It is frigid outside and now is the perfect time to think about your fireplace and chimney. If you have had us sweep your chimney you can rest assured it was properly done.
Let me tell you why.
Depending on the situation, it normally takes around an hour or so to do a good, thorough job. In addition to sweeping the chimney, we also conduct a thorough inspection to spot any potential hazards that may be hiding in your chimney system.
We use the latest equipment to get your job done right. We were the first in the area to implement “rotary power cleaning” which is now the standard in the industry. Think of it as a weed eater spinning in your chimney knocking off all the soot and creosote. The brush head sits on the end of rods that are attached to a drill. These heavy-duty plastic whip heads help us get into every nook and cranny of your chimney to scrape off the offending soot without doing any damage. The old school regular steel brushes do a fair job of getting creosote off your chimney, but they can scratch metal chimneys and help accelerate deterioration. They do okay, but the spinning whip does a much better – and quicker! – job.
In masonry chimneys, the smoke chamber is located at the bottom of your chimney, just above the fireplace. Think of it like an inverted funnel – this area is where the creosote-laden smoke gathers to go up the chimney. Over time, this area gets dangerously filthy. It takes a few minutes to clean this area with our method but it used to take at least 30 minutes to do it the old-fashioned way with a hand brush. These areas are supposed to be “parged” smooth, but the vast majority of smoke chambers in Central Texas are built incorrectly, with the bricks “stair-stepping” up instead of creating a smooth pathway for the smoke. This can sometimes cause your fireplace to smoke and always makes it get dirtier faster – and makes the smoke chamber much harder to be cleaned!
If you haven’t had us come sweep your chimney, give us a call to schedule your appointment for our next available appointment after the ice clears off your roof!