Services
Chimney sweeping details for Woodruff Springs homes
Why our family-owned crew in Woodruff Springs sweeps chimneys the way it does.
The smoke chamber above the firebox
Between the damper and the flue, the walls of a masonry fireplace slope inward to form the smoke chamber. Deposits cling to those rough walls, and they are hard to reach well from the top of the chimney.
We brush the chamber from below with tools shaped for its angles and look at the surface as it comes clean. Gaps, rough steps or loose mortar in the chamber walls are noted on your service record, since smoke chamber repair is a separate job. You get the finding and its price before anything is added, and a cleaning never hides a defect from you. A smooth chamber also draws better, so a rough one is worth knowing about even when the fireplace seems to work.
How firewood affects what we find in the flue
The EPA's Burn Wise program advises seasoning firewood for at least six months and storing it outdoors, off the ground, with only the top covered, since covering the sides traps moisture. It also recommends checking wood with a moisture meter before burning it.
Wet wood burns poorly and smoky, and that smoke leaves more residue on the inside of the flue. If our sweeps find heavy deposits, we ask about the wood you burn and how it is stored. Changing that is often the cheapest way to keep the next cleaning light, and it makes for a better fire in the meantime. We are happy to look at your woodpile while we are there if you would like a second opinion.
Smoldering fires and heavy buildup
Burn Wise also recommends hot fires and says a smoldering fire is neither safe nor efficient in most appliances. A fire starved of air or left to smolder for hours sends cooler, smokier exhaust up the chimney, which is how deposits build quickly.
The same guidance lists things never to burn, including household trash, cardboard, plastics, painted or pressure-treated wood, plywood and particle board. When a flue shows unusual deposits or residue, we mention what tends to cause it without any lecture. Better burning habits keep your chimney cleaner between visits, and they cost nothing to adopt. A short, hot fire leaves a cleaner flue than a long, cool one, which is worth remembering on mild evenings.
