Everyone who grew up watching Disney movies remembers Dick Van Dyke covered in soot singing and dancing on the rooftops. His group of like-minded chimney sweeps and ragamuffins sang catchy little songs like Chim Chim Cheree and Step in Time while cleaning out chimneys throughout London.

While this was a very fun movie to watch, that’s all it was. The actual life of a chimney sweep isn’t quite so fun. And if I were to start singing and dancing on your rooftop, dogs in every direction would howl.

What a Chimney Sweep Does

Thankfully, sweeping chimneys doesn’t include singing and dancing. We do actually have a very important job to do. We can clean and inspect every part of your chimney, all the way to the fireplace or wood stove. We also check out other items that have flues such as a boiler, and we clean dryer vents and hoses. Here’s what a standard chimney sweep cleans:

  • Firebox
  • Fireback
  • Smoke Shelf
  • Damper
  • Flue
  • Refractory Panels
  • Masonry

Today’s Chimney Sweep Tools

Chimney sweep tools are still similar to the ones you saw in Mary Poppins; not exactly, but similar. Our brushes are round with stiff bristles that thoroughly clean the creosote off of the interior of the flue. We don’t use the same type of rods for our brushes because we’ve discovered that flexible rods do a much better job and allow us to reach hard to reach places with ease.

We may also use industrial vacuums, cameras to ensure that the interior of your chimney is clean, and other cleaning tools or equipment. The tools we use are of the highest quality and they’re replaced as often as needed. You can probably imagine that our job is a dirty one that quickly wears tools out.

Safety is Number-One

We always take our safety and yours into consideration while we’re working. We use safety equipment while climbing the ladder and while walking on your roof. Hundreds of chimney sweeps are injured or killed every year in fall accidents. A fall of 10 feet has the potential to kill or seriously injure.

CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep in Drexel Hill

Our CSIA certified chimney sweeps at Lou Curley’s Chimney Service hold multiple certifications and participate in ongoing education to maintain our expertise in the field. We have helped many Drexel Hill area homeowners with chimney problems and routine chimney cleaning as well. Call us at 610-626-2439 for an appointment for a consultation.