Technicians from Carolina Chimney Sweeps complete a job in Shandon

If the re–release of the movie Mary Poppins has you humming Chim chim Cher–ee , take that as a sign that it’s time for you to call a chimney sweep.

Or a warning. Technicians from Carolina Chimney Sweeps say it’s a call all fireplace users should make annually, though most don’t. These professionals discourage homeowners from counting on Santa’s descent to break loose the soot accumulated inside their chimneys.

Before kindling the urge to throw open the damper, throw a few logs into the grate, and strike up a warm blaze, fire builders should stop and consider whether their fireplace is ready. They could spark a disaster if they have not removed the built–up residue from last winter’s fires. Getting the soot out is a quick and clean procedure under the watch of professional chimney sweeps.

Today’s chimney sweeps may not all sport top hats, but they are quite likely to dress for success in all–black attire. Gloves and stocking caps are appropriate accessories for the coveralls pulled on over jeans and sweatshirts.

The exterior metal caps installed at the tops of most contemporary chimneys mean the modern–day chimney sweep works from the inside up. Before they wheel their equipment into the room where the fireplace is located, technicians lay down a canvas tarpaulin to protect the surroundings. Next, they take a careful look up the chimney, aided by a strong-beamed light.

If the fireplace is a pre–manufactured insert, technicians check for cracks or breaches where the corners of the hearth insert meet. When masonry fireplaces are their cleaning objectives, they are looking for chinks in the mortar or signs of problems with the flues. Technicians with Carolina Chimney Sweeps are trained and prepared to make minor repairs in such cases.

The chimney sweep’s arsenal is comprised of a huge motorized vacuum cleaner, round wire brushes, and a half–dozen or more extensions that look like sections of garden hose. A visual estimate of the chimney’s height suggests to the technicians how many extensions they need to bring in for the job.

Lying on his back, as though to look up the chimney for Santa, the chimney sweep begins with a large wire brush attached to the end of the first length of flexible hose. As he turns the brush, the vacuum cleaner, with an opening the size of a bread and butter plate, is sucking up the soot before it can drift into the room.

With the addition of each section of hose, the job gets tougher because the hose, to be flexible enough to move about the interior of the chimney, is also unwieldy. Adding a section at a time, the technician works his way up the inside, stopping just short of the metal chimney cap.

As the extensions are lowered back out of the fireplace, a member of the technician team collects them and removes them from the room. A final sweep of the hearth is made with a wide brush, and the technician carts away in a pail any residue captured in these last strokes. With a firm pull, the damper is closed, and the job is finished. The canvas is carefully folded and taken out, and all equipment is removed.

Now, if the weather outside is frightful, a fire can be delightful.