Chimney Sweep

Home Of The Flat Rate

How often do I need to clean my chimney?

Every Year

We recommend any wood-burning flue that is in use to be cleaned every year. Fire departments strongly recommend annual inspection and cleaning.

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Breathe Easy With Our chimney sweeping

Everyone loves a fire in the hearth crackling on a frosty morning. Fireplaces, inserts and wood stoves are popular, particularly in autumn and winter, for the warmth and cozy atmosphere they bring to a home.

When wood is burned in a fireplace or wood burning unit smoke is generated and, if the chimney is working properly, the smoke is drawn up the chimney and into the outside air.

Particles in the smoke – called soot or creosote – are deposited on the inside of the chimney and fireplace. Creosote is flammable. When a sufficient amount builds up in a chimney, a fire hazard exists and the chimney needs to be cleaned. Glazed creosote under repair.

Preventative maintenance is the key to eliminate the threat of a chimney fire!

We are told – from clients who did NOT clean their chimneys in time – that a chimney fire sounds much like a jet landing on the roof. Part of this “roar” is from the rush of air up the chimney created by the fire’s demand for oxygen. A dirty chimney may also not draw well. This causes smoke to drift or billow into the room when a fire is lit. Soot build-up, particularly right above the fireplace in an area called the “smoke shelf,” is the most common cause of a chimney not drawing properly. Another cause is improper construction. But, if the fireplace worked well at one time, but is now drawing poorly, you can assume a good cleaning will restore it to working order again.

How Often Should Your Chimney Be Cleaned?

“Have your chimney professionally checked once a year and cleaned when necessary.” -Saanich Fire Department

We recommend any wood-burning flue that is in use to be cleaned every year. Fire departments strongly recommend annual inspection and cleaning. For oil chimneys, furnace or boiler, we also recommend yearly cleaning and inspection. Oil soot can clog a chimney or furnace causing it to malfunction. Also inspecting the chimney system will make sure it’s venting correctly. You don’t want poisonous gas seepage into your house. Note: Open fireplace ash pits are not included in your sweep, we will quote you an estimate (on site) to clean it out. A fireplace ash pit may have a story of ash and 50 years worth.

WETT Inspection Means You Can Breathe Easy!

A WETT inspection is a thorough comprehensive inspection of your wood-burning unit and it’s chimney. These inspections are often required for homeowners to receive insurance coverage on their unit. We provide a full report (with pictures, checklists and comments) and a letter for your insurance company. We also fill out any forms that your insurance company may require.

How Do We Clean The Flues?

Being WETT certified we have the training to properly sweep your chimney, recognize problems and conduct WETT (Wood Energy Technology Transfer) inspections. It is the only chimney sweep training recognized by insurance companies.

Our sweeps will either sweep the chimney from the roof or do a “push-up” from the bottom. From the rooftop we use wire, bladed and poly brushes to clean the different types and sizes of chimneys. Doing a “push-up” we have state of the art Rotary Brush technology. These snap together poles and brush heads clean the dirtiest chimneys and liners.

With fireplaces we clean up inside the smoke chamber and smoke shelf (where most of the time the damper rests) and of course the fire box, removing soot and ash. At your request we can look at the ash pit and see how much is inside. We then can quote you an estimate on cleaning it out. Most often we need to book more time and another appointment to have sufficient time to clean it all out.

With wood stoves, hearth mounted stoves or inserts we clean the inside of the unit, the baffle system, any smoke pipes that lead to the chimney as well as removing ash from the firebox and cleanout. We wash any glass doors and lube the hinges.