When the winter months start to set in, you should have your chimney and fireplace in excellent working order before you start lighting fires to warm up your home. It is best not to leave it until the last minute, as you will want your fireplace ready once the temperature drops and it begins to get cold. Here are some great tips on how to maintain your chimney and fireplace.
- Hiring a Professional
Your fireplace and chimney work in tandem with each other, so if you neglect one, the other will suffer. As a homeowner, it is easy to maintain your fireplace without professional help, it is an accessible area which can be cleaned without any specialist materials or equipment.
On the other hand, trying to clean your chimney on your own isn’t a very sensible thing to do. It requires expert attention from experienced chimney sweeps who know exactly how to maintain your chimney. They carry the right type of equipment to get the job done without risking injury to themselves or others, climbing up on the roof of your property is extremely dangerous and should only be done by trained chimney sweeps. If your chimney requires maintenance and your residence is based in the South East of the UK, there are a select few first-rate chimney sweeps in Surrey who provide top class cleaning and repair services. These companies deal with all sorts of properties, from residential mansions to commercial enterprises, there are a highly qualified service with many years of experience in the industry.
- Identifying Issues
As a homeowner, there are several things you can do to maintain your fireplace and chimney, when it comes to the latter, you should regularly check inside the chimney by looking up through the fireplace when it is safe to do so. If you notice any soot or other dark debris lining the chimney, you should immediately contact a specialist chimney sweep in Surrey.
- Remove Ashes
When your fire has burnt out, let the ashes cool down and clean away all the debris from your fireplace. You can use a flat, fireplace shovel to remove all the ashes, and place them in a fire-resistant bucket. Once all the heavy material has been eradicated, you can sweep away lighter debris with a brush or hoover it up using a vacuum.
- Additional Cleaning
Although you won’t be able to reach far up into the chimney to remove stubborn soot and other compounds, you’ll be able to clean around the back of the fireplace to ensure it is kept clean and free of obstructions. This takes a little more time and energy, it also requires a cleaning solution designed for fireplace maintenance, use a wire brush to scrub the surface clean.
It is vital that you keep your chimney and fireplace properly maintained to eliminate any major issues and problems. As a homeowner, you should easily be able to maintain your fireplace without much help, but when it comes to servicing your chimney it is best to hire a professional company to do so.