Our Process
Chimney animal work on Woodruff Springs homes
Why some animals cannot climb back out
Rough brick gives claws some grip, while a smooth metal liner gives almost none. The Fish and Wildlife Service makes the point for swifts, noting that metal is far too slippery for them to cling to, and the same surface can leave other small animals stuck at the bottom of the flue.
An animal trapped on the smoke shelf or above the damper needs to be removed, lawfully and safely, before anything else happens. On a metal-lined chimney in Woodruff Springs, a screened cap afterward is the step that keeps the problem from repeating.
What the code asks of a screened cap
For masonry chimneys, the Florida Building Code sets the rules for spark arrestor screens. Together, the screen's openings must give at least four times the free area of the flue outlet, and no single opening may let through a sphere over 1/2 inch or stop one under 3/8 inch.
The screen material also has to stand up to heat and corrosion at least as well as 19-gage galvanized steel or 24-gage stainless. Those rules keep embers and animals out without choking the draft, and they are the standard we size caps to on Woodruff Springs chimneys.
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 Woodruff Springs 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
Silence does not mean the chimney is empty
Animal activity comes and goes. Swifts are quiet for much of the day, bats rest in daylight, and a squirrel may simply be asleep. A few quiet days prove very little about what is still inside the flue. Nest material and droppings stay behind even when the animal has left, and they still need attention.
Please do not light a fire or close the top on the strength of silence alone. A free inspection of your Woodruff Springs chimney confirms whether the flue is empty, whether nest material remains and whether the chimney is safe to use.
