FAQs

Almost every chimney has an odor. Most smells are pulled up the chimney by draft. However some chimneys have "downdrafts". This is caused by wind, or pressure problems inside the house. The chimney will most likely never stop smelling, but there are ways to get the smell heading in the right direction.

A downdraft is most often caused by pressure differences. Normally air leaves the house through the chimney. However, if there is greater pressure outside than inside the room that the chimney is utilized in, you will have air rushing down the flue into your home.
You should make sure your damper is closed when you are not burning. If there is still a problem we have top mounted dampers that operate with a pull cord attached in the fireplace.

Chimney caps help keep rain out of your chimney flue. Rain causes mortar joints to erode and metal parts of your fire place to rust. Caps are very cheap in comparison to the costly repairs that they prevent.
Caps will also keep birds, bats, and animals out of your chimney and home.

If you are familiar with the damper and how it operates and cannot open it or it won’t open all the way, it could be blocked from behind or on top. Another possibility is that it's rusted shut. Either instance is a warning sign and should be looked into immediately.

Most stains are carried through the brick by moisture. If moisture is able to leak through the flue onto the brick further deterioration is close behind. If caught early enough this problem can be stopped and no further staining is necessary.

First make sure the damper is open. As obvious as this sounds it is a common problem.
If it is more difficult to pinpoint: The more information you have for us the better. i.e.: Wind direction, temp. inside and outside, windy or calm, does it happen often, and how soon does it start smoking?

When it has enough accumulation (1/8” or more).

The fact that your chimney is venting into your home is a MAJOR indoor air quality concern. Creosote contains hydrocarbons which have been proven carcinogens. The Chimney & Fireplace Guys can diagnose why your chimney is not performing as it should with our normal Performance evaluation (Level 1 inspection).

This is a very serious and common problem. We have cameras available to inspect the interior of your flues to see why this is happening. This is also a large concern for indoor air quality.

All gas appliance manuals call for Annual service by a qualified technician. Most manufactures suggest a certified technician. All of our technicians are certified by the Certified Chimney Professionals of America and/or the Chimney Safety Institute of America. Gas log sets and gas fireplaces are commonly overlooked. A simple annual checkup of these systems can save you hundreds in replacement costs. Replacing just the gas logs can even get your log set back to almost new appearance (in most cases). Early detection of possible equipment failure is the best prevention.

The single most important part of the chimney sweep is the technician you have hired. The Chimney & Fireplace Guys provide before and after pictures after every sweep.

It is important to sweep your chimney to reduce the risk of a chimney fire. Chimney fires are a real danger, according to the latest statistics available, there are over 25,000 chimney fires per year in the US that are responsible for over $125 million dollars in property damage, personal injury and loss of life. A clean flue doesn’t burn!

Annual inspections are required by fire code. Chimney cleanings should be performed when creosote accumulation reaches 1/8”.

On all our service trucks, the technicians have the most innovative tools on the market. This includes power cleaning rods, spindles of chains for glazed creosote removal, and several types of the “old school” style brushes. Some systems require specific styles of tools so as not to damage your fireplace or chimney. Our Certified Chimney Professional of America Technicians are trained to properly asses the type of system, type of creosote, and best method for a safe cleaning.

When creosote accumulation inside the venting system ignites.

This can range from 1hr to 3hrs depending on the system and home.