Regular fireplace maintenance and chimney cleaning is the unglamorous part of owning your own fireplace. Regular inspections must be made to ensure the safety of your home and family, as the integrity of your fireplace can degrade over time due to the elements and normal use. There are certified professionals for hire who inspect and clean chimneys as part of regular maintenance.
In the interest of saving money, Should you clean your chimney yourself? See some of the pros and cons of chimney care and decide what route is right for you.
Clean Your Own Chimney-Pros and Cons
Let’s start with the pros: “Should you clean your chimney yourself?” Of course, the first thing that comes to most people’s minds is saving money. Yes, you could save money if you cleaned the chimney yourself if you owned the proper tools. You would need, at the very minimum, a shop vac, tarps, the correctly sized chimney brushes and extension rods, and, of course, the basic knowledge of how to clean a chimney.
On the con side of the coin, it’s a dirty job cleaning not only the chimney. Good balance and surefootedness are good skills to have, as you could end up on the roof inspecting and cleaning the crown. Unless you have an outside access door, be prepared to reach inside the fireplace to clean out the smoke shelf. Doing a meticulous job is advised, as poorly done maintenance could cause a fire, which your home’s insurance would not likely cover.
Hiring A Professional Chimney Sweep
Let’s start with the know-how for the list of pros on hiring a professional chimney sweep service to clean your chimney. Knowledge is power, and a professional chimney sweep is trained and has passed the exam to be certified by the National Chimney Sweep Guild (NCSG) as a professional chimney sweep. In addition to the knowledge that a professional chimney sweep possesses, a perfected skill set comes with doing many hours of actual inspection and cleaning of chimneys.
Are you still asking, “Should you clean your chimney yourself?”. Although your homeowner’s insurance won’t cover maintenance issues for your chimney, there is a better chance of not having problems with regular cleaning by a professional. There is also the bonus of having your chimney inspected by the service while they are there to clean it. It’s a win-win situation when you hire a certified chimney sweep for cleaning with a well-maintained fireplace and peace of mind.
The Choice Is Yours
So, Should you clean your chimney yourself? The choice is yours regarding the maintenance and care of your fireplace and chimney. If you have the time and the skill, cleaning and maintaining your fireplace could be a good option so long as you continue with regular inspections to avoid unnecessary risk and damage. Time is money for others, and the required skills and cleanup are time-consuming. For more information, look into how to clean your own chimney online.
