Chimney repair, cleaning and fireplace service in Robinswood

A thin wisp from the chimney while a fire burns is one thing, and a heavy plume every time the fireplace is lit is another. Robinswood is a community in Orange County, and if the smoke from your Robinswood home is easy to see and smell outside, the fire and the chimney both deserve a look.

EPA's Burn Wise guidance says properly installed and correctly used wood-burning appliances make very little smoke, and that smoke you regularly see or smell means you may have a problem. Wet or green wood is one frequent reason, because the water has to boil out before the wood burns. Fires that smolder with the air turned down or the damper partly closed make more smoke, and that smoke leaves more deposits in the flue as it cools.

The chimney can play a part too. A flue partly blocked by debris, a cap screen coated with deposits or a flue that is badly sized for the fireplace can make a fire burn poorly. The Brick Industry Association ranks height and flue area as the factors that matter most in chimney design, so a smoky fire on a chimney that was altered or shortened is worth measuring.

What goes on the fire matters as well. EPA lists household trash, cardboard, painted or treated wood and wet or moldy wood among the things not to burn, because they can release harmful chemicals when burned. A visit covers the damper, the flue and the cap, checked for blockage and deposits. We sweep the chimney when it needs it and talk through the wood and fire habits that change what comes out the top.

Robinswood homeowners get the inspection free from our local family-owned team, a written estimate with no hidden fees and 10% off work booked within 72 hours.