Chimney sweep service for homes in Washington Shores
Smoke chamber, smoke shelf, damper and firebox cleaned along with the flue, not only the part you can see.
- Licensed & insured
- Locally run
- Family owned and operated
- Same-day service available
Inside the estimate for your Washington Shores sweep
- Cap screen brushed free of soot
- Metal chimney cap removed and reset per its maker
- Repair findings listed on separate estimate lines
- Refractory panels cleaned without scraping
Chimney cleaning facts for Washington Shores homes
Using the cleanout door at the base of the flue
Many masonry chimneys have a small metal door near the bottom of the flue, outside the house or in a closet or garage. The Florida Building Code calls for a cleanout opening near the base of each masonry chimney flue, with a noncombustible cover, and makes an exception for fireplace flues that can be cleaned through the fireplace opening.
When a chimney has a cleanout, debris from the sweep collects at the bottom of the flue, and our crew empties it through that door. A cleanout that has been painted shut, rusted or hidden behind plants gets opened carefully.
The cover needs to close fully after cleaning. A missing or rusted-through door is noted for repair on your Washington Shores estimate, since an open cleanout lets air and animals into the base of the flue.
Pieces of flue tile in the debris
Most of what comes down a flue during a sweep is soot and creosote. When the debris also holds curved pieces of clay tile or chunks of mortar, the lining above has started to come apart.
The Florida Building Code describes clay flue lining laid in refractory mortar, with tight joints left smooth on the inside. A cracked or shifted tile, or a joint that has lost its mortar, breaks that smooth path, and no amount of brushing puts it back.
Any fragments found are set aside and shown to you, and the lining is looked at as far as it can be seen once it is clean. Flue repair or relining goes on the estimate for your Washington Shores chimney as its own item, and the fireplace should stay unused until that decision is made.
Chimney sweep and inspection in one visit
Many homeowners ask for a chimney sweep and inspection together, and that is how our visits usually run. Our technicians do the free inspection first to see what is in the flue and what shape the system is in, then sweep if cleaning is needed.
The two parts answer different questions. The sweep removes deposits. The inspection looks at the condition of the chimney and fireplace, including parts a sweep never touches, such as the crown, the flashing and the outside masonry. When you need a formal chimney evaluation, for a sale or after damage, that is a separate chimney inspection service.
In Washington Shores, the result is one appointment, one written estimate with the sweep and any repairs on separate lines, and a record of what was cleaned and what was seen.
The tee cap at the base of an outside metal chimney
Some wood stoves vent through a wall into a metal chimney that runs up the outside of the house. At the bottom of that outside run there is often a tee with a removable cleanout cap. One maker's instructions, for its DuraTech chimney, describe taking off that tee cap for cleaning and putting it back when the cleaning is finished.
The tee is where brushing debris collects, and it is also where it comes out. Our crew brushes the chimney from the top or from the tee, empties the soot through the cleanout and cleans the horizontal pipe that runs through the wall to the stove.
The cap has to go back on firmly, or rain and animals get a way in. If it is rusted, bent or missing, our technicians quote the matching part from the same maker, since a factory-built chimney keeps its listed parts. That shows up as a separate item on the estimate.
Other work in Washington Shores
-
-
-
-
- Stone Chimney RepairKeep stone repairs suited to the existing masonry.
- Prefab and Zero-Clearance Fireplace RepairRepair the fireplace according to its model.
Learn more about chimney sweep and chimney cleaningWashington Shores services
Related chimney sweep work
Questions we hear about chimney cleaning
Will the sweep leave soot in my living room?
It should not. Our crew covers the path to the hearth, seals the fireplace opening while the flue is brushed and bags the debris at the source. If soot turns up where it should not be, tell us, and our 100% satisfaction guarantee applies.
Can I use the fireplace the same day it is swept?
Usually, yes, once our crew has finished and the damper has been tested. The exceptions are a glazed treatment that is still drying and a repair finding that should be settled first, and we tell you about either before we leave.
Request your free estimate
Share the job details and arrange a free inspection with our local team.
- Free inspection
- No hidden fees
- Family owned and operated
Need an answer now? Call (352) 675-6376
Your request is received
Thank you. We will contact you to discuss the job and confirm an appointment.