Chimney sweep service for homes in Malibu Groves

Top-sealing dampers, cables and gaskets during a sweep

A top-sealing damper closes the flue at the top instead of above the firebox. A spring holds its lid open, and a cable runs down the flue to a handle inside the fireplace that pulls it shut. A gasket on the lid seals against the top of the flue when it closes.

Sweeping a flue with one of these takes care. The cable hangs inside the flue, so brushes have to work around it without kinking or snagging it. Soot on the gasket keeps it from sealing, and creosote on the spring can slow the lid.

With the lid open, our crew brushes around the cable, wipes the gasket clean and tests the lid from the handle before leaving. A torn gasket, a frayed cable or a weak spring is written up as a separate repair on your estimate.

A stove or insert venting into an old fireplace flue

When a stove or insert is set into a masonry fireplace, it often ends up venting into a flue that was built for an open fire. The Florida Building Code says a masonry chimney lining must suit the type of appliance connected to it, following the appliance listing and the maker's instructions.

EPA guidance adds that the longer smoke stays in the flue, and the cooler the chimney runs, the more creosote forms. If a flue in that setup collects deposits faster than the fires would explain, the lining is worth a closer look.

Sweeping clears what is there. When our technicians find this setup, they check what the insert or stove manual calls for and write up a matching liner as a separate option under our liner service. The sweep and the liner are two decisions for homeowners in Malibu Groves, and the estimate keeps them apart.

The written record you keep after a sweep

Every sweep ends with a written record of what was cleaned. It notes the date, the fireplace or stove, which flue was swept, the kind of deposits found and the areas the brushes reached.

It also lists what was not done. Glazed sections left for a separate treatment, any part of the flue that could not be reached, and any repair item found during the visual check are written down with the reason. If a section was treated for glaze, the record notes that a follow-up sweep is still due.

Keep the record with your appliance manuals and past repair papers. It helps the next sweep, helps a buyer if you sell, and gives any later technician a starting point instead of a guess.

• Date and system cleaned
• Deposit type before cleaning
• Areas reached and areas not reached
• Findings left for a separate decision

An older wood stove and the deposits it leaves

Older wood stoves were built before today's cleaner-burning designs. EPA guidance notes that newer stoves meeting its emission standards burn more efficiently and leave less creosote buildup in the chimney than older models.

That does not make an older stove unsafe by itself, but its chimney tends to collect deposits faster and deserves close attention. Hot fires and dry wood help any stove, old or new.

When our crew sweeps an older stove's chimney, the deposits and the connector pipe show how it is doing. A rusting pipe or worn door gaskets are noted as their own items, each with a plain description of what our crew saw. Replacing a stove is your call, and we do not push it. Either way, the sweep itself is the same careful job.