Project description
A working fireplace should warm a room, not put a household at risk, and the difference between the two often comes down to how much creosote has built up inside the flue since the last cleaning. This visit starts with a walkthrough of the hearth, damper and visible flue sections to judge how heavy the buildup is and flag anything unusual before a single brush goes in.
Cleaning itself uses the rotary method: a flexible whip fitted with a wire or poly brush head spins at high speed and works up through the flue in sections, knocking loose glazed and flaky creosote that a stiff push-pull brush would only smear across the tile. Each pass is checked against the flue walls until the surface is back down to bare liner, not just visibly darker.
With the flue clear, the liner gets a close inspection for cracked tiles, gaps at the joints and any sign of heat damage, since a compromised liner is the single biggest reason flue fires spread into the surrounding structure. The damper is worked open and shut to confirm it seats properly, and the smoke chamber above the firebox is checked for the rough, uneven creosote pockets that a smooth parge coat is meant to prevent.
Containment matters as much as the cleaning: drop cloths cover the hearth and nearby furniture, a HEPA-filtered vacuum runs on the negative-pressure side of the work to catch dust before it reaches the room, and the firebox is swept out completely at the end.
The visit closes with a written safety report and, where the chimney passes, a dated inspection certificate suitable for insurance records. Most single-flue jobs run about ninety minutes to two hours from setup to cleanup.
Cleaning itself uses the rotary method: a flexible whip fitted with a wire or poly brush head spins at high speed and works up through the flue in sections, knocking loose glazed and flaky creosote that a stiff push-pull brush would only smear across the tile. Each pass is checked against the flue walls until the surface is back down to bare liner, not just visibly darker.
With the flue clear, the liner gets a close inspection for cracked tiles, gaps at the joints and any sign of heat damage, since a compromised liner is the single biggest reason flue fires spread into the surrounding structure. The damper is worked open and shut to confirm it seats properly, and the smoke chamber above the firebox is checked for the rough, uneven creosote pockets that a smooth parge coat is meant to prevent.
Containment matters as much as the cleaning: drop cloths cover the hearth and nearby furniture, a HEPA-filtered vacuum runs on the negative-pressure side of the work to catch dust before it reaches the room, and the firebox is swept out completely at the end.
The visit closes with a written safety report and, where the chimney passes, a dated inspection certificate suitable for insurance records. Most single-flue jobs run about ninety minutes to two hours from setup to cleanup.
Other / Miscellaneous Cash, Bank transfer
