So I have lived in my condo for just about 3 years now, and have never had the chimney cleaned. I looked up with my flashlight today and def looks like there is tons of creosote build up( not that I know what that looks like,but I googled it). Id love to do it myself with a flue brush, but being in a condo I don't really have access to the top of the chimney. I started contacting local companies and some have said they do it from inside now ......WTFFFFF. HOW CAN IT BE DONE FROM INSIDE GOING UP...dontall the creosote and black soot all fall on your when your looking up there to see what your doing..... Any advice or pointers for getting this done, after seeing what the flue looked like I don't really wanna have another fire until its done.
What did it look like in the chimney? Not shiny or shiny? The reason I ask is because, to me: Shiny=very bad=pay a pro to sweep Not shiny=somewhat normal=diy with a sooteater or brush If you want to do from the bottom, you'll need a sooteater.
BTW Its an open face fireplace, not a wood stove. And ill have to double check tomorrow and try to get a picture...Ask the pro's on here.
I wish it were more definitive, but here it depends on the chimney sweeps intergrity/dedication, and experience. We had one out to do our 3 stoves when we moved in mid winter, burned like crazy that record setting low year with no worries. The next year upgraded stoves, and the old chimney in particular turns out had large creosote chunks, like 6" and 8", previous sweep took one or two down, they stayed on top of the slammer stove that entire winter we went through 8 cords, I shudder realizing my false sense of security. Ended up having to borrow an attachment that had chains linked instead of metal or poly brushes that attached to rods and then to a drill. The steel/poly brushes were useless with those rock hard creosote built up. Another note, I have seen a chimney swept from the inside at an expensive exclusive resort type place. They taped up the opening to the giant fire place with plastic, ran 2 ash vacs inside the plastic the entire time, and a 2 other workers operated the drill with chains and fed the pole up and down the chimney.
I don't have a big fireplace but that is the way one chimney sweep did it. IIRC he had a piece of cardboard that he taped across and ran his sooteater thru a hole in the cardboard. He ran a vac at the same time. No mess in the house at all.
I cleaned from bottom up for 14 years at my last house. I used a 6" steel brush. Pulled the single wall from the stove to the ceiling. Push the brush in, gently, just to clear the opening. Push the bottom of the first rod though the edge of a plastic kitchen size garbage bag. Tape the bag to the ceiling fixture. Run the brush up the pipe, screwing the rods on as you go. All the mess falls in the bag. Worked great. Good luck!
Great advise above, if you unsure of exactly how to sweep. You could always hire a pro, see how they sweep, and what tools they used. Then start doing it yourself, use what you like, from the pro. Taylor it to your fireplace and condo. Also look at using a creosote destroying additive.
Not having access to the top, I would probably hire it done, at least for the first time. I'd also perhaps get in contact with whoever so you could have access.
