As you research how to clean your fireplace, you’ll come across many different opinions on how best to approach the job. Some people recommend that you clean your fireplace first, before you put any other furniture in the room. Others say that you should let the wood sit in the firebox before putting anything else in the room. The only way to know for sure if what you’re about to do will cause problems, or improve your enjoyment of your wood-burning fireplace, is to try it and gauge your results.
The best way to evaluate how you do on your fireplace cleaning is to use some common sense: look at the big picture. It s a fact that your fireplace cleaning can be a big mess, so don’t just concentrate on the here and now. Make sure that you inspect the entire space, including all surrounding surfaces and surroundings, in order to determine the cause of your creosote buildup. It s a general recommendation that professional cleaners handle your fireplace cleaning efforts, but it s also a very good idea for you to be aware of the space around your fireplace, because these are possible hazards. For example, stagnant water can build up over time in corners, creating an ideal environment for bacterial growth, and so forth.
Many people assume that a professional’s training and expertise will give them the ability to inspect their homes with little or no supervision. While this may have been true in the past, it is not the case anymore. In the past, home inspectors used to visit homes “off-site” to do the actual inspection. Nowadays, many companies have realized the importance of conducting inspections where a homeowner can actually see what he or she is doing.
When it comes to evaluating your fireplace cleaning sweep for possible buildup of creosote, the inspector will likely take a flashlight with him or her, to provide a more hands-on inspection. The flashlights usually come with handheld magnifying glasses attached to them. You can request that the inspector use ultraviolet light to remove the remaining deposits of creosote, if necessary. (The ultraviolet light is particularly useful to remove the darker, harder-to-see deposits.)
If you are getting professional fireplace cleaning services, you can expect to be pampered for quite some time. Most inspectors start by conducting a complete visual inspection. This means they look at every nook and cranny of your house with a flashlight. The professional will then carefully inspect your chimney, as well as any other places where there may be a potential problem. With your permission, they will also be able to see inside your walls, so they can find any dirt or other evidence of dirt build-up. (If you plan to use a vacuum cleaner to clean the inside of your walls, it is a good idea to remember to turn it off before the cleaning begins, and remove all of the dust particles from the air hose before using it.)
Once your inspection is complete, the professional will then load up a truck with a special fireproof cleaning solution. (You should not have to rent a truck unless you own your own home!) The solution will kill any remaining living creosote, and then he or she will pour a mixture of water and detergent onto the spots they found. Finally, the cleaner will rinse everything away with a truck-mounted hose.
It’s important to make sure that the fireplaces are completely spotless when your chimney cleaning company takes care of your house. Professional cleaners will not use any kind of paint or waterproofing product on wood burning fireplaces, so you must be absolutely sure that the walls, ceilings, and porches are spotless before they even begin to clean. (Even the slightest speck of dust can be a fire hazard, so it is always best to remove it as soon as possible.) Any time you spot something dirty, however, you must take care in the manner in which you clean it. A few buckets of hot water followed by a vigorous scrubbing with a stiff brush should be just about enough to take care of a single problem.
Overall, hiring professionals for Fireplace cleaning services can really help to keep your homes looking great, even during the colder months. You’ll find that the difference between a clean fireplace and a dusty one is huge, and it can have a real impact on your health. If you do not believe that they are worth the investment, consider the cost of a single sick day to yourself, and then figure in how many more days you’ll be able to stay home instead of spending all day in a cold, drafty house!