It is that time of year again. Time to clean the chimney. The worst part is the glazed creosote inside the chimney. It comes with having a chimney. Flaky creosote is very easy to remove, but you shouldn’t stop there. It is important to remove that creosote glaze. Here is how to do it.
To properly remove creosote from your chimney, it is important to understand the different stages of glazed creosote that can be present. According to Oregon Chimney Repair and Cleaning Inc., a chimney service in Portland, some stages of creosote in your chimney can be dangerous and put you at risk for fires. Let’s go through the different stages of creosote before moving on to how to remove it.
If you have a chimney, then you can bet that you will get some form of creosote. The first stage of creosote is easy to remove. It is often flaky and can generally be swept away with a chimney brush.
If your chimney’s creosote is at stage one, understand that the sooner you remove it the better. More than likely though, you are past stage one, into glazed creosote. If you are seeing a glaze, keep reading on how to remove it.
When you have gone from a flaky creosote to a more tar-like texture, chances are you are in the second stage of creosote. This can be removed a lot easier than stage three, but not as simply as stage one. This takes a lot more scrubbing. It can often be mistaken for stage one, but as you get to removing the creosote you will notice that it is sticking more than it should.
This is the stage that can be the most dangerous. It can also be the stage of creosote that is the most difficult to remove. With a stage three, you will see a glaze along your chimney. This is definitely a stage three. It can be the most difficult to remove. Without the proper information then you may spend hours scrubbing.
Take a look below to see some ways that make it super simple to remove that glazed creosote. Remember that it is important to remove it as soon as possible to prevent a fire.
There are a ton of products on the market that are being sold to remove the glazed creosote from your chimney. Some of them are really effective while others are not. There are some that will literally remove the glazed creosote with no issues at all. That makes for an easy task. Here are some effective products that remove the glaze from your chimney below.
This is also known as PCR. The chemical is easily applied to the chimney. Once it starts working its magic, the PCR will melt away the glaze. The great thing is the glaze does not end up in the bottom of your chimney in one big nasty glob. What happens is the PCR absorbs it as the glazed creosote melts. You will have a clean chimney and can rest assured that there will be no fires due to the dangerous creosote in your chimney because it will be gone.
You can find more information about Poultice Creosote Remover on YouTube.
This product is actually non-toxic. So, if you were looking for something more natural and environmentally safe, then you found it. The price ranges anywhere from $10 to $42. The variation is due to the amount that you intend on buying. It has a smell of citrus and works amazingly fast. The application process is simple. If you want a non-toxic product to remove the glazed chimney creosote then this is it. It works at industrial strength.
You can find more information on Anti-Creo-Soot at Amazon.
Sometimes things are better left up to the professionals. While it is completely fine to use some products yourself to get the job done, a professional makes it even easier. Not only do they know exactly what chemicals to use and when they also have all the tools needed.
While you will experience some creosote buildup no matter what you do, it is important to try to prevent the buildup. Regularly sweeping your chimney can prevent this. Also, burning some regular newspaper before you light the wood can help prevent it too.
Hopefully, you will be able to get your chimney clean from all that glazed creosote. You can find more information on how to remove that stubborn creosote glaze in this YouTube video to help you remove the glaze quickly.
