Homeowner Guide · La Grange, IL
Chimney & Fireplace Care: What You Can Do Yourself
Plenty of chimney and fireplace upkeep is safe for a careful homeowner — and knowing the basics helps you burn safely and spot trouble early. Here is what you can do on your own, and where it pays to call a pro.
Do It Yourself
Safe chimney care for homeowners
You don't need a technician for everything. These simple habits keep your fireplace safer and cleaner between professional visits, and none of them require getting on the roof or into the flue.
- Burn only seasoned hardwood. Wood dried for 6–12 months (moisture under 20%) burns hotter and leaves far less creosote than green or wet wood. Avoid burning cardboard, trash, or treated lumber.
- Build smaller, hotter fires. A hot, well-oxygenated fire produces less smoke and creosote than a smoldering one. Give the fire plenty of air when you start it.
- Open the damper fully before lighting. A partly closed damper pushes smoke into the room and leaves more residue in the flue.
- Clean out cold ashes. Wait at least 24 hours, then scoop ashes into a metal container with a lid and store it outside on a non-combustible surface — ashes can hold live embers for days.
- Test your detectors. Keep working smoke and carbon monoxide detectors near the fireplace and test them monthly. This is the single most important safety habit.
- Watch for warning signs. A tarry smell, smoke rolling back into the room, or debris in the firebox all mean it's time for a professional sweep.
Leave It To A Pro
What you shouldn't DIY
Some jobs carry real safety risk or require training and equipment. For these, call Chimney Sweep Brothers rather than tackling them yourself:
Sweeping the flue
Proper creosote removal needs the right brushes, rods, and containment. A partial DIY job leaves flammable buildup and a big mess.
Anything on the roof
Cap, crown, and flashing work means working at height on a slope — a leading cause of homeowner injuries. Leave it to a pro with fall protection.
Inspecting the liner
You can't judge a liner's condition from the firebox. It takes a camera scan to find cracks and gaps that make a chimney unsafe.
Masonry & repairs
Tuckpointing, crown repair, and relining require the right materials and code knowledge to be safe and durable.
Rule of Thumb
The one-year rule
Even with great DIY habits, have your chimney professionally inspected once a year (the NFPA 211 standard) and swept whenever creosote builds up. A yearly checkup catches the hidden problems — liner cracks, crown damage, blockages — that no amount of careful burning can prevent. Think of it like an oil change for your fireplace: cheap, routine, and far less costly than what it prevents.
Fuel & Heat
Your fuel decides how much heat reaches the room
Even a well-built fireplace underperforms if it's fed the wrong fuel. Two of the most common reasons a fire looks lively but leaves the room cold come down to what you're burning — and both are easy for a homeowner to correct.
The wrong fuel for your fireplace
Match the fuel to the appliance. A wood-burning firebox wants split hardwood — oak, hickory, maple, ash — which burns hot and long; softwoods and manufactured logs flare fast and fade without ever heating the masonry. Never burn construction scraps, pallets, painted or treated wood, or trash: they spike dangerous temperatures, glaze the flue, and still don't warm the room. If you have a gas appliance, don't add wood to it — it's engineered for one fuel only.
Damp or unseasoned wood boils instead of burns
Fresh-cut wood is close to half water by weight. Burn it and the fire spends its energy boiling that moisture off as steam instead of radiating heat into the room — you get a lukewarm, smoky, hissing fire that cakes the flue with creosote. Wood split, stacked off the ground, and covered on top for a season or two (under 20% moisture) delivers far more usable heat from the same armful.
Quick signs your fuel is costing you warmth
You can read the fire. Steady bright flames and a bed of hot coals mean the fuel is right; lazy yellow flames, constant hissing, logs that are hard to light, or a glass door that blackens fast all point to wet or wrong fuel. An inexpensive moisture meter settles any doubt. Fix the fuel first — it's the cheapest heating upgrade you can make.
FAQ
Common questions
Can I clean my own chimney?
You can handle basic upkeep — burning seasoned wood, clearing cold ashes, testing detectors — but a full flue sweep is best left to a professional with the right brushes, containment, and an inspection to confirm the chimney is safe.
How can I tell if my firewood is dry enough?
Well-seasoned wood is lighter, has cracks in the end grain, and sounds hollow when knocked together. A cheap moisture meter reading under 20% confirms it. Wet wood is the number-one cause of excess creosote.
How do I know when my chimney needs sweeping?
Signs include a strong tarry smell, smoke entering the room, an eighth-inch or more of black buildup on the damper, or animals and debris in the firebox. When in doubt, book an inspection.
Is it safe to store fireplace ashes indoors?
Only briefly, in a covered metal container — and even then, keep it away from anything flammable. Ashes can hide live embers for several days, so the safest place is outside on concrete or bare ground.
How often should I have a professional inspection?
Once a year, per NFPA 211, even if you burn rarely. Annual inspection catches liner, crown, and blockage problems that DIY care can't reveal.
Do gas fireplaces need this kind of care too?
Yes — keep the glass and area clear and test your CO detector, but leave burner cleaning, venting checks, and ignition service to a technician once a year.
Want a professional set of eyes on your chimney?
Book an inspection or sweep with Chimney Sweep Brothers — honest guidance and a price up front.
Call (708) 432-5330