Chimney sweeping across Puget Sound

A wood-burning fireplace or stove that gets used through a Puget Sound winter puts a season's worth of creosote on the inside of the flue, and creosote is what chimney fires are made of. The National Fire Protection Association recommends an annual inspection for any chimney that gets regular use, and a sweep whenever there is an eighth of an inch of build-up or more.

Our chimney service is a mechanical sweep with rotary rods and brushes sized to your flue, a full-containment vacuum at the firebox so nothing enters the room, and a visual inspection of the firebox, damper, smoke shelf and flue for cracks, missing mortar, blockages and animal nests. We clean the firebox and the glass on stove inserts.

The best time to schedule is late summer or early fall before you light the first fire. We also see a lot of calls in January when someone notices smoke coming back into the room, which is a sign of a blockage and should not wait.

Jobs like yours

A homeowner in an older house had not had the chimney swept in years and noticed smoke coming back into the room. The smoke shelf was packed with fallen creosote. Swept, cleared, inspected, and safe to use again.

A bird's nest in a chimney cap was blocking the flue. We removed it and recommended a screened cap.

A wood stove insert had glass blackened and a flue with heavy glaze from slow, smoldering fires of wet wood. We swept it and talked with the owner about burning hotter, drier fires.

A pre-sale chimney check found a cracked flue tile. We documented it and referred the seller to a chimney repair specialist so the buyer's inspection would not be a surprise.

A family who used their fireplace every night through winter had it swept every September. That is the right cadence for heavy use.

Through the year in Puget Sound

Late summer and early fall is the time to sweep, before the first fire. We book up in October.

Winter calls are usually about smoke in the room or a fire that will not draw — both signs of a blockage that should not wait.

Spring: after a winter of use, sweep before the chimney sits damp all summer and the creosote absorbs moisture and smells.

Summer is the easiest time to get an appointment and the best time for a pre-sale inspection.

What we will tell you honestly

We do a visual inspection. A full camera inspection and any repair — liner, crown, masonry — is a specialist's job.

Gas fireplaces need a gas technician, not a sweep.

Heavy glazed creosote sometimes needs a chemical treatment before it will brush out; we will tell you if that is the case.

Locally owned, not a franchise

Chimney Sweeping from a national brand comes with an advertised price and a list of add-ons at the door, because the franchise fee has to come from somewhere. We are one family with 3 vans in South Park and a laundromat in Tukwila; the quote on site is the number on the receipt, the techs are the ones customers name in reviews, and on a Sunday night the owner answers the phone. Here is the side-by-side.