Our Services

Chimney cleaning explained for Markham

Questions every homeowner in Markham should have answered before a chimney cleaning.

The firebox and hearth

Ash and loose debris are cleared from the firebox, and the firebrick is brushed down so its surface can be seen. The grate or andirons come out and go back in, and the hearth in front of the opening is cleaned before we pack up.

With the brick clean, cracks, missing mortar between firebricks and chipped edges are easy to spot. We note what we see and whether it affects safe use. Firebox repair is priced separately, and a cleaning appointment never turns into repair work without your approval. We also carry the ash out of the house when we leave. If you use a grate, we check that it sits level and clear of the back wall, so logs burn where they should.

Wood stove connectors and baffles

A wood stove adds its own parts to the cleaning: the connector pipe between stove and chimney, and on many stoves a baffle or other removable panels inside the firebox. The stove maker's manual says which parts come out and how they go back.

We clean the connector and the chimney it feeds, reassemble the parts in order and check that the connector joints are fastened and the pipe is well supported. NFPA 211 addresses connector support, joint fastening and pitch, so a loose or sagging section is written up for repair instead of being left as found. Tell us the stove make and model when you book. If the stove door gaskets look worn or the door does not close tightly, we point that out as well.

What a clean flue reveals

Deposits cover defects. Once the flue walls are clean, cracked or missing tiles, gaps in the mortar between them and damage around the damper frame become much easier to see from the fireplace and from the top.

The cleaning can expose problems, and you are told what it found and whether it affects safe use. A cleaning visit covers what the brushes reach; a formal chimney inspection goes further, and we say when one is worth booking. Anything we find is written up with its own price, and you decide what happens next without any pressure from us. We point to each finding from the fireplace or the roof, so you understand exactly where it is.