“How often do I need to do this?” is the first thing most people ask a chimney sweep. AM Chimney Sweep provides chimney cleaning, inspection and repair in Summit, and the honest answer depends on how you use your fireplace. Here is how to work it out.
The standard, in two sentences
NFPA 211, the national standard, calls for chimneys, fireplaces and vents to be inspected at least once a year. The Chimney Safety Institute of America recommends sweeping a masonry fireplace when there is one-eighth of an inch of sooty buildup, and sooner if any shiny glaze is present.
So the yearly visit is an inspection. Whether it turns into a cleaning depends on what is found.
Matching the schedule to how you burn
A handful of fires each winter
You may go more than one season between sweepings, but the annual inspection still matters. Nests, fallen tile and water damage happen whether you burn or not.
Most weekends from fall to spring
Expect to need a cleaning every year.
Nearly every day, or a wood stove or insert
Plan on a yearly cleaning at minimum and a check partway through the season. Stoves and inserts burn slower and cooler than an open fire and build deposits faster.
The three kinds of creosote
- Sooty and flaky. Dull black powder that brushes away easily. This is what a well-run fireplace produces.
- Hard, shiny flakes. Looks like black cornflakes stuck to the flue. It forms when fires are starved of air and takes powered rotary tools to remove.
- Glaze. A dense, tar-like coating that can look like it was poured on. It is the most concentrated fuel for a chimney fire and the hardest to remove. If we find it, the fireplace should not be used until it has been dealt with.
What makes buildup worse in Summit’s older homes
Census Bureau estimates indicate that a third of Summit’s homes were built before 1940 and nearly another third in the 1950s. Older fireplaces tend to have large flues relative to the fire beneath them, and many sit on outside walls. A large, cold flue lets smoke slow down and cool, and cool smoke is what deposits creosote. Unseasoned wood and fires left to smolder do the rest.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 five-year estimates.
The best time to book
Late spring and summer. The burning season has just ended, so deposits are at their peak and any odor from them is about to get worse in humid weather. If the inspection turns up masonry or crown work, there is warm weather ahead in which to do it. And you avoid the rush in October and November, when everyone remembers at once.
What a cleaning visit includes
- Floor and furnishings near the fireplace are covered, and dust is controlled with a vacuum while we work
- The flue, smoke chamber, damper area and firebox are swept
- The flue is inspected and the exterior is checked from the roof
- You are shown what we found, and told plainly whether anything needs repair
How to prepare
- Do not use the fireplace for at least 24 hours beforehand
- Move breakables off the mantel and clear a few feet in front of the hearth
- Let us know about any smoke, odor or water problems you have noticed
Book a chimney sweep in Summit
Call (862) 225-6529 or request an appointment online. Full details of the service are on our chimney cleaning page. If the inspection finds a problem, we handle flue repair, crowns and caps as well; for an example close to Summit, see our leak repair in Berkeley Heights or the rest of Our Work.