Recent Posts
- The Hidden Cost of Delaying Chimney Repairs in California
- Chimney Camera Inspection vs Traditional Inspection: What Orange County Homeowners Should Know
- How Salt Air Damages Chimneys in Newport Beach, Huntington Beach and Laguna Beach
- Orange County Chimney Inspection Requirements for Home Insurance in 2026
- What Common Chimney Problems Are Identified During a Sweep in Laguna Hills, CA?
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Installing Gas Logs
/in Gas LogsWe frequently install gas log sets for people that want fire, without the hassle of burning solid fuels, wood or pressed logs. Wood and pressed logs leave ashes, soot or creosote and require cleaning periodically. I get calls asking how often should we get fireplace cleaned. I tell them at minimum, weekly cleanings are recommended, wait for a bit of gasp, then tell them, seriously, we recommend cleaning every 60 fires or a cord of wood.
One of benefits of installing gas logs is that professional cleanings usually aren’t needed if logs are set up correctly.
Chimney Cap Patina
/in Chimney CapIn the 1980’s builders almost completely quit building chimneys out of brick and mortar and converted to prefabricated metal chimneys. The tops of chimneys now being metal are subject to deterioration, especially near beach, where salt air chews them up.
We get calls to replace them and copper is the most durable under beach conditions. Here is one we installed in summer of 2023 and now you can see the patina that has developed.
Chimney Fire
/in Fireplace Cleaning, Fireplace SafetyThis time of year we get calls for service from alarmed customers who have had a chimney fire.
The by products of burning solid fuel, wood or pressed logs, is soot and creosote. Soot and creosote accumulate in the flue with use of fireplace. Soot and creosote are highly flammable.
A chimney fire happens when the buildup of soot/creosote in the flue catches on fire. When a great deal of heat is introduced into unit, the buildup will ignite. People burn Christmas trees or wrapping paper and these produce large flames with high heat. This will ignite the soot/creosote in the flue and fire will spread up the entire flue and can belch flames out the top of the chimney. It becomes a giant torch and can produce a huge roar.
Temperatures in flue will go from range from normal of 300-500 F degrees to over 1700 F. Chimney fires can create a lot of damage, and sometimes one will get damage from the fire department’s efforts to extinguish the fire. So, one must always be cautious about having too big or too hot a fire and one should get chimneys cleaned and inspected regularly and especially after a chimney fire.
Replacing fireplace gas lines
/in Fireplace SafetyGas lines coming up through the floor of older masonry fireplaces often rust out and need to be replaced. Here is a rusted gas line we replaced.
Fixed price chimney inspections and cleaning
/in Chimney SweepingWe get questioned about why our price is higher than the $99 or $69 specials. Well, I have several answers to that.
To properly service a chimney, it usually takes about an hour, plus 30 minutes driving time to job. Some very dirty chimneys can take up to 2 hours to clean. So, $99 would not really cover costs to have a good employee, someone we trust in your house, that we trust will do a proper job. Our main purpose is to make sure you will not have any safety issues or hazards which could result in a house fire. It has been reported that the major source of home fires in the winter is fire places.
We provide an extremely high quality inspection, using a camera down flue, which is especially important with masonry chimneys. We do cleanings without making a mess in your home. We have heard reports of low priced sweeps leaving soot all over.
Many of these low priced companies are not insured or use subcontractors who are not insured. We have insurance (and will show you our insurance coverage), so if we fall off your roof, you are not liable, we have a contractor’s license, so you can be assured we are a legitimate company and pay all our taxes.
We have had customers report that some of these low priced companies arrive at their home and then up the price for the service to way higher than we charge, some times even double our price. We provide a fixed price for chimney inspections and cleaning and then do not up the price after we arrive.
If a chimney sweep comes to your home and then increases the price substantially once there, send them on their way and don’t do business with them.