Chimney animal removal and cleanup in Keene's Pointe

Watching the chimney top at dusk

Birds and bats that use a chimney tend to leave or return around dusk. Watching the chimney top from the yard at that time, with binoculars if you have them, can show whether something is flying in or out. Stay on the ground and keep your distance. What you see helps our specialists decide which rules apply and how the removal or exclusion should be timed for your Keene's Pointe chimney. Count what you see leave on two or three evenings, since a single sighting can mislead.

Removing a dead animal from the chimney

An animal that dies in a chimney announces itself with odor and sometimes flies around the fireplace. Removal means locating it, which may be on the smoke shelf, in the flue or inside a chase, and taking it out without scattering debris into the house. We then clean the area it occupied and look for how it got in, so the cap or repair can close that route. Removal from inside a factory-built chase can need access at the top of the enclosure, which we explain before starting.

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

Temporary measures while the plan is set

While removal waits on timing or a specialist, a few temporary steps keep the animal out of the house. Keep the damper closed and the fireplace doors shut, or tape cardboard over an open fireplace. Do not block the top of the chimney yourself. Temporary measures come off once the work is done, and the fireplace stays unused until the flue is cleared. Tell us what you put in place so we know what to remove when we arrive.