Your local chimney sweep in Goldenrod

After a flue fire, the chimney waits for a check

If you know or suspect that a fire once burned inside your flue, say so before the sweep. One chimney maker notes that ignited creosote makes an extremely hot fire, and its instructions say the chimney should not be used again after a flue fire until it has been inspected for damage.

That sets the order of the visit. The sweep clears the deposits so the surfaces can be seen, and anything unusual our technicians notice in the deposits, the lining or the metal parts is described in writing, without guessing at the cause. A formal evaluation of possible fire damage belongs to our chimney inspection service, and the fireplace stays out of use until it is done.

A fire burning in the flue right now is a different situation. Get everyone out of the house and call 911 first.

Cleaning the chimney in a home you just bought

A newly bought home comes with a chimney whose history you do not know. The last owner may have burned every weekend or not at all, and the listing seldom says when the flue was last cleaned.

Our crew treats an unknown history as unknown. The free inspection shows what is in the flue now, and the sweep removes it, so you start with a clean system and a record in your own name. If a home inspection report flagged the chimney, keep it handy for the visit, since those notes help focus the visual check.

Any repair items found are listed separately from the cleaning, which helps if repair questions are still open with the seller. For new owners in Goldenrod, the written record from this first visit becomes the start of the chimney's file.

Chimney swifts mean the sweep waits

Chimney swifts are small birds that roost and raise young inside chimneys. The federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act protects them, so active nests, eggs and chicks are left undisturbed. If you hear birds in the flue, say so when you call.

If swifts are nesting, the sweep waits. Our technicians confirm what is in the flue, leave the nest alone and plan the cleaning for after the birds have gone. Keeping the damper closed in the meantime keeps noise and debris out of the room.

Once the flue is empty, it gets swept, the nest material comes out and a cap goes on so the birds nest somewhere else next time. The cap is quoted as its own item, and any wildlife work in Goldenrod runs through our animal removal service.

Chimney maintenance between professional visits

Chimney maintenance does not stop when the sweep leaves. Much of what keeps deposits down happens at the firebox, in the wood you burn and how you burn it.

Between visits, keep an eye on the chimney top from the yard. A leaning or missing cap, a nest poking out or dark stains spreading down the brick are worth a call. So are flakes or debris turning up in the firebox between fires.

The written record from each visit gives you a baseline, so changes stand out when the next one comes in. Our crew compares the two before recommending anything new.

• Burn dry, split, seasoned wood in hot, bright fires
• Open the damper fully before every fire
• Empty cooled ash into a covered metal container outside
• Watch for smoke at the opening, odors or falling debris