Our Process
How glazed creosote is removed in Gabriella
Inspecting the liner after the glaze is gone
Removing creosote can reveal what it was hiding. After the product is cleared, the PCR data sheet calls for the cleaned flue liner to be inspected for defects such as cracked flue tile or missing or damaged mortar joints that may need repair before the chimney is used again.
Our specialists inspect the flue once it is clean and tell you what they found in writing. If the liner is sound, you get the all-clear. If it is not, the repair or relining is explained and priced separately before anything else happens.
How long a powder treatment takes
The time a powder modifier needs varies. Its data sheet lists the type of wood, moisture content, burning habits, air flow, flue size and the amount of existing buildup as factors, and says some cases react within a week or two while harder buildup can take regular use and several cleanings during the heating season.
We set expectations accordingly. If a treatment needs weeks of use and repeat sweeps, the schedule and each visit are written into your estimate, and we check progress at every sweep. If progress stalls, we tell you and discuss switching to a different method.
Creosote removal from clay flue tile
Masonry chimneys are often lined with clay flue tile bedded in mortar, the construction BIA Technical Note 19B describes. Those tiles and joints are what a removal method has to protect, and they are also where a crust of glaze can hide cracks.
On a clay-lined flue, our specialists favor methods that loosen the deposit without hammering the tile, and inspect the joints and tile faces once they are clear. Any cracked tile or open joint is explained and priced before the fireplace is used again. Clay tile that has been under a heavy crust for years deserves a close look, joint by joint, from the smoke chamber to the top.
Creosote removal before a home sale
A buyer's inspector who notes heavy or glazed creosote may recommend further evaluation, and a sale can stall while nobody knows the scope of the work or how long it will take. Sellers also want to know whether the fireplace can be advertised as usable.
A free flue inspection confirms the deposit, and the written plan gives the method, the visits and the price. The document is written so a buyer, a seller and their agents can all follow it, and removal can be timed to fit the closing.
