A chimney sweep in Beverly Heights with a written record
A defined cleaning scope, a covered hearth and debris carried out of the house when the work ends.
- Owned and run locally
- Available for same-day service
- Fully licensed and insured
- Family owned and run
What prompts a chimney cleaning call
- Nest material on the smoke shelf
- A cap screen furred with soot
- Fires that are slow to draw
- Sticky residue around the damper frame
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Sweeping the flue and the parts around it
Soot and debris on the smoke shelf
Many masonry fireplaces have a flat shelf behind the damper, at the base of the smoke chamber. Soot, fallen mortar, leaves and nest material can gather there. Because the shelf sits out of sight, debris on it may stay unnoticed through many fires.
Clearing the shelf by hand and with the vacuum is part of a thorough cleaning. What we find there can say something about the chimney top, such as a missing screen or loose masonry. We describe that finding separately so the cause can be dealt with and not only the debris.
Chimney odor and what a cleaning can change
Deposits in a flue can smell, especially on damp days or when air moves down the chimney into the room. Removing the deposits often reduces that smell. It may not end it, because odor can also come from water in the masonry or debris on the shelf.
Describe when the smell appears: after rain, with the air conditioning running, or only when the fireplace is lit. That pattern helps separate a cleaning job from a water or draft problem. If cleaning is unlikely to solve it alone, we say so before you approve the work.
Smoke you can see or smell regularly
A fireplace in good order should send its smoke up and out. EPA guidance notes that if you regularly see or smell smoke, there may be a problem. The cause might be the fuel, the way the fire is built, or a restriction in the chimney.
Cleaning addresses the restriction part. When we visit, we ask about the smoke before we start, then look at the flue and cap screen with that complaint in mind. If the flue turns out clear and the smoke persists, we explain the other likely causes.
The throat between firebox and smoke chamber
The throat is the narrow opening where the firebox meets the smoke chamber, usually where the damper sits. Soot and flakes build up on its edges and can partly close it. Smoke then struggles to leave, especially as a fire starts.
Cleaning clears the throat along with the damper frame. If the throat is misshapen or partly blocked by masonry, brushing cannot change that. We describe the shape we found and whether it is likely to affect how the fireplace draws.
Items in a chimney cleaning visit
- Smoke chamber and smoke shelf clearing
- Top access plan agreed in advance
- Unreached sections noted in writing
- Next maintenance visit suggestion
What people ask before a flue cleaning
Can a sweep fix a fireplace that keeps smoking?
Only if the cause is a restriction the cleaning removes, such as heavy soot at the throat or a clogged cap screen. If the flue is clear and smoke persists, we explain the other likely causes and what an assessment would look at.
Will cleaning get rid of the smell from my fireplace?
It often reduces it, because deposits are a common source. It may not remove it entirely if water in the masonry or air moving down the flue is involved. We tell you before the work if cleaning alone is unlikely to be enough.
Can you tell if the chimney had a fire inside it?
Sometimes the signs are visible, such as puffed deposits, warped metal or cracked tiles. We point them out and explain what a closer look at the lining would involve before any further use.
More Ways to Care for Your Fireplace
- Gas Fireplace Repair and ServiceGet a model-specific gas fireplace service plan for the fault you are seeing or the maintenance your unit needs.
- Chimney Flashing RepairRepair the chimney-to-roof connection with a scope that accounts for the adjoining roofing and masonry.
- Chimney Liner Installation and ReliningPlan a compatible chimney liner installation with the existing passage, connections and maintenance access considered together.
- Wood-Burning Fireplace Insert InstallationFit a wood-burning insert after assessing its host fireplace and full connection requirements.
- Prefab and Zero-Clearance Fireplace RepairIdentify and repair manufactured fireplace components using the appropriate model information.
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Our team will contact you to arrange your inspection.
Chimney & Fireplace Brands We Work With
DuraVent 
Olympia Chimney and Venting 
Copperfield Chimney Supply 
Rutland 
Heatilator 
Heat & Glo