Local chimney animal removal for Dover Shores West homes

Debris on the smoke shelf

The smoke shelf is the ledge behind and above the damper in a masonry fireplace. Anything that falls down the flue lands there, including nest material, droppings and the occasional animal. It is hard to see from the firebox, so debris can sit there for years. Our cleanup reaches the smoke shelf and clears it, and we tell you what we found there. What sits on the shelf often shows which animal used the chimney and for how long.

What the chimney inspection covers

Our free inspection for an animal problem looks at the chimney from the roof and from inside. The written findings say what we saw, what the rules allow and what we recommend, item by item. The inspection also notes anything we could not see, so you know what the findings cover.

• The cap, screen and crown or chase cover at the top
• Signs of nesting, droppings, fur or feathers
• The damper, smoke shelf and firebox from below
• Every flue in the chimney, including appliance flues

The written record you keep

When the chimney work is finished, you receive a written record of what we did. It notes what we found in the flue or on the smoke shelf, what we removed, whether a sweep was part of the job and which cap and screen we fitted. The record is plain enough to hand to a home inspector or a buyer, and it shows whoever looks at the chimney next year what changed. If a wildlife specialist handled part of the job, the record names that step as their work, not ours.

Nest material leaves with us

Nest material, droppings and debris from the flue, the smoke shelf and the firebox are bagged and hauled away when we finish, not left in your trash or on the lawn. Droppings are handled with care, since the CDC notes that disturbing bird and bat droppings can release the spores that cause histoplasmosis. The area around the fireplace is protected while we work, and we clean up before we leave.