Chimney Sweep Tools of the Trade
Cleaning chimneys is a very messy job. Professional chimney sweeps require certain tools to do their job effectively. Here is a look at some of the most important chimney sweep tools of the trade.
Cleaning chimneys is a very messy job. Professional chimney sweeps require certain tools to do their job effectively. Here is a look at some of the most important chimney sweep tools of the trade.
Brushes will need to be used to get rid of all types of debris in the interior of your chimney. Brushes can be made of various materials including polypropylene,
plastic, or metal. Also, brushes will be of various sizes so they can fit into chimneys of different sizes correctly. Only brushes of the correct diameter will be able to clean the inside of the chimney thoroughly.
Rods are also important chimney sweep tools. The chimney sweep will need to attach the brush onto the rods in order to get them down the chimney. Like brushes, rods can be made of different materials too. Popular choices include wood and fiberglass. Some chimney sweeps even make their own.
Sweeps typically have to get up close inside the chimney to do their job effectively. Brushes will be useful for this purpose. They offer more power to get out more difficult stains. Not all types of debris will be able to be removed with brushes alone. Chemical soot removers will come in handy when this situation presents itself. You should also know there are certain chemicals you can put on your fire which will keep your chimney from getting as dirty in the first place.
The chimney sweep will not be able to clean the chimney completely by standing inside the fireplace. He will need to get on the roof and reach down inside the chimney from the top too. A ladder will obviously be needed and is another important chimney sweep tool of the trade.
As mentioned previously, cleaning out chimneys is a very dirty process. The furniture and floor in the same room as the fireplace will need to be protected from all the soot that comes out of the chimney. Therefore, the chimney sweep will need to make use of drop cloths. Another important tool is a vacuum. This will actually help get up all the soot that is cleaned out of the chimney.
You do not necessarily have to hire a chimney sweep to clean your chimney. You can get your hands on most of the required tools yourself. You will just need to be willing to get yourself very dirty to do the job like it should be done.
