sweeping chimney with slate roof

[tobaccogrower]

those of you with slate roofs:

how do you sweep your chimney? last year i had a stainless liner installed. they also put on a cap. i'm installing a new BK princess this week and wanted a cleen sweep before i started burning.

when i got up on the hip roof to look at the chimney it seems almost impossable to reach the cap to remove it. i have a ladder hook to walk the roof safely without damaging the slate but not sure how to reach the cap and get up to sweep. i would need a step ladder to reach the top. the chimney is double flue and about 10 feet on the low side and 5 on the high side. ill get some pics up tomorrow when the sun comes out. i'm having a sweep come monday but would like to be able to do it myself in the future.

any ideas or somthing i'm missing? CANT WAIT for the BK!

 

[pen]

No way to clean from the bottom up?

pen

 

[chimneylinerjames]

One option is cleaning it from the bottom. You could use a product called Sooteater, you can find a few threads here on that product. It will clean it very well from the bottom. One thing that might give you a slight issue is the screen on the cap. But I would think the sooteater could take care of that also. It's one idea.

Another option is using a "Little Giant" ladder or something similar. I used them before for chimney's like yours, it can adjust to any pitch of roof. You put the one set of legs at the base of the chimney going up vertically flush with the chimney. The other section of the ladder will be coming back towards the roof. This works really well also.

I can try to get a pic on here soon to show you what I mean.

 

[Peak and Pine]

Wow, a slate roof to climb. I should have such a problem. Whadda you, Harry Potter?

Anyway, I don't have an answer, but I've got a way to approach the answer. Erect something on the ground that replicates the pitch of your roof, say a sheet of plywood with blocks under one end. Then put something next to it the height of your chimney above the roof line, say a step ladder. Rehearse with these mock-ups. Stumble around. See on which side of your body you'd reach for stuff, can you bend down, carry things, what things, bend over, reach up. Practice your moves there, safely on the ground. And maybe you'll find it won't work at all. Or maybe it will. Or you could call the guy you say did it last year and ask him how he did it.

 

[tobaccogrower]

cant do it from the bottom up. pipe goes through a thimble into the stainless t in the chimney. inless the soot eaters work at 90* angles.

the sweep is coming monday morning. for a $160 he can get up there and i'll get a lesson on how he does it. just wandered if any of you did it yourself with slate

 

[chimneylinerjames]

It depends on the depth of the thimble, it may be difficult to get it to make the bend, but the sooteater will bend 90 degrees.

 

[BrotherBart]

For $160 I would stand on the ground and learn something this year when he does it. And next year when he does it. And the next, and the next and...

 

[tobaccogrower]

thats kinda what i was thinking BB

 

[raybonz]

I'm with BB on this one.. Once a year I have my chimney swept by a csia certified sweep and inspected as the liner warranty requires this.. With a slate roof the risk of falling would be greater especially with the setup the OP describes..

Ray

 

[Flamestead]

We have slate, and we gladly pay the sweep to do the top work, but we also did the install with a thimble and below that it comes down into the fireplace so I can (and do) use the brush from below.

Here's a thread that shows my chimneys. The sweep lays a padded ladder on the roof, and then uses a tall step ladder to get to the top of the chimney.

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/wood-consumption-in-my-ph.95273/#post-1257855

 

[Wet1]

cant do it from the bottom up. pipe goes through a thimble into the stainless t in the chimney. inless the soot eaters work at 90* angles.

the sweep is coming monday morning. for a $160 he can get up there and i'll get a lesson on how he does it. just wandered if any of you did it yourself with slate

That's basically the same setup I have and I have no problem doing mine with the Sooteater in the 35' chimney. After years of doing it this way I just climbed up there to inspect it for the first time after a cleaning and it looks excellent. I did have to buy two kits due to the length of my flue (now I have spare parts too), but it was still cheaper than one pro cleaning and I don't have to worry about the "pros" damaging my roof either!

Best money I've spent regarding chimney cleaning!

 

[Lumber-Jack]

I have a steep metal roof that you can't walk on without sliding, so I made some angled metal brackets that I permanently screwed into the roof that hold a couple planks. I also fastened a couple hooks for holding a ladder.
Easier to just show you. Makes chimney sweeping a piece of cake.

 

[nate379]

I clean mine from the bottom. Roof is 6/12 pitch and my chimney is about 8ft tall and toward the bottom of the roof. One that is near the peak like the above video make it a bit easier to stand and clean.

 

[tobaccogrower]

well, he came, cleand and left. without any broken bones.
he got up on the section of roof that wasnt slate then climed up on the metal cap of the slate roof. he then balanced down the cap till he reached the ridge side of the chimney. took the bolts off the cap, stood inside the cap on TOP of the chimney and did his job.

i paid cash so he dropped $20. it cost me $140. he will be back next year and the years to come untill he retires.

 

[Ashful]

I'd be out there watching how the pro does it this year, and then making up my mind as to whether I can copy that act or just hire him again next year. Again, check your warranty in the liner for stipulations, if such things matter to you.