How to maintain an older home chimney yourself
Most older home chimney maintenance involves knowing which routine upkeep steps you can handle yourself instead of paying high recurring cleaning fees. Homeowners often look for ways to keep their chimney in good shape and evaluate whether additions like a chimney cap are actually necessary.
What the numbers show
Counted from the threads quoted below. How we count
- The most recent one is from October 2026.
- This comes up 26.3× more often in r/HomeMaintenance than across the site as a whole.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
How to maintain an older home chimney yourself
- 1Getting a sweep once a yearDid this help you?
- 2Buying a steel chimney sweep and cleaning it themselves with a handheld drillDid this help you?
- 3Hiring local contractors to perform the cleaning and inspectionsDid this help you?
- 4Installing chimney caps and ash pit doors to prevent debris and animal intrusionsDid this help you?
- 5Using power chisels, grinders, or hammersDid this help you?
- 6Putting a tarp over the roof to protect shingles and ease cleanupDid this help you?
- 7Hiring professionals (roofers or chimney companies)Did this help you?
- 8Watching YouTube videos for instructionsDid this help you?
- 9Dropping a flexible stainless steel liner down the existing chimney with a tee connection and cleanout cap at the bottom.Did this help you?
- 10Hiring contractors who specialize in old fireplaces rather than stove installation companies.Did this help you?
- 11Insulating around the liner and installing a proper rain cap with mesh at the top.Did this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“Most of this chimney needs to come apart it seems. Im not feeling out of my comfort zone yet, but this is becoming quite the project”source ↗
“Had same experience. Ended up relaying the entire thing and then paid a roofer to properly seal the trim again. Sucked big time.”source ↗
“Moving by hand a seemingly infinite number of heavy, abrasive things while constantly on an incline in a place with no shade… this is why I keep a checkbook.”source ↗
“I ended up doing the top 3ft of mine... yea it sucks.”source ↗
“All I can really find are diagrams and ads for liners for a wood stove insert, but my flue liner is cracked and leaking which is a different issue than an install.”source ↗
“ah man cracked flue liner is no joke, had the same issue couple winters ago.”source ↗
“first company i called tried to sell me a whole stove setup i didn't need”source ↗
“We're in an older home with a newer fireplace (3.5 years)....wondering how I should make sure the chimney stays in good shape.”source ↗
“What all should I do for maintenance? There's a local company that will do a cleaning for $250, but that seems pretty steep for a recurring expense I could probably handle myself.”source ↗
“Also, how much of a difference would adding a chimney cap make?”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 6Why does a chimney keep leaking after multiple repairs?
- 4Landlord installed a dangerous makeshift furnace exhaust vent
- 5How to light the pilot light on an old furnace
- 2Massive gaps around furnace filter and a pipe in the way
- 2How to disconnect a gas fireplace chimney without getting on the roof
- 2How to finish laminate flooring around a fireplace hearth