Birds’ nests, tree foliage, trash and other debris can clog your home’s chimney, making it dangerous to use. Soot and crumbling bricks are also hazardous; if the chimney’s flue is not kept clean, your home is at risk every time you kindle the fireplace. Your home's structure and age may also play a part in the overall health of its chimney. Determine if there is a blockage in your chimney by looking at it yourself or hiring a professional maintenance company.
Inspecting the Chimney
Wear a safety mask or goggles for eye protection. Don a pair of gloves and place a handkerchief over your mouth and nose to ward off loose, falling soot. Wear a hard hat to protect your head. Chimneys that have not been cleaned periodically may have a lot of debris.
Open the chimney’s maintenance door. Typically, it is located outside the house, but check your home’s blueprints for the exact location. Place the mirror through the maintenance door, facing upward. With your other hand, shine the flashlight on the mirror. Adjust the angle to allow you to see up into the chimney.
Inspect the chimney flue from the outside of the building and again from the inside of the fireplace. Open the damper, and shine the flashlight and mirror up the walls. Insert a broom handle or long stick through the fireplace opening.
Feel the heat. When the fireplace is operating, heat and moisture will back up into the home. When the chimney is unused, during summertime, for example, soot from a wood-burning fireplace or rust debris from the metal hood of a gas fireplace can amass. The amount of debris can be excessive if the chimney sits unused for a long time.
Things You Will Need
- Safety goggles
- Utility gloves
- Handkerchief or face mask
- Hard hat (if desired)
- Hand mirror
- Broom handle or long stick
- “Inside" chimneys are built entirely within a structure up to the roof. “Outside" chimneys have three walls exposed outdoors; they are considered dangerous because the masonry may not protect the flue or adjoining structure from catching fire.
- Contact a professional to service your chimney as recommended.
- Chimneys that are not built straight up may be harder or impossible to see through.
- Watch out for spalling -- the result of crumbling brick from water or condensation that freezes in the pores.
- Some homes may not have “clean” doors on chimneys. Consult a professional to determine the location of your home’s chimney maintenance access port, if there is one.
- Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images