What is the difference between chimney cleaning and a chimney sweep?

In practice they describe the same visit. Sweeping is the traditional name for the trade; cleaning is what most homeowners search for. Both mean removing soot and creosote from the flue, smoke chamber and firebox and checking the condition of what is underneath.

How dirty does a chimney have to be before it needs cleaning?

The commonly used threshold is an eighth of an inch of creosote build-up. At a quarter of an inch the flue should not be used until it is cleaned. You cannot judge this from the firebox, which is why an annual look matters even when the fire seems to be drawing well.

Can I clean my own chimney?

You can buy rods and a brush, and for a straight, lightly used flue you may remove some soot. What you will not do is see the condition of the liner, reach the smoke chamber properly, contain the dust, or recognise glazed creosote. The cleaning is the easy half of the job.

How much soot is dangerous?

Creosote ignites readily and a flue fire can reach temperatures that crack clay liners and set framing alight. Any measurable glazed deposit should be treated as urgent, and any flue with more than a quarter inch of build-up should be taken out of use until cleaned.

Does a chimney need cleaning if we only burn a few fires a year?

Occasional use still deposits creosote, and light users often burn less efficiently because the flue never warms properly. Beyond deposits, an annual check catches nests, fallen tile and cap failure, which have nothing to do with how often you light a fire.

Chimney Cleaning

Name: Chimney Monkey
Price range: $$

Over time, soot and creosote build up inside chimneys. Without cleaning, these deposits raise fire risks and reduce efficiency.

Why Chimney Cleaning Is Important

Dirty chimneys cause poor draft, smoke issues, and increased hazards. Cleaning keeps your system safe and efficient.

Our Cleaning Service

Chimney Monkey delivers professional chimney cleaning. Our experts remove soot, creosote, and debris with safe, proven methods.

Benefits for Your Home

Routine chimney cleaning prevents fires, improves heating performance, and lowers repair costs.

Proudly Serving Chicago’s North Shore

With years of experience and thousands of satisfied customers, our team continues to deliver exceptional chimney care across the North Shore. We’re dedicated to protecting your home year-round while expanding our reach to new towns every season. Our growing team ensures prompt, reliable service—wherever you are.

Core Service Areas

Specifically, we proudly serve Evanston, Wilmette, Kenilworth, Winnetka, Glencoe, Highland Park, Highwood, Lake Forest, Lake Bluff, Deerfield, Riverwoods, Bannockburn, Northfield, Northbrook.

Extended Service Areas

We also cover Arlington Heights, Barrington, Buffalo Grove, Des Plaines, Glenview, Hawthorn Woods, & Fort Sheridan.

Therefore, no matter where you live in the North Shore, Chimney Monkey is ready to help. In addition, our team ensures quick response in all listed areas. Likewise, we adapt to local needs for safer results.

📞 Call Chimney Monkey at (847) 994-4388 and let us take care of your chimney needs!

What chimney cleaning actually removes

Three things come out of a dirty flue: soot, creosote and debris. Soot is the fine black powder that comes off easily. Creosote is the problem. It is the condensed, unburned fraction of wood smoke, it is flammable, and it accumulates in layers on the flue wall every time you light a fire. Debris is everything else that has found its way in – nests, leaves, mortar that has dropped out of the joints, pieces of broken flue tile.

The three stages of creosote

Stage 1 is a light, dusty soot that brushes away without difficulty. This is what you want to find.

Stage 2 is crunchy and flaky, like black cornflakes. It needs rotary tools rather than a brush, and it tells us the fires have been running cooler than ideal.

Stage 3 is glaze: hard, shiny and fused to the flue wall. It will not brush off at all, it is highly flammable, and it usually means unseasoned wood or long, smouldering burns. Glaze needs chemical treatment before it can be removed mechanically – see our notes on glazed creosote and Anti-Creo-Soot.

How the cleaning is done

We seal the fireplace opening before anything moves, so the soot has nowhere to go but into the vacuum. A HEPA filter runs throughout. The flue is cleaned from below, from above, or both, depending on the chimney, using brushes for ordinary deposits and rotary chain or whip heads for hardened ones. The smoke chamber and shelf get done by hand, because that is where deposits collect and where cheap jobs cut the corner. Then we vacuum the firebox and take the sheeting out with us.

How much build-up is too much

An eighth of an inch of creosote is the usual trigger for cleaning. A quarter of an inch and the flue should not be used at all until it has been dealt with. Nobody can assess this from a hearth rug, which is the practical argument for an annual visit even when the fire appears to draw perfectly well.

When cleaning is not the answer

Sometimes we clean a flue and the problem is still there. A fireplace that smokes into the room after cleaning has a sizing, height or draught problem. A flue that keeps glazing has a fuel or burning-habit problem. A chimney that smells in warm weather usually has moisture getting in, which points at the crown, the cap or the flashing. Those route to a chimney inspection and, where needed, chimney repair.

What affects the price

The number of flues, how much has built up, whether the deposits are Stage 1 or Stage 3, roof access and height. A single, lightly used flue swept annually is the cheapest chimney you can own. A flue left ten years with glaze in it is the most expensive, which is the whole argument for the annual habit.

Cleaning questions

Is cleaning the same as sweeping? Yes. Different words, same visit. See chimney sweep.

Can I do it myself? You can remove some soot. You will not assess the liner, reach the smoke chamber, contain the dust or spot glaze.

We only burn a few fires a year – do we still need it? Yes, and light users often burn cooler, which deposits more.

How long does it take? Around an hour for a standard single flue.

To book chimney cleaning across Cook and Lake Counties, call 847 994 4388.

Chimney Cleaning Prices

Chimney cleaning is $335 as of July 2026, with the Level 1 inspection included. There is no separate call-out or trip charge, and the price does not change when we arrive. If the flue turns out to hold glazed third-stage creosote that will not brush out, we will show you the photographs and quote the chemical treatment separately before doing anything. Call 847-994-4388.

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