Chimney Sweeping & Cleaning in Northwest Indiana
Soot and creosote come out of the flue, the smoke chamber and the firebox, and none of it ends up on your carpet.
By Mark Jason, owner of NWI Chimney Sweep · 34 years sweeping NWI flues
The sweep, in the order we do it
A chimney sweep runs in six steps: protect the room, read the deposits, brush the flue, clean the smoke chamber and firebox, then report. The real job is mostly dust control and knowing what the deposits are telling you about how the fire has been burning.
Floor and hearth protection
Canvas runners go down from the door to the hearth, and a sealed tarp frame closes off the fireplace opening. The vacuum hose passes through that seal, so the firebox stays under suction the whole time the brush is turning.
Read the firebox before touching it
Before anything is disturbed, Mark looks at the color and texture of what is on the damper and back wall. Grey-brown powder means hot, clean fires. Black, shiny scale means wet wood or a choked air supply, and it changes which brush head goes on the rod.
Brush the flue from the bottom up
Flexible rods on a drill spin a poly or wire head matched to the liner: poly for stainless, flat-wire for clay tile. Working from below keeps the mess contained; the roof is used when an offset or a cap problem makes it necessary.
Smoke chamber and shelf
The sloped area just above the damper collects more creosote than any other part of the system because it is rough, corbelled brick. It gets its own hand brushes and a scoop-out of the smoke shelf behind the damper plate.
Firebox, damper and ash dump
Brick, grate and damper are brushed down and vacuumed, the damper is worked through its full travel, and the ash dump door is checked for a seal.
Level 1 look and a plain report
With the soot gone the readily accessible parts can actually be seen: firebrick joints, the first flue tiles, the cap and crown from the ground or roof. You are told what was found and what, if anything, needs a closer look.
What comes out: the three stages of creosote
Creosote is unburned wood tar that condenses on cool flue walls, and sweeps grade it in three stages by how hard it is to remove.
| Stage | What it looks like | How it comes off |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Loose, dull soot and light flakes | Standard rotary brushing |
| 2 | Hard, crunchy black flakes, like burnt cornflakes | Stiffer heads, rotary chain or cable whips on a sound liner |
| 3 | Glazed, tar-like coating that can drip and re-harden | Brushing will not move it; needs a chemical modifier applied over time, and sometimes a new liner |
Stage 3 is the fuel in most chimney fires, and we will not pretend a single pass removed it. If glaze is found, you will hear the options, which may include a Level 2 camera inspection of the flue to see whether the tiles under it have already cracked.
When a sweep is due
A chimney is due for sweeping once a year under the inspection interval in NFPA 211, or sooner when any of these show up:
- A year has passed since the last one, even with light use. Nests, fallen tile and moisture damage do not depend on how many fires you lit.
- Deposits have reached an eighth of an inch, the depth at which the Chimney Safety Institute of America advises cleaning.
- Smoke rolls into the room on start-up when it did not before.
- The fireplace smells sour in humid July weather, which is creosote absorbing moisture off Lake Michigan air.
- You burned a cord or more through a wood stove or insert; those run cooler flue temperatures and load up faster than an open fireplace.
What a sweep does not cover
A chimney sweep is cleaning plus a visual check; it does not include a camera scan, masonry repair or one-visit removal of glazed creosote. Masonry problems found along the way are quoted separately as chimney and masonry repair, and a missing rain cover is handled under caps, crowns and dampers.
What affects the cost of a chimney sweep
The cost of a chimney sweep depends on how many flues are cleaned, what appliance is attached, the creosote stage and roof access. A second flue in the same stack is a second sweep. A wood stove or insert costs more than an open fireplace because the baffle and connector pipe come apart first. Stage 2 deposits need stiffer tooling and more time, stage 3 glaze is a separate treatment, and a steep or tall roof adds setup whenever the top has to be reached. Published starting prices are on the chimney sweep pricing page.
Across the county and into Porter
NWI Chimney Sweep cleans fireplace, stove and insert flues across Lake County and into Porter County, including chimney sweeping in Crown Point, Hobart fireplace cleaning, sweeps in Munster and wood stove flues around Valparaiso.
Chimney sweeping questions
How long does it take to sweep one fireplace flue?
Plan on roughly an hour for a single open fireplace in normal condition. Wood stoves and inserts take longer because the baffle, and sometimes the connector pipe, has to come apart to reach the liner, and heavy stage 2 deposits add time for any appliance.
Will sweeping leave soot in my living room?
It should not. The opening is sealed with a tarp frame and kept under HEPA vacuum suction while the brush runs, and drop cloths cover the path in and out. If you can smell soot afterward, the containment was not set up properly.
Can a chimney be swept in the middle of winter?
Yes. The firebox and flue need to be cool, so let the fire go out the evening before and leave the ashes in place. Most of the brushing happens from inside the house; the roof is only needed when ice and pitch allow safe footing.
Do you sweep from the roof or from inside the house?
Mostly from inside, pushing rotary rods up from the firebox, because it keeps dust under vacuum control. The top is used when the flue has an offset the rods cannot pass, or when the cap and crown need hands on them.
How can I tell which stage of creosote I have?
Shine a flashlight past the open damper and scratch the deposit with a poker. Powder that falls away is stage 1, crunchy flakes that resist are stage 2, and a glassy surface the poker skates across is stage 3 glaze, which means stop burning and call.
Can a creosote sweeping log stand in for a brushed chimney cleaning?
No. Those logs carry a catalyst that can dry out some deposits so they brush off more easily, but nothing physically removes the loosened material or looks at the liner. They are a supplement between sweeps at best. The chimney still needs brushing and a yearly look.
Does a masonry fireplace with gas logs still need sweeping?
It needs a yearly check and occasional cleaning. Vented gas logs produce soot and water vapor, old wood creosote may still line the flue, and the damper must be clamped open. Sealed gas units are a different job, covered under gas fireplace tune-ups.
What should I do before the sweep arrives?
Stop burning at least twelve hours ahead, move breakables off the mantel and clear about six feet in front of the hearth. Leave the ashes; they are easier to vacuum cold than to carry through the house. A cold, cleared hearth lets the chimney sweep start on time.
Smoke where it should not be? Call Mark.
A person answers the phone from 7am to 9pm, every day of the week.
Call (219) 203-9797