How to Prepare Your Home for a Chimney Sweep

Your fireplace is a relaxing feature in your home. Whether you have one in the living room or a bedroom, it’s an enjoyable part of your homeownership experience. However, fireplaces do come with a fair amount of responsibility, including regular sweeps from Chimney Champions. However, this process isn’t always the tidiest, so we thought we’d help you prepare for our visit.

Make Sure the Chimney is Cool

Before we can come to inspect and sweep out your chimney, you’ll need to make sure it’s cool. The best thing to do is avoid using it for 24-48 hours before your appointment with us. The bricks should also be cool to the touch, and you shouldn’t have any glowing or warm embers in the fireplace. If the fireplace isn’t cool, our sweeps cannot perform their necessary checks and cleaning routines.

Clear the Mantle

To prepare for an appointment, we advise homeowners to clear things off the mantel. Doing so prevents us from knocking over your great-grandmother’s china plate or any other decorations you hold valuable. Please make sure you remove any remaining logs and ash from the firebox as well. 

Protect the Nearby Furniture

While we are always clean and careful, some soot does escape us and lands on nearby furniture. That’s why we tell clients to cover the upholstery with a sheet or towels. Unlike your cushions, you can wash these sheets or towels if they get dirty with soot. We’ll put something down on the floor, but you should cover the room’s furniture to avoid it getting dirty. 

Notify Us of Any Issues

Before we begin our inspection and cleaning, make sure you notify us of any concerns you have. This can be anything from foul odors to improper smoke ventilation. When we’re made aware of the issues, we know where to look. Your problem could be a simple fix or something more in-depth, but we need to know before going into the sweep and inspection. 

Schedule Your Appointment Today

With the holidays right around the corner, you might be dreaming of cozy fires while entertaining family at your home in Jacksonville, FL. But if you haven’t used your fireplace for months, you’ll want to ensure it’s safe to use and clean for the holiday season! So, give Chimney Champions a call. We’ll inspect and sweep your chimney, so it’s ready to go. We can even replace covers and caps. So, schedule your appointment today at (904) 268-7200.