Cleaning a chimney without professional help can be a daunting task. Climbing on the roof to do it is simply not an option (as it is extremely unsafe), so you’ll be stuck doing it from inside the house.
So, yes, cleaning a chimney from the inside of your home can be done, but whether it’s worth it or not is up to you to decide. In this article, we’ll explain the ways you can clean your chimney by yourself while considering the potential risks and costs of doing so.
Without any further ado, let’s begin.
DIY Chimney cleaning requires specific tools and techniques
Chimney cleaning takes some serious preparation. This prep-work can often be quite expensive and time-consuming, especially if it’s your first time cleaning the chimney by yourself. You’ll need more than a handful of tools, sturdy protection gear, as well as some practice before you finally get to work.
The essentials include durable, heavy-duty cloth tarps, task-specific vacuum cleaners with extension hoses, gloves, masks, goggles, and a high-quality brush toolkit. You can find these on Amazon and other similar websites, but remember to choose a reliable supplier before anything else. That especially goes when you’re browsing for safety gear. Quality should always be your first priority there, but more on that later.
Other than that, make sure to read up on different cleaning techniques and methods you can apply in your own house. Every chimney is different, so you might need to adjust the existing techniques to fit your home’s unique needs.
Whatever you do, never try to clean it from the roof
We’ve already mentioned this before, but we’ll say it again: without proper training, you should never climb onto your roof for chimney cleaning purposes. It can be extremely dangerous, and it’s never worth the risk. Even if your roof isn’t particularly high, you’re still risking a serious injury for something that can be done in a much safer manner.
Again, your chimney can be cleaned from the inside of your home, and it’s a safer method for everyone looking to start their at-home chimney maintenance routine.
Overall, cleaning it from the roof is never a good idea, especially if you lack experience and relevant training in roof-climbing.
Cleaning it from inside the house might be possible but not the best way to go about it.
Let’s be realistic: no matter how much time you spend on cleaning, you’ll never do as great of a job as a professional that does it from the roof. This method is considered to be the most reliable one for a good reason, but as we said, it shouldn’t be practiced by non-professionals and amateurs alike.
So, yes, you can clean the chimney from inside your home, but you probably won’t be able to do it as properly as you’d want. Some areas would be out of reach for you, which is less than ideal. Still, as long as you periodically call in the professionals to help you, cleaning it in this way won’t hurt at all. In fact, it can be quite beneficial for your home and the state of your chimney.
Again, professional cleaners such as those at doctorchimney.com should be your go-to option most of the time. DIY-ing it is completely fine, but it shouldn’t be the sole source of maintenance your chimney gets.
It can get overly expensive after a while
Your primary motivation in learning how to clean your chimney is probably of a financial nature. Unfortunately, if you think DIY maintenance is going to save you some money, you’re up for an unpleasant surprise. The up-front costs of certain tools you’ll need for an effective cleaning job (such as the commercial vacuum) can be quite high, but that’s not all there is to it. Most of the tools and safety gear you’ll be using aren’t extremely reusable.
You’ll have to go equipment-shopping more often than you’d probably want to, which is not something we’d call ideal.
Besides that, the entire process can be extremely time-consuming and risky. If you damage your furniture and your chimney or injure yourself while cleaning it, you’ll only have yourself to blame. Hiring an insured and licensed cleaning company is a more affordable and hassle-free way to go about it.
Your insurance company will still require you to hire professionals from time to time.
If you’d like to sell your home in the future or you want to keep it insured from a fire hazard, you’ll be required to hire professionals for annual chimney inspections. In some countries and cities, this is also regulated by Law.
Whatever the case, you probably won’t be able to “avoid” professional maintenance at least once per year. It’s probably for the better, as professionals will do it thoroughly and in more detail than an amateur ever could, keeping the risk of fire at bay.
Safety, safety, safety!
DIY-ing the chimney cleaning process from the inside is not a bad idea per se, but it can still be risky if you fail to protect yourself in time. You’d be exposed to toxic and harmful substances such as creosote while cleaning the flue, which isn’t something you’d like to risk. So, make sure to purchase a high-quality respirator mask, safety goggles or glasses, and a sturdy pair of gloves. Don’t forget to protect your furniture while you’re at it, and don’t hesitate to do more research on chimney cleaning and its safety gear. A mask, gloves, and protective goggles are only the bare minimum!
The bottom line
Cleaning the chimney from inside the house is a possibility, but it’s not the best way to go about it. Hiring professionals to do it from the roof is your safest bet.
If you’d still want to do it yourself, you’ll need to purchase a wide set of tools, equipment, and safety gear. Stay away from the roof, and keep your mouth covered with a high-quality respirator mask at all times.
Overall, we hope our article helped you understand the topic a bit better and we wish you good luck in all of your future endeavors.
