Im about to order my first wood burning stove and Im having it installed professionally. Im running 6 inch pipe up my existing fireplace chimney and the stove place is recommending I have the chimney cleaned before they install the stove and metal flue. Im spending more then i really can to buy the stove and dont have extra money to pay someone to clean the chimney. How do i know if it needs to be cleaned? I never burned anything in the fireplace but I dont know about the guy I bought the house from 12 years ago. the house is over 30 years old. If im going to do I my self what do you use? I imagine something tied to the middle of a rope me on the roof and my wife in the house working the rope up and down but what do I tie to the middle of the rope to really brush the flue?