How frequently should my chimney be cleaned? 

With 12 fires or more per season, it's recommended to have your chimney inspected and cleaned annually to maintain a safely operating system. If you plan on using it, or have had more than 15 fires in the past, it's always good to have it cleaned. Start your burn season off on the right foot and establish a baseline of safety! Do everybody in your house a favour and err on the side of caution. Ensure your chimney is not plugged by leaves, branches, or glazed creosote. 

Fire department's recommendation: "Your chimney should be professionally inspected once a year and cleaned when necessary." 

Annual chimney cleaning can prevent costly repairs and devastating chimney fires. 

How is a chimney cleaned?

With WETT certification we have the specialized training to clean your chimney properly, and recognize any issues and address any concerns. Also with SITE comprehensive inspector certification we will deftly identify problems and recommend solutions. 

Here are three types of brush systems currently used today: 

1. Rotary brush system - A brush head powered by a drill with hundreds of revolutions per minute. These poly brush tools are designed for all aspects of cleaning especially inaccessible chimneys. 
2. Polybrush system - Specifically designed for stainless steel Flex liner systems. The poly brush is a rigid plastic brush that is designed to create vibration as well as friction inside a manufactured flue liner. 
3. Steel wire brush - Classical wire brush designed for clay and pumice flue tiles. 

What types of chimney cleaning methods are available today?

There are two chimney cleaning methods available for both wood burning and oil chimney flues . Depending on the accessibility of the chimney, chimney’s can be cleaned from either the top down by accessing the roof (our preferred method) or from the bottom up at the appliance. 

With every cleaning a visual inspection of the flue tiles for glazed creosote buildup, cracks and holes is performed. Safety is the #1 concern for ourselves and our clients! 

The exterior of the chimney is also inspected for any water leakage through the crown, mortar joints and flashing. 

Fireplace Cleaning: 

-Cleaning of the chimney flue, ash removal from the firebox, smoke shelf and smoke chamber. -Cleaning of glass doors and or screen protection. A visual inspection is also done on the smoke chamber, smoke shelf, damper assembly and fire box. -Along with any clearances to combustibles for safety. -If a fireplace damper does not close properly or is seized in the open position it can allow up to 450 cubic feet of air per hour to escape the home. 

Woodstove or Insert Cleaning: 

-Cleaning of the chimney flue, removal and cleaning of the smoke pipe, baffle system, air intakes, ash removal from the firebox, Lubrication of door hinges, cleaning of the glass door. -Inspection of door gasket, smoke pipe connection to the chimney, Ember pad protection and visual inspection of clearances to combustibles. 

Oil Furnace/Boiler Cleaning: 

-Cleaning of the chimney flue, removal and cleaning of smoke pipe, heat exchange and debris removal. -Visual inspection of the smoke pipe condition and connection to the chimney. -Close attention is paid to the interior of the oil flu integrity. It is not uncommon to have spalling Clay tiles with cracks and holes inside the chimney because of the heavy sulphur content in the flue gases. -Visual inspection of clearances to combustibles.