Pro tip: Is it better to sweep from the top down or bottom up?

I've been on jobs where other sweeps swear by starting at the roof and working down, but I've always done it bottom up. Last week in Denver, I tried it the other way on a tricky clay liner and ended up with soot everywhere. Maybe it depends on the flue type or how dirty it is. What do you all do when you run into a heavy creosote build up?

2 comments

2 Comments

cameron_chen2d ago

Wait, are you talking about sweeping a chimney or like cleaning a room or something? Because those are two totally different things. If you're sweeping a chimney, you always work from the top down. That's just basic physics, man. If you're talking about a fireplace or a flue, starting at the bottom just pushes all that soot and creosote up into the air and back down on you. That heavy creosote build up you mentioned needs to be broken loose from the top so it falls straight down into the firebox or a drop cloth. I've done it both ways on accident before and bottom up is a guaranteed mess every time. For heavy stuff, I use a wire brush attachment on my drill from the top, scrape hard, then vacuum from below. That clay liner you tried probably got scratched up too if you were fighting it from the bottom.

robert_hayes2d ago

Hang on, are you sure about always going top down though Cameron? In my experience with some older chimneys that have been neglected for years, starting from the bottom actually lets you break up the worst of the debris right there in the firebox before it has a chance to come loose and fall on you. Your mileage may vary of course, but I've had success using a shop vac from below while scraping with a long brush, then finishing from the top to get the rest. That way you don't end up with that initial avalanche of soot all over your head and the roof. The clay liner damage is a real risk from either direction if you're too aggressive.