The first thing you should learn is that there is no such thing as a typical, a standard, or a conventional chimney brush, even if wire bristling is now considered the most common feature. This is because there is no such thing as a typical, standard, or conventional chimney. In addition, you will have to measure the precise dimensions of your chimney before you can clean it properly.

You will need a sturdy aluminum ladder to climb to your rooftop and inspect your chimney. If you have a brick chimney, measure the inner flue liner. If you have a squared liner, measure both ways and buy the brush that conforms to the dimensions exactly, because you may miss some of the sidewalls. If the liner is oval shaped, you can buy a brush equal to the rectangular dimension but trim to the circumference.

If your chimney is metal or prefabricated, you may have to remove a cap, though some metal chimneys do not include one. Once you do, pick chimney brushes that meets the exact diameter.

Wire bristling may still be common for chimney brushes but they can scratch metal chimneys, so it is better to use a pre-fab poly brush. These brushes include bristling that is more flexible and less likely to scratch, especially if your metal chimney has a bend in it.

Your chimney determines the best rod to which to attach your chimney brush. Fiberglas rods are inflexible and can be used in brick chimneys, but super flex rods should be used for metal chimneys with tight bends. Poly rods are also flexible but only enough to handle sharp bends or breaks and breaches inside the liner.

If your chimney did not come with a cap originally, you may want to consider buying one anyway. A chimney cap can make the next chimney cleaning simpler, since it blocks many kinds of debris as well as keeping rain and snow and other weather hazards from getting inside and damaging your chimney. It also comes in enough style variations to add a little decorative flair to your rooftop.