Family-owned chimney sweep serving Mercy Drive

Rods and brushes sized to your flue

A brush that is too small spins through the middle of a flue and leaves the corners coated. One that is too large jams or strains the lining. Before any cleaning, our technicians measure the flue opening and choose a brush head that matches its size and shape, whether round, square or rectangular.

The rods connect in sections, so the length grows with the chimney. Flexible rods follow a flue that offsets. Stiffer rods give more push in a straight run with heavy deposits. Several brush heads may be used in one flue as the work moves from loose soot to more stubborn buildup.

Every sweep we do starts with that match, because the right brush does more of the work than extra force does.

• Flue size and shape measured before brushing
• Brush head matched to the lining
• Rod length set to the full height of the flue
• Extra passes where deposits are heaviest

Soot on the roof and around the cap

Black staining on the shingles or tiles around a chimney top can come from smoke leaving the flue, soot washed off the cap by rain, or deposits knocked loose during an earlier cleaning that nobody collected. Whatever the source, nobody wants it spread further across the roof.

During a top-down sweep, our crew lays a cover around the chimney top and keeps the brush inside the flue as it goes in and out. Soot that falls on the cap or the roof around it is brushed off before the ladder comes down.

Heavy staining that returns quickly after cleaning usually points to smoky fires or a clogged cap screen. Our technicians tell Mercy Drive homeowners which one fits what they found, so the fix goes to the cause and not only the stain.

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 Mercy Drive starts with knowing where things stand, so anything found goes on the written estimate before the first fire.

How a sweep visit runs from start to finish

A sweep from our local family-owned team follows the same order every time. The crew arrives, walks the path to the fireplace with you and asks how it has been used. The free inspection comes next, then a written estimate you approve before anything is cleaned. The order stays the same for a small job or a large one.

Before leaving, our technicians go over the written record with you, including anything found that needs a separate decision, and show you the damper's open and closed positions. Questions about the record get answered on the spot in Mercy Drive, before the crew packs up.

• Room protected and the fireplace opening sealed
• Flue brushed from the roof or from inside
• Smoke chamber, smoke shelf, damper and firebox cleaned
• Debris bagged and carried out, then the visual check