Plenty of chimney care is genuinely a homeowner job, and you should not pay somebody to do it for you. This guide covers what you can sensibly handle yourself, and — just as importantly — where the line is.
Burn the right wood, seasoned properly
This single habit does more for your chimney than everything else on this page combined. Unseasoned wood is full of water. Burning it wastes energy boiling that water off, keeps the fire cool, and cool smoke condenses on the flue walls as creosote.
Season split hardwood for six to twelve months, stacked off the ground with the top covered and the sides open to the air. Seasoned wood is lighter, cracked across the end grain, and cracks sharply when knocked together. A moisture meter costs very little and takes the guesswork out — you want under 20%.
Burn oak, ash, hickory, and maple. Avoid softwoods for sustained burning, and never burn treated or painted timber, plywood, pallets, cardboard, or wrapping paper.
Build fires that burn hot and clean
A smouldering fire is the worst thing for a flue. Hot, bright fires burn the volatiles that would otherwise deposit as creosote. Damping a fire right down to make it last overnight feels economical and is the fastest way to glaze a chimney.
Try a top-down fire: large splits at the bottom, smaller above, kindling and tinder on top. It lights downward, comes up to temperature faster, and smokes far less than the traditional pyramid.
Warm the flue before you light
If smoke rolls back into the room on lighting, the flue is usually cold. Dense cold air sits in the chimney and resists the smoke. Open the damper fully, roll a sheet of newspaper, light one end, and hold it up near the damper for a minute. You will feel the draft reverse, then light the fire normally.
Monthly and seasonal checks you can do
- Look up past the damper with a torch — flaky black deposits over about 3mm mean it is time for a sweep
- Check the damper opens fully and closes cleanly
- Clear ash, leaving roughly an inch as a bed (it insulates and helps the next fire)
- Look at the exterior stack from the ground with binoculars: missing mortar, cracked crown, leaning, or a missing cap
- Check the firebox for cracked bricks or crumbling mortar joints
- Test smoke and carbon monoxide alarms — Illinois requires CO alarms within 15 feet of sleeping areas
- Look for damp patches or staining on the chimney breast, which usually means water is getting in at the top
Where to stop
Three things are not homeowner jobs, and this is not us protecting our trade.
Roof work. Falls from roofs are among the most common serious home-maintenance injuries. Cap and crown work is not worth it.
Anything involving gas. Gas appliances need someone qualified. Carbon monoxide gives no warning you can smell — see gas fireplace service.
Structural masonry. Repointing looks straightforward and is easy to do badly. Mortar smeared over an uncut joint fails within a season and traps water behind it — the mechanism described on our chimney repair page.
And the honest limit on DIY sweeping: you can clean a flue, but you cannot inspect it. Judging whether tiles have cracked or a liner has separated needs a camera and the experience to read what it shows. That is what a Level 1 inspection, included with every sweep, is actually for.
Questions about something you have found? Call (815) 320-0883. We would rather answer a question on the phone than sell an unnecessary visit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I sweep my own chimney?
You can buy the rods and brushes, and for a short straight flue on a single-storey house some homeowners manage it. What you cannot do is inspect what you have cleaned, which is most of the value of a sweep.
How do I tell if firewood is properly seasoned?
It should be noticeably lighter than green wood, show cracks radiating from the end grain, and give a sharp crack rather than a dull thud when two pieces are knocked together. A moisture meter should read under 20%.
What is the best wood to burn?
Dense hardwoods — oak, hickory, ash, maple. They burn hotter and longer per log. Softwoods like pine light easily but burn fast and cool, which encourages creosote.
Can I burn construction offcuts or pallets?
No. Treated, painted, or manufactured wood releases toxic compounds and can damage the flue. Burn seasoned natural firewood only, and never rubbish, cardboard, or Christmas wrapping.
How do I stop smoke rolling into the room?
Check the damper is fully open, then warm the flue first by holding a rolled-up lit newspaper near the damper for a minute. A cold flue full of dense air resists the smoke until it warms.
Should I leave the damper open overnight?
Leave it open until the embers are completely cold — closing it early traps carbon monoxide in the house. Close it once the fire is fully out to stop heat escaping up the flue.
How do I clean the fireplace glass on a wood stove?
Let it cool, dampen crumpled newspaper, dip it in the fine white ash from the firebox, and rub. The ash is a mild abrasive and works better than most proprietary cleaners.
What should I never attempt myself?
Anything on the roof, anything involving gas, and any structural masonry work. Falls and carbon monoxide are the two ways this goes badly wrong, and both are avoidable.
Published: July 24, 2026