Chimney sweep service for homes in Tangerine

The right brush for clay tile or stainless steel

Clay flue tile and stainless steel liners call for different brushes. Steel bristles are a common choice against deposits on clay tile. On stainless steel, one maker's instructions for its metal chimneys allow plastic, wood or steel brushes but warn against any brush that will scratch the stainless liner.

The point is to clean the liner without damaging the surface the maker built. Our technicians confirm the lining before picking a brush. A look from the top or up past the damper usually shows whether it is clay tile or metal, and a factory-built fireplace carries the label of its listing.

If you have a stainless liner in your Tangerine home and still have the paperwork from its installation, set it out for the visit. The liner maker's cleaning directions come first, and we follow them.

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 Tangerine, and the estimate keeps them apart.

What the free inspection covers before we sweep

The free inspection is how every sweep starts. Our technicians look at the firebox, damper, smoke chamber and smoke shelf from inside, and at the flue, cap and chimney top from the roof when it is safe to get there.

The goal is a clear written estimate before any cleaning starts. It says whether a sweep is needed, what method suits your system, whether any glazed sections need separate treatment and whether anything found needs repair first.

For Tangerine homeowners the inspection is free, and going ahead with the work is entirely your choice. The estimate is yours to keep. If the roof cannot be reached safely that day, it says which parts were seen from inside only.

• Type and depth of deposits in the flue
• Damper operation and condition
• Cap and screen at the chimney top
• Visible damage that affects cleaning

Black streaks running down the firebox wall

Dark, shiny streaks running down the back wall of the firebox or from the damper area suggest creosote in the flue that is wet and sticky or has started to glaze. Smoke condensing in a cool flue leaves a tar-like residue, and some of it can run before it hardens.

A streaked firebox tends to go with a flue that runs cool, a damper that is not fully open or wood that is not dry. Brushing removes what is soft. What has hardened into a glaze needs a separate removal treatment.

Our technicians trace where the streaks start, look at the flue above them after sweeping and tell you which parts the brush cleared and which need glazed creosote removal. For your Tangerine home, both are priced in writing before the work begins.