Summary: How often to clean a chimney guide, when to clean a chimney and what wood causes the most soot build up.
Cleaning your chimney is important to ensure the efficiency of the flue remains good and that the soot doesn’t catch fire. A build up of soot (creosote) is inevitable, but can happen at different speeds. Certain wood, such as pine, creates a more rapid build up of creosote. It is not advised that you burn this wood type.
Knowing whether the chimney needs cleaning is not judged by time or number of fires, but simply by physically checking the state of the flue. Using a poker or other implement, you need to scrape away the soot from the chimney walls.
It is possible to clean a chimney yourself; however you must use the right tools for the job, as well as the correct safety clothing.
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