Chimney inspections and repairs for Dover Shores East homes

Scratching, thumping or chattering sounds in the chimney usually mean an animal has found a way in, and in Dover Shores East, a City of Orlando neighborhood, the usual suspects include raccoons and squirrels. The first rule is simple: do not light a fire or use smoke to drive the animal out. A trapped or injured animal in the flue is a harder problem than a live one on the move, and a fire under nesting material can create a hazard of its own.

Keep the damper closed so the animal cannot come down into the room, and keep children and pets away from the fireplace. Tell us what you hear and when. Daytime noise, noise at dusk and night, and the sound of young animals each tell our technicians something about what is in there and how to deal with it.

Removal has to fit the animal and the season. A mother raccoon with young is handled differently from a single squirrel, and some wildlife is protected by federal or state rules that affect timing, including chimney swifts under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and bats under Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission guidance. We identify what is present before recommending anything, and if a wildlife specialist is the right call, we say so.

Once the chimney is empty, the follow-up is what keeps it that way. Nesting material and droppings are cleaned out of the smoke shelf and flue, the damper is checked for damage, and a properly sized cap with a sturdy screen is installed over the flue. On a factory-built chimney, the cap has to be the one the fireplace maker lists for that system.

We are a local, family-owned company, and our inspection in Dover Shores East is free. The cleaning and cap are priced separately in writing, with no hidden fees, and 10% comes off the bill when you book within 72 hours after the inspection. Our work comes with a 100% satisfaction guarantee.