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Chimney sweep brushes play in important role in fire safety and chimney maintenance.
If you're considering cleaning your chimney yourself, as opposed to hiring a professional chimney sweep, it's important to have the correct brush to ensure a proper and thorough cleaning.
Here's the confusing part though..
With such a vast selection of brushes available in various sizes, shapes, materials and styles, there's really no 'one size fits all' option.
In fact, solving a Rubik's Cube puzzle can often seem easier than figuring out what brush you need to properly clean your own chimney.
Fortunately, figuring out the correct brush size, material and how the brush functions is actually easier than you think.
To simplify things, let's look at the different types of brushes available to determine the correct style for your chimney.
Functions Of The Brush
All chimneys and fireplaces require at least one annual inspection and cleaning and possibly more depending on the frequency of use.
Neglecting this procedure can lead to a house fire and nobody wants to be standing out in the freezing weather watching your house burn down due to ignoring this important task.
Using a wood-burning fireplace or stove leads to a buildup in creosote and soot debris, which needs to be removed for everything to operate efficiently and safely.
This is where brushes have their shining moment of importance.
They remove all the buildup so your unit functions properly and without the worry of things catching on fire.
Types Of Chimneys
The type of brush required depends on the type of chimney and flue you have.
Basic chimney materials are either masonry with clay flue tiles or pre-fabricated and metal.
Chimneys made of masonry experience more creosote buildup than those made out of metal or prefabricated styles and require a different brush to accomplish a proper cleaning job.
This is the first detail to take into consideration when selecting appropriate chimney sweet brushes that do the job and won't damage your chimney.
Measuring Your Chimney
After determining the type of material of your chimney, the next step is to measure your chimney so you know the correct size of chimney sweep brush required.
The measuring process isn't complicated, but be sure to consider safety as you will have to climb up on your roof to access the chimney.
To error on the side of safety, it might be a good idea to have an extra person on hand while you do the measuring.
- Note the chimney's shape, as some can be round, square, oval and rectangle. This allows you to know what shape of chimney sweep brush is required to clean the area properly.
- Use a tape measurer and measure the chimney's length, width and inside dimensions. Having these dimensions not only assist in selecting an appropriate sized brush, but it also lets you know what size rod attachment you need to reach all areas of the chimney for proper cleaning.
Chimney Sweep Brushes - Considerations
Since brushes are available in so many different shapes, sizes and materials, after getting your measurements and noting the chimney's material, it should now be relatively easy to select the correct brush.
If your flue has an irregular shape, you can purchase a brush that is slightly larger and cut it down to the appropriate size before using.
However, important facts you should note when making your brush selection are:
- Selecting a brush bigger than your chimney can become lodged inside and be difficult to remove.
- Selecting a brush smaller than your chimney won't do a proper cleaning job because it can't reach all the areas.
- Metal or prefabricated chimneys require brushes made out of polypropylene because they still get the cleaning job done, but won't damage the metal lining.
- Wire bristle brushes are most commonly used and are suitable for use on masonry chimneys.
Types Of Brushes
Once you have all the information required to select a correct brush, but you still feel confused on what you need, don't hesitate to ask a professional at the store.
If ordering online, call customer service and someone will be able to assist you to make sure you purchase what you need.
Basic chimney sweep brushes include:
Round, Square or Oval Wire Brushes:
Most common types of chimney sweep brushes used to clean creosote and soot debris.
8-Inch Round Chimney Cleaning BrushThese types of wire brushes come in homeowner and professional versions, with the professional types having more bristles, which make the cleaning job a bit easier and quicker.
This style of brush is for masonry chimneys and can damage metal or prefabricated types.
Flat Wire Brushes:
These types of chimney sweep brushes are stiffer than regular wire brushes with flat tines.
They are great for heavy-duty jobs where the stiff flat tines have better scraping action to remove glazed creosote.
This style of brush is for masonry chimneys and can damage metal or prefabricated types.
Standard Polypropylene Brushes:
These types of chimney sweep brushes are suitable when used on metal or prefabricated chimneys that do not have a large amount of creosote buildup.
8-Inch Poly Chimney Cleaning BrushThe stiff brush won't get around the bends of the chimney.
Therefore, they won't do a thorough job if the area requires a heavy cleaning.
Pre-Fab Polypropylene Brushes:
When your metal or prefabricated chimney has a heavy buildup of creosote, this is the style of brush best suited for removal of the debris.
They are more flexible, easier to use and will get into the bends of the chimney.
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Chimney Sweep Brushes - Overall
Whatever type of wood burning system you have, proper maintenance and cleaning is important.
Doing the research to get the right brush guarantees your system is safe, functions efficiently and will keep you warm through the cold nights of winter for years to come.
In the history of chimney sweeping, there isn't a chapter that honestly resembles the depiction of the joyful sweep played by Dick Van Dyke in the classic movie Mary Poppins. Sadly, for centuries chimney sweeping was not an enviable or safe profession, though it was always very much needed. Honorable chimney sweeps of today are respected professionals. Present-day experiences are very different from those of chimney sweeps down through history.
The earliest signs of chimneys go as far back as the 13th century in Italy, though it still took centuries for chimneys to really catch on. The professional of chimney sweeping got its start in the 16th century in England.
Originally, only the ruling class in England had chimneys, and chimney sweeps had the filthy job of keeping them clean. It wasn't long, however, before the working class began requesting that fireplaces and chimneys be built in every room of their homes. Chimney sweeps had plenty of work to do and would sometimes simply move from roof to roof cleaning the creosote and soot from chimneys.
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England began charging a hefty hearth tax in the 17th century, and it was based on how many chimneys a home had. Builders began connecting flues with existing chimneys, to avoid the tax. As a result, chimneys became narrow, pitch black, complex mazes which chimney sweeps had to clean.
The importance of chimney sweeps became even more important when most people began using coal instead of firewood. If the sticky soot deposits were not regularly cleaned, toxic fumes would fill the homes.
With the increased use of coal, chimney sweeps became a symbol not only of a good hearth but also of good health, since they restored clean air in homes.
Tragically, the way chimney sweeps accomplished getting the maze-like chimneys cleaned was by using small boys to do the work. The children were either orphan boys chosen to be chimney sweeps or were sold by destitute parents to a chimney master.
The small boys would work from dawn to dusk and were forced to climb through the chimneys in exchange for a place to sleep, food, and water. They would scrape the coal deposits from the flue linings. If a child was hesitant to climb, oftentimes the chimney master would light a small fire in the fireplace as motivation; this is where the phrase 'to light a fire under someone' originated.
The young sweeps, who were usually between the ages of 5 and 11 years old, suffered many perils. Their bones often became deformed because of the positions their bodies were constantly in as they scooted up chimneys. Sometimes they became trapped and died in the chimneys. The children suffered from soot inhalation, which many believe is why child chimney sweeps rarely lived past middle age.
Adolescent chimney sweeps suffered from the first recorded industrial cancer. The deadly cancer was also very painful.
Many people recognized the cruel treatment suffered by the young children used to clean chimneys, and efforts were made over the years to put an end to it. Several pieces of literature helped with the effort, including a poem by William Blake entitled 'The Chimney Sweeper.'
The 'Act for the Regulation of Chimney Sweepers' was finally passed by the English Parliament in 1864, and it put an end to child chimney sweeps in that country.
Necessity being the mother of invention, another method was required to clean chimneys. Joseph Glass invented brushes and canes for cleaning chimneys in the 18th century, and his basic designs are still in use today.
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Jacks or better casino. Among the notable improvements in equipment used by chimney sweeps are cameras which can be lowered into flues in order to detect whether there is any damage to the lining.
Rather than being coated with soot, the chimney professionals of today are educated in the science of fireplaces and chimneys; and they are also familiar with applicable building codes.
Contact our chimney technicians for all of your venting needs. We help to ensure that your fireplace and chimney are safe to use. Fortunately, with advancements in sweep technology, we don't have to jeopardize our own health, as was necessary in days gone by, to help protect yours.
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