How to Clean a Fireplace

Fireplace cleaning has never held the honor of being placed on most “things to do” lists. In fact, most indoor fireplaces go neglected for years, leaving you and your family at high risk for chimney and flue fires. As many as 35% of all household fires are the result of indoor fireplaces. Learn to check your fireplace and chimney for signs of buildup and potential fire risks. Thanks to new and improved tools, fireplace and chimney cleaning is easier than ever.

How Often

Fireplaces which are used at least 4-times per year, should be checked and cleaned once each year. The best time of year to do maintenance work on your fireplace and chimney is between late spring and early fall.

What To Look For

Creosote

Creosote is a brown or black residue which shows itself on the inner surfaces of the flue liner. This highly combustible material can reach temperatures exceeding 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit, and is the cause of most chimney fires. Check your flue area once a year for a coating that appears brown or black and is greater than 1/8-inch thickness.

Soot

Soot is made up of carbon. These fine black particles can gather and collect anywhere in the home. Fireplace doors, decorative brick, and mantles are common areas of soot buildup.

Checking Your Hardware

The first step toward maintaining your fireplace is to check it for damage, buildup, and wear.

Damper

The damper is located in the throat of the chimney area, above the actual fireplace. It has a cast iron frame and cast iron hinged openings. The damper is the hardware inside your fireplace which controls and regulates the air allowed inside the fireplace and chimney. Dampers also get incrusted Creosote, soot, and misdirected ash buildup.

Open and close the damper several times. It should open and close freely, while fitting snuggly against the smoke shelf. Watch for debris that may restrict air flow and remove it using a chimney or fireplace brush. Also, use a flashlight and check around the damper area for cracks or rusted sections of metal. Dampers which are broken or corroded should be replaced immediately.

Flue

The flue is the pipe that runs between your fireplace and your chimney. The flue is also a common area for Creosote buildup. The flue can be cleaned with a hard bristled, chimney, or specially made flue brush. See directions below.

Glass Doors

The majority of all fireplace glass doors are made of tempered or safety glass. Fireplace doors should be cleaned regularly of soot and creosote to help improve heat transfer and prevent weakening and damage. Glass doors can be cleaned between fires with a weak mixture of vinegar and water. Rinse thoroughly.

Danger Signs To Watch For

CRACKS or loose mortar in the chimney area should be inspected by a professional immediately.

LOOSE brick or mortar around the fireplace itself should be repaired immediately. This can be done using a refractory cement or heat-proof sealer. Also, watch for cracks or disfiguring in the chimney’s liner.

DEBRIS, which often collects around the fireplace hearth can start a fire in an instant. Clean the floor around the fireplace regularly and never store flammable materials or decorations any closer than 8-feet from the fireplace.

How To Clean Your Fireplace

Safety Measures

When cleaning, always wear safety goggles and a dust or respirator mask. You may also wish to spread newspapers or a large tarp in front of the fireplace before cleaning to prevent staining rugs or carpeting.

Cleaning The Fireplace

What You’ll Need

Short chimney brushes or flue cleaners

Vacuum

Broom

Metal container with lid.

Stiff bristled brush

If you’re also having your chimney cleaned (or will be doing it yourself), it’s important to do that first. That way, clean up will only take place once.

1. Using a short chimney or flue brush, clean the flue with short, but strong, strokes.

2. Using a stiff bristled brush, scrub the outside of the damper until it is buildup free.

3. Remove ashes from the fireplace hearth area and damper and place them in a metal container.

4. Vacuum the surrounding floor thoroughly, making sure to remove all flammable objects as you go.

5. Any soot which has settled or hardened on the fireplace glass or external decorative bricking can be removed with bleach and water or a degreaser.

A Word About Chimney Cleaning

Chimney brushes and other tools are readily available for purchase or rental to those who wish to tackle the job themselves. In order the clean a chimney properly, you’ll need a complete set of chimney rods, brushes, and a ladder. The chimney is cleaned by opening the damper, climbing up on to your roof, removing the chimney cap and brushing the inside of the chimney with short, forceful, plunging motions. This action will move creosote and other debris into the fireplace hearth. From there, you’ll move indoors to clean up the mess and proceed cleaning the fireplace.

Tips And Tricks

USING a clean burning wood will make less cleanup for you. Oaks, ashes, hickory’s, madrodes and other hardwoods burn cleaner than soft woods. (Stay clear of pine, cedar and fir!)

OVERLOADING your fireplace by building a fire that’s too large for the space it’s burning in produces “smoky” fires due to lack of oxygen. This means more cleanup for you.

USE a fireplace screen to ensure safety.

KEEP trees around the chimney area clean. Trim branches as often as necessary to help minimize the risk of fire. Also, keep the roof area free of leaves, pine needles, and acorns.

INSTALLING a flue or stovepipe thermometer will help to monitor the internal temperature inside the flue.

BUILDING small fires, instead of large ones, produce more heat and less smoke.

ALWAYS use a supporting grate when burning logs. Place large logs on the grate at the rear of the fireplace for cleaner burning fires.

ALWAYS stack firewood outdoors and at a minimum of 35-feet from the exterior of your home.

COVER the chimney with a mesh screen or chimney capt to prevent hot sparks from escaping and small animals and debris from entering.



By: yangxp

About the Author: