Chimney sweep service for homes in Lake Butler

Stove habits that coat the flue faster

How a wood stove is run changes how much creosote it leaves in the flue. EPA guidance points to a few habits. Turning the air down to stretch a load into a long, smoldering burn starves the fire of air. Packing the firebox full for a longer burn also adds to the buildup and can damage the firebox.

The same guidance says to keep the stove doors closed except when loading or stoking, and to build hot fires rather than smoldering ones.

When our crew sweeps a stove chimney, the deposits show how the stove has been run, and they share what they see along with any change that would help.

• Hot fires instead of smoldering loads
• Doors closed except when loading or stoking
• No overloading the firebox for a longer burn
• Only dry, split, seasoned wood

What our 24/7 emergency line is for

Fire, smoke and carbon monoxide come first. If a fire is burning in the chimney, smoke is filling the room or a CO alarm is sounding, get everyone out of the house and call 911 before calling anyone else.

After that, the 24/7 emergency line is there for chimney problems that cannot wait for a regular appointment. An animal has dropped into the firebox, a cap is hanging off the chimney, the damper is stuck open with debris falling through it, or the fire department has told you not to use the fireplace until it is checked.

Our crew in Lake Butler secures the problem first, whether that means removing debris, closing off the flue or covering an open top, and then gives you a written estimate for the permanent fix. The free inspection still comes before any repair.

Bringing back a fireplace idle for years

A fireplace that has not been lit in years can look ready while the flue says otherwise. Nests, leaves, fallen mortar and old deposits that took on moisture can all sit above the damper, out of sight.

Our technicians start with the free inspection before anyone strikes a match, then sweep the flue, clear the smoke shelf and work the damper until it moves freely. Old ash comes out of the firebox and out of any cleanout at the base of the chimney.

The visual check after cleaning carries extra weight here, because years of idle time can hide water damage, cracked tile or a missing cap. Bringing a fireplace back in Lake Butler starts with knowing where things stand, so anything found goes on the written estimate before the first fire.

No cap on top of the flue

An open flue with no cap is exposed to everything that falls from above. Rain soaks the soot and runs down to the damper, leaves and twigs collect, and birds and animals have an easy way in. Sparks leaving the flue have nothing to stop them.

A sweep clears what an open flue has collected, and the debris can hint at how long it has been open. Wet, packed soot, rust on the damper and layers of old nesting material all tell part of that story.

During the sweep the flue is measured, so a correctly sized cap can be quoted on the same estimate for your Lake Butler home. On a factory-built chimney, the cap has to be the one listed for that system. The cap is separate work, and you decide whether to add it.