A chimney sweeping in Wilmington NC is something most homeowners schedule once a year without even thinking about it. While scheduling an annual cleaning is important, it is also essential for you to prepare your home for the sweep’s visit. Here are some things you should do ahead of time to ensure you are ready.
48 Hours Prior
You should stop using your fireplace at least 48 hours before having chimney sweeping services performed. That’s because hot coals can still be present for up to two days afterwards, something that could make cleaning your fireplace dangerous. It is not necessary to clean all ashes from your firebox. Even so, shoveling some of the excess will help the process go much smoother if it has been awhile since you last removed the ashes.
Day of Arrival
Your chimney sweep requires plenty of room in which to maneuver, which means you should:
- Clear out the area that’s within a six-foot radius of your fireplace opening
- Ensure there is a clear path to and from your front door to your fireplace
Once the chimney sweep arrives, you’ll want to put up your furry pets. Animals are known to distract chimney sweeps from their work, and may even track soot across your carpet. Not only that, but the sound of wire brushes scraping against your chimney and the noise coming from an industrial shop vacuum are often disturbing to pets, and may cause them a great deal of unnecessary anxiety.
Keep in mind that cleaning a chimney results in a great deal of dust. As such, you’ll want to stay out of the area as much as possible. Your chimney sweep will cover your floor and furniture with plastic before beginning. If you have other items such as electronics that need to be protected, you should either remove them from the area or ask that they be covered as well.
These things take only a short amount of time, but are nonetheless extremely important. Keep them in mind during your next chimney cleaning to make sure your sweep is able to work as efficiently as possible.
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