Animals in the chimney? Removal help in Christmas
Animals in your Christmas chimney need patience and the right sequence. Our local experts plan both and explain every step.
- Licensed & insured
- Locally run
- Family owned and operated
- Same-day service available
Inside the chimney animal plan for Christmas
- Assessment of the animal and any nesting
- Crown or chase cover gaps noted
- Free inspection and written estimate
- Timing set around protected species
Chimney animal work in Christmas homes
The damper is your barrier
A closed damper separates an animal in the flue from your living space. Leave it shut, and keep glass doors closed if the fireplace has them. Opening the damper to look up the flue invites a frightened bird or bat into the room, and an animal that falls onto the grate is harder to handle inside the house. Our assessment starts at the chimney top and in the firebox, with the damper left where it is. If the damper does not close fully, stuff an old towel into the gap below it and tell us when you call.
When a storm loosens or removes the cap
Strong wind can loosen a cap, tear its screen or carry it off the chimney, leaving the flue open. After a storm, look at the chimney top from the ground. If the cap is missing or tilted, keep the damper closed and call for an inspection. We confirm nothing moved in while the flue was open and then replace or refasten the cap. A cap that has shifted once may need different fasteners so it stays put the next time.
Rats and mice are usually a different problem
Rodents generally enter a house low, through gaps at the foundation, soffit or roofline, and rarely by the chimney top. If what you hear sounds like small, quick scurrying in the walls or ceiling, the chimney may not be involved. We check the chimney and tell you whether it is part of the problem, and when it is not, we say so and suggest a pest control professional. If rodents are in the attic near the chimney, the chimney work still waits until the attic problem is handled.
Scheduling the inspection
Same-day service is available for many inspection calls, which gets the assessment done quickly. Speed on the inspection does not change the rules for the animal. What a fast visit gives you is a clear answer about what is in the chimney, a closed damper and a written plan, so the next steps can happen as soon as the animal and the rules allow. We tell you at the end of the visit which of those steps can be booked right away.
Other work in Christmas
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Your Christmas chimney animal questions, answered
What does the code say about a chimney cap screen?
For masonry chimneys, the Florida residential code (R1003.9.2) calls for screen openings that do not pass a 1/2 inch sphere nor block a 3/8 inch sphere, a net free area at least four times the flue outlet and a screen that can be removed for cleaning. We size the cap to those rules.
Why do you check the smoke shelf?
Nest material and droppings often land on the smoke shelf behind the damper, out of sight from the room. We clear it during the cleanup, so debris does not stay in the smoke path.
Request your free estimate
Share the job details and arrange a free inspection with our local team.
- Free inspection
- No hidden fees
- Family owned and operated
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