Our Process
Chimney animal work on Casselberry homes
Planning chimney work around the swift season
Swifts spend only part of the year here, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service puts their arrival in March or April and their departure in August or September. The agency advises cleaning chimneys outside the nesting and roosting season, which for most of the country means between September or October and March or April.
If you hear swifts now, the practical answer is to wait. We book the cleaning and any capping in Casselberry after the birds have gone, and our specialists explain what can be done safely in the meantime.
Capping a chimney that swifts have used
The Fish and Wildlife Service asks homeowners who want to support swifts to leave an unlined masonry chimney uncapped. The same guidance says a chimney that already has a metal lining should be capped, because metal is far too slippery for swifts to cling to and animals can be trapped inside.
We explain both paths for your Casselberry home and respect your choice. If you choose a cap, it goes on after the birds leave for the season, and our specialists size it for the flue so the chimney keeps drawing properly.
The right order for chimney animal work
Chimney animal jobs go wrong when steps happen out of order. Capping before the animals are out traps them. Cleaning around an active swift nest breaks federal protections. Repairs made before the debris is cleared can hide damage.
The sequence we follow in Casselberry runs from identification to lawful removal or waiting, then cleanup, repairs and finally the cap. Each step is explained before it starts, and our specialists tell you when the fireplace is ready to use again.
- Identify the animal and whether it is protected
- Remove it lawfully or wait for the permitted season
- Clear nests, droppings and debris
- Repair damaged parts
- Fit a screened cap sized for the flue
Animals inside a framed chase
On a factory-built fireplace, an animal may be inside the framed chase around the chimney pipe instead of inside the pipe itself. It usually gets in through a rusted chase cover or a gap where the cover meets the siding.
Access and repairs are different in that case. We check the chase cover, the pipe and the listed cap in Casselberry, and once the animal is out, the gap is closed with the right repair for the enclosure. Our specialists also look at the siding and trim around the top of the chase, since a small gap there is enough for a squirrel.
