Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Safe And Effective Tips In Chimney Cleaning Preparation

By Misty Tyler


Now that the holiday season is approaching, cleaning our house has become more necessary. Not only do we want our place to appear great when relatives and friends pay us some visit. We want it to be at its best when we welcome this wonderful Christmas Eve and New Year.

Your fireplace is among the place that you should not take for granted when it comes to cleaning. For one, they are frequently used this cold season, and two, they house materials that are equally harmful to our health and can cause fires if not addressed. Hiring professionals like the ones working for chimney cleaning Virginia Beach will ensure that this place is properly taken care of.

Ideally, this area of the house should be cleaned twice a year. But depending on the frequency of usage you may have to clean it more. The good news is, you have the options to do your own swipe. As long as you do it right on your end, you may not have to spend too much when hiring professional cleaners. Here is a short guide on how you can do the process yourself.

One, check your fireplace. This will tell you what part needs dusting off and what part has dark spots and the like that needs professional help. This will also make sure that no animals are nesting on it. The presence of birds and squirrels living in this area of the house is nothing new. Fireplaces offer them warmth during the winter so it is a favorite hideout. Ensure that you drive them away before you start.

Second, get the height, size and shape of the chimney. This is necessary to find the appropriate tools you will need later. When doing the estimate, provide extra inches so that you will not fall short on the length of the materials during the process.

Buy the necessary cleaning supplies. If you do not have them yet, your best options is to go the nearest hardware and secure a chimney brush with its extension pipes, small stiff wire brush, drop cloth, ladder long enough to reach your roof, dustpan and broom and mask and goggles. If you can find these materials at home, or can borrow some of them from your neighbors, the better.

Dress right and prepare your place. You will be working with dust and soot so make sure you are well protected. Use the mask and goggles to prevent you from inhaling dust and harming your eyes. Make sure that you wear comfortable clothing that you do not mind getting dirty. To protect your hands, wear gloves. Also, roll back expensive rugs.

Five, detach the damper from the chimney and place it on a drop cloth. Using the brush attached to the rope, begin dusting off those areas that you have identified during the examination process. Remove as much dust as you can.

There are other modes on how you can clean your fireplace. But for a start, these simple steps should be good enough. If you do not want to hassle yourself and would want a more thorough cleaning process, hiring the professionals will be your best choice.




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