Chimney inspections and repairs for Bay Ridge homes

Some fireplaces smoke from the first fire their owners ever light. If that sounds like the fireplace in your Bay Ridge home, a neighborhood within Apopka, the cause may be the way the fireplace and chimney fit together rather than anything you are doing wrong. A masonry fireplace draws well when the size of the opening, the shape of the smoke chamber and the size and height of the flue are in proportion.

The Brick Industry Association's design guidance for residential chimneys ties the flue area to the size of the fireplace opening for exactly that reason. When the opening is too large for the flue, or the chimney top sits low beside a taller part of the roof, smoke can roll out of the front of the firebox instead of rising.

Other causes are easier to fix. A damper that only opens part of the way, a flue partly blocked by debris or a cap clogged with soot all restrict the draft. So can the house itself: a kitchen or bathroom fan running while the fire is lit can pull air down the chimney. Tell us when the smoke appears, whether it happens at the start of every fire or only on some days, and which fans or doors were in use.

Our technicians check the damper, the flue, the cap and the smoke chamber, and then look at the proportions of the fireplace itself. Depending on what we find, the answer might be a repair, a cleaning, a smoke guard across the top of the opening, glass doors or a change at the top of the chimney.

The written estimate explains why each option is being suggested and what it is expected to change. Our family-owned company offers the inspection free, with upfront pricing and no hidden fees on everything that follows. Bay Ridge homeowners get 10% off any service booked within 72 hours after the free inspection, and our work carries a 100% satisfaction guarantee. Until then, keep fires small or skip them if smoke is entering the room.