Your local chimney sweep in Colonial Town Center

Smoke at the opening with more than one cause

EPA guidance expects a well-installed, properly used wood-burning appliance to make little smoke, so smoke you see or smell again and again is a sign something is wrong. Heavy deposits are one possible cause, since they narrow the flue. They are not always the only one.

Under the Florida Building Code, the throat, damper and smoke chamber above a masonry firebox together form a passage that must be at least as large as the flue. A damper that does not open fully, a clogged cap screen or wet wood can each leave smoke rolling out of the front as well.

A sweep removes the deposits, and the damper and cap screen get tested on the same visit. If smoke still comes out afterward, the other causes are next, and our technicians note on the record what they checked and what still needs a look.

Heavy smoke from the chimney top

Look at the top of the chimney once a fire is going well. EPA guidance says properly installed, correctly used wood-burning appliances should generate very little smoke. Thick smoke pouring from the chimney top well after startup usually points to a fire starved of air, wet wood or both.

That same smoke is where creosote comes from. Whatever does not burn in the firebox travels up the flue, and part of it condenses on the walls before it reaches the top. A chimney that smokes heavily every time it is used is building deposits every time too.

Our crew sees the result on the brushes. When a flue in Colonial Town Center shows the heavy, sooty buildup that goes with smoky fires, we explain what to change at the firebox before the next fire.

Chimney sweep and inspection in one visit

Many homeowners ask for a chimney sweep and inspection together, and that is how our visits usually run. Our technicians do the free inspection first to see what is in the flue and what shape the system is in, then sweep if cleaning is needed.

The two parts answer different questions. The sweep removes deposits. The inspection looks at the condition of the chimney and fireplace, including parts a sweep never touches, such as the crown, the flashing and the outside masonry. When you need a formal chimney evaluation, for a sale or after damage, that is a separate chimney inspection service.

In Colonial Town Center, the result is one appointment, one written estimate with the sweep and any repairs on separate lines, and a record of what was cleaned and what was seen.

What the free inspection covers before we sweep

The free inspection is how every sweep starts. Our technicians look at the firebox, damper, smoke chamber and smoke shelf from inside, and at the flue, cap and chimney top from the roof when it is safe to get there.

The goal is a clear written estimate before any cleaning starts. It says whether a sweep is needed, what method suits your system, whether any glazed sections need separate treatment and whether anything found needs repair first.

For Colonial Town Center homeowners the inspection is free, and going ahead with the work is entirely your choice. The estimate is yours to keep. If the roof cannot be reached safely that day, it says which parts were seen from inside only.

• Type and depth of deposits in the flue
• Damper operation and condition
• Cap and screen at the chimney top
• Visible damage that affects cleaning