Chimney sweep and fireplace cleaning in Bal Bay

Glazed creosote removal with a separate treatment

Third-degree glazed creosote is hard to remove with brushing alone. Removal products made for it are applied to the glazed section, where they soak into the deposit. As the treatment dries it loses its grip on the flue wall and falls away, and the rest comes out with a normal sweep.

One maker's product label describes how that works on clay flue tile and stainless liners. The treatment is brushed on where the surface is within reach, or loaded onto an applicator that a winch pulls up through the flue. The fireplace opening stays covered during application, and the crew wears the protective gear the label requires.

Any glazed creosote treatment used on a chimney in Bal Bay goes on the way its label directs. It is priced as its own job on the estimate, apart from the standard sweep, so you can see what it adds.

Protecting your room while the flue is brushed

Soot is fine and travels easily, so protecting the room comes before the first brush stroke. Our technicians lay drop cloths from the door to the hearth, cover the floor and furniture closest to the opening, and seal off the fireplace opening while the flue is brushed.

Loosened soot is caught behind that cover and then collected at the hearth, instead of drifting across the room. The seal stays up until the brushing above is finished and the dust has settled.

Tell us about rugs, light fabrics or delicate finishes near the fireplace when you set up the visit. We protect those first and move nothing heavy without asking.

• Drop cloths along the path to the fireplace
• Floor and hearth covered before any cleaning
• Fireplace opening sealed while brushes run
• Work area cleaned before the crew leaves

The first fire after your chimney is swept

After a sweep, the first fire is a good test of how the chimney draws. Build a small fire with dry, split, seasoned wood, open the damper fully before lighting and watch how the smoke rises. Keep that first fire modest instead of loading the firebox.

A clean flue with a working damper should draw steadily once the fire is going. Smoke that keeps rolling out of the opening after startup means something is still wrong, and the fireplace should wait until the cause is found.

Before they leave, our technicians in Bal Bay tell you if anything from the sweep affects that first fire, such as a damper that needs a firm pull or a glazed treatment that is still drying. That note goes into the written record, along with where the damper handle sits when it is fully open.

Building a fire that burns clean

A clean-burning fire starts small and hot. EPA guidance says to start fires with newspaper, dry kindling or all-natural fire starters, and never with gasoline, kerosene or charcoal starter. Add split wood once the kindling is burning well, instead of smothering it early.

Keep flammable items such as curtains, furniture, newspapers and books away from the fireplace, the same guidance says. Open the damper fully before lighting, and give the fire enough air to burn brightly instead of smoldering. A sturdy screen goes across the opening once it is lit.

A fire built this way sends less unburned smoke into the flue, and less smoke means less residue left behind. Our technicians see the difference in the deposits from one sweep to the next, and they will gladly walk you through a routine that suits your fireplace in Bal Bay.