to settle before checking to see your progress. You can repeat this process as many times as you want until your chimney is clean.

Top-down technique


Though effective, this technique is often considered unsafe for those learning how to sweep a chimney. It is advisable to contact a chimney expert if you have a steep roof or if you do not trust yourself with steep heights.

The first step to a top-down chimney cleaning process is to open the damper located above the fireplace. Next, firmly secure the fireplace cover in place to prevent debris from messing up your room. Use a ladder to climb up the roof and use the necessary equipment to remain anchored. Insert the chimney brush into the flue and rotate the rod clockwise as you push it down. Attach more rods appropriately until the brush reaches the bottom of the chimney. Repeat the process while pulling back the brush and detaching the rods appropriately.

If you are still learning, repeat this process until you feel your chimney is as clean as you need it to be. Climb back down and clean the fireplace. Be cautious not to make a mess of your fireplace area.

Learning how to sweep your chimney is not as complicated as often thought. However, not all chimney issues are solvable by just knowing how to sweep your chimney. It is important to know when you can do the work yourself and when you need to call a professional to help you clean and repair existing damages. Do not hesitate to call a certified chimney sweep when you notice a significant buildup in soot or when you suspect the presence of pests or nests in your flue.

The article is in curtesy of Echo Chimney Solutions who are experienced chimney sweep technicians in the Seattle, WA area, contact them via:
phone: (855)431-1193

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