Chimney sweep work planned around your fireplace in Bal Harbour

Clearing the cap screen during a sweep

A chimney cap with a mesh screen keeps sparks in and animals out, but the mesh can clog with soot. The Florida Building Code sets a minimum open area for a spark arrestor screen and expects the screen to be reachable for cleaning. A clogged screen loses that open area and can leave smoke lingering in the flue.

When the top is safe to reach, we brush the screen and clear the opening. If the mesh is torn, rusted through or loose on its fasteners, it is noted and priced as a separate cap repair. A cap that is missing altogether is noted the same way.

When the flue bends between hearth and top

Not every flue runs straight. Some bend to pass framing or to reach the roof at a different point, and the bend changes what a rod can reach. Flexible rods handle gentle offsets, while a sharp bend may limit how far a brush travels from one end.

Where both ends are accessible, the flue is cleaned from each side to cover the middle. If a section still cannot be reached, we say where it is and what that means for the result. You should not be told a flue is clean when part of it went unbrushed.

Details that help us plan your chimney sweep

A short call before the visit lets us bring the right rods, brushes and covers. These details help most.

Nothing on the list is required to book. Whatever you cannot answer, we find out during the free inspection. Call us with whatever you have, and we take it from there.

• How many fireplaces there are and which ones you use
• Any manual, model label or earlier record of work
• Recent smoke, odor or noises from the chimney
• Access notes for the roof, a gate or parking

Soft soot, hard crust and what each needs

Soft, powdery soot brushes out easily and is what most cleanings remove. A hard crust clings more firmly and may need extra passes. The two can sit in the same flue, often at different heights.

We tell you which kinds we found and whether all of it came away. If some crust remained, we say where and whether it matters for use. Anything that needs a different method is explained and priced before we try it. A crust that stays behind is written down with its location.