Careful chimney animal removal for Storey Park homes

No poison, repellents or traps in the flue

Poisons, mothballs and chemical repellents do not belong in a chimney. Fumes and residue end up in the house, a poisoned animal may die where it cannot be reached, and some products are illegal to use that way. Traps set inside a flue are hard to check and can injure an animal without removing it. We rely on lawful removal, cleanup and a screened cap instead. Fumes from repellents can also linger in the masonry and come back into the room the first time the fireplace warms up.

Damper damage after nesting

Nesting and a trapped animal's struggle can jam a damper, bend its plate or break its handle. After cleanup, we open and close the damper, check how well it seals and look at its frame. A damper that no longer closes fully lets animals and outside air into the room. If it needs repair, we describe it as a separate item with its own price. A damper that works again also gives you a barrier the next time something falls into the flue.

The listed cap for a factory-built chimney

A factory-built chimney must be terminated according to its manufacturer's instructions, and the cap is part of that listed system. If an animal got past the cap on a prefabricated fireplace, the replacement should be the cap approved for that model. We read the listing label, identify the chimney series and quote the correct cap. A generic screened cap is not a substitute on these systems. The listed cap may take a little longer to arrive, and the damper stays closed while we wait for it.

The order the work follows

Chimney animal jobs go wrong when steps are skipped, so we follow a set order. Each step waits for the one before it, and the estimate shows where your chimney stands in the sequence. Skipping to the cap is the one shortcut we refuse, because it is how animals end up trapped.

• Identify the animal and whether it is nesting
• Lawful removal, departure or exclusion
• Cleanup of nest material and droppings, then a sweep
• Flue and damper inspection
• A screened cap or other exclusion to keep it empty