Animals in the chimney? Removal help in Lake Sunset

What to tell us when you call

A few details from you help us plan the visit and bring the right equipment to your Lake Sunset home. You do not need to climb anything or look up the flue. If you have seen an animal on the roof or near the chimney top, describe it as well as you can.

• What the sound is like and what time of day you hear it
• Whether anything has fallen into the firebox
• Whether the chimney has a cap you can see from the ground
• Whether the fireplace is wood-burning, factory-built or unused

Animal noises at a rental property

Tenants often notice chimney noises first. Ask them to keep the fireplace off and the damper closed, and to note when they hear the sounds. We coordinate access with them, report our findings to you and send the estimate for approval. Once the work is done, the written record tells you what was found and what was installed. If the tenant hears sounds again, the record also tells the next visitor what to check first. Letting tenants know the timing rules up front also helps when some of the work has to wait.

When young animals are in the chimney

Young birds, bats or raccoons change the plan. Removing adults and leaving young behind, or sealing a chimney with young inside, leads to animals dying in the flue and an odor problem that follows. When young are present, the work waits for them to leave with the adults or is handled by a specialist. We confirm the chimney is empty before cleanup and capping. Young animals are also the reason the calendar matters so much in this work.

Living with a new screened cap

A screened cap needs little attention, though it is not maintenance free. On a wood-burning chimney, the screen collects soot and should be checked during each sweep. After a storm, look at the cap from the ground to make sure it is still seated. If you hear sounds in the chimney again, call us before lighting a fire, so we can see what changed. Problems with a new cap usually show from the ground as a tilt, a gap or a torn screen.