Your Gainesville chimney sweep, local and family run

Every fire leaves something behind in the flue, a dusting of soot, a flaky black crust, sometimes a tarry coat. Our local, family-run pros brush it out from the firebox up, with the hearth covered and a dust-tight vacuum running so nothing drifts into your room. Once the flue is clean they can actually see the lining, and that look comes with your free inspection.

• Chimney soot removal from flue, smoke shelf and damper
• Fireplace cleaning of the firebox and old ash
• Chimney flue cleaning for clay tile and metal liners
• Blocked chimney debris and old, empty nests cleared
• One visit for your chimney sweep and inspection
• Hearth covered and a dust-tight vacuum running throughout

1. Cover, seal, switch on

   Cloths cover the hearth and floor, plastic closes the fireplace opening, and a dust-tight vacuum starts drawing dust away from the room.

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2. Brush the whole flue

   The cleaning head is sized for the flue and approved for its lining or chimney system. Accessible deposits are removed without damaging the lining.

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3. Scrape shelf, damper and firebox

   Soot and creosote come off the smoke shelf, smoke chamber and damper, and the firebox gets emptied and wiped down.

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4. Look it over with you

   With the flue clean, our pro checks what the brushes reached and tells you what came out and what it means.

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What's coating your flue decides how it gets cleaned, and our pros tell you which kind you have before starting.

Brushes sized to the flue

Brush size, shape and bristles are selected to suit the flue and the system maker's cleaning instructions.

Rods and rotary heads

Flexible rods let the brush travel the whole flue, and rotary heads break up flaky, hardened buildup.

Dust-tight vacuum

Runs at the fireplace opening through the whole sweep, so loosened soot heads into the machine and away from your room.

Drop cloths and an opening seal

Cover the hearth and floor and close off the fireplace so nothing drifts out while the brushes work.

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   Years since the flue was brushed

   A flue swept every year cleans up faster than one that has gone years without a brush.

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   What the deposits are

   Dry soot is quick work, flaky buildup takes more brushing, and glaze moves to creosote removal.

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   Getting up to the chimney top

   Sweeps worked from the roof take more setup on steep or tall chimneys.

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   More flues, or an insert

   A second flue, or an insert our pros must pull for access, adds time to the visit.

• Every foot of flue lining above the smoke chamber
• Smoke shelf, smoke chamber and damper
• Kind and depth of the deposits in the flue
• Anything blocking the flue, debris or old nests
• The cap and its screen at the top
• Firebox, hearth and any ash left inside
• What the brushes reached and what came out, explained on site

• Black flakes landing on the hearth

  Creosote is loosening inside the flue. A sweep clears it before it builds into a harder crust.

• A campfire smell with the fire out

  Deposits in the flue are giving off odor. Sweeping them out is the first fix, and the damper seal gets checked.

• Smoke lazy to rise at start-up

  Buildup or debris may be narrowing the flue. Our pros clear it and check the damper and cap.

• Twigs and leaves dropping onto the grate

  Something is collecting up top. The debris is cleared, and a screened cap keeps it from returning.

• A dark, sticky coat on the damper

  Tarry creosote is forming. It's brushed and scraped away, and heavy glaze gets its own treatment.

• Creosote Removal Hardened, tarry and glazed creosote that a routine sweep can't lift.

• Chimney and Fireplace Inspection Chimney, fireplace and venting checked, with findings explained on site.
• Chimney Liner Installation and Relining A listed liner matched to the fireplace or insert above it.
• Chimney Cap Installation and Replacement A cap measured to your flue to stop rain, animals and sparks.

• Fireplace Repair and ServiceFireplace faults fixed, from firebrick and dampers to hearths and smoke.

• Is your firewood ready to burn? Four tests at the woodpile Dryness matters more than species. Here's how to check the wood you already have, which kinds burn longest, and what to keep out of the fireplace.
• The parts of a sweep you can do, and the parts you can't Some chimney upkeep is easy homeowner work. Some takes a roof, the right rods and a trained eye. Here's where the line sits and why a DIY sweep still leaves the yearly check undone.
• Roaring flue, or a quiet fire you missed? What to do now Safety comes first if the chimney is burning right now. After that, here are the clues a quiet chimney fire leaves behind, and why the fireplace stays dark until someone has looked.
• What your chimney sweep includes, and what changes its cost Maintenance history helps, but the current flue condition and approved cleaning method determine the work. Compare estimates by scope rather than the time since the last sweep.
• What a creosote log loosens, and what it leaves behind Treatment logs sold at hardware stores do something real. Here's what that something is, where the loosened creosote ends up, and why the makers still send you to a sweep.
• A sweeping schedule that fits how you actually burn The inspection happens every year no matter what. How often the brushes come out depends on your fires, and here's how to match the schedule to your habits.

• The black crust in your flue, and how your fires make itWood smoke can leave combustible deposits in different forms. Learn what those observations can tell you and why cleaning and assessment need to suit the actual system.

Chimney Guides