A chimney top damper fitted properly in El Portal
Approve the damper work within 72 hours of your free inspection and it is 10% off.
- Owned and run locally
- Available for same-day service
- Fully licensed and insured
- Family owned and run
Signs a top sealing damper could help in El Portal
- Damper handle that no longer moves
- Rain reaching the firebox floor
- Top damper cable slack or snapped
- Old damper plate stuck part-way
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Planning a top sealing damper in El Portal
Plans to change the fireplace later
If you might change what burns in the fireplace, add an insert or stop using it, mention it now. A top damper suited to a wood fireplace may have to come off if the fireplace changes, especially if a gas appliance is added later.
Hearing those plans early lets us suggest a route that will not need undoing. That may mean fitting a damper now, waiting until the plans settle or choosing a simpler repair in the meantime. The estimate can set out both routes and what each would cost.
Lever handles with several positions
Most cable dampers are simply open or closed. Some models use a lever handle with several set positions, so the lid can be held part-way open. The maker describes that as a way to control the amount of draft.
A part-open position is useful only if you understand when to use it. We explain the positions at handover and when the lid must be fully open. If a simple open-and-closed handle would suit you better, say so. We would rather fit a control you will use correctly than one with features you do not need.
Leave the flue top to us
A top damper is installed and serviced from the roof, and the flue top is often the hardest place on a house to reach. One damper maker's instructions recommend professional installation for that reason.
Please do not climb up to look at the damper, free a stuck lid or adjust the cable from above. Describe what the handle does from inside the room, and we take it from there. We bring the ladders and the safety gear, and we look at the roof around the chimney while we are up.
Top damper advice for homes in El Portal
Top dampers are not a one-size answer, and the advice we give in El Portal follows the same checks as anywhere else. We start with the fuel, the flue and the product limits, and only then talk about models and adapters.
If the fireplace suits one, you receive a proposal that names the damper, the fixing method, the handle position and the plan for the old throat damper. If it does not, you receive the reasons in writing along with the alternatives. Either way, you decide what happens next.
What your top damper estimate covers in El Portal
- Fireplace type and fuel confirmed
- Old throat damper left open or removed
- Old hardware and debris hauled away
- Roof access planned before climbing
Before you add a top damper in El Portal
When is it safe to close the damper after a fire?
Only once the fire is fully out and the embers are cold. Closing it earlier can push smoke into the room. The maker's instructions say the same, and we go through them with you at handover.
What does the free inspection look at for a damper?
The fireplace and its current damper, the smoke shelf, the flue and its tile top, the crown and any cap. We also ask how you use the fireplace. You then receive a free written estimate with the options.
What should I mention when I call about a damper?
Say whether the fireplace burns wood or anything else, what your current damper does or fails to do and whether anything else vents through the chimney. That lets us plan the visit to your home in El Portal.
We received your request
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