From our experience, the fireplace and its chimney flue need to be swept and inspected at least once per year. However, this is only the minimum recommendation for the proper upkeep of your burning system, no matter what type of fuel you use (gas or wood). It’s also true for any gas appliance that has a flue pipe which also requires regular maintenance for performance and safety. According to the Chimney Safety Institute of America, the cost of chimney repairs can vary significantly based on the type and extent of damage. Looking for chimney repair and maintenance? Call Five Star Chimney Repair today.

If your fireplace is experiencing poor fire performance, animal entry, a strong campfire smell, or oil spots on the walls, it’s a definitive sign that you need to schedule a professional inspection and cleaning. Failure to act on these warning signs can lead to dangerous situations in your home, such as fires and carbon monoxide entry. Our chimney repair and maintenance experts can come out and sweep your chimney of any debris.

In the experience of our work, the average cost of an annual chimney cleaning is about $200 to $350. Some companies are more expensive than others, but the prices vary primarily due to the type of system being serviced.

If your system is showing signs of malfunction or damage, a local chimney repair and maintenance specialist may suggest that you get it fixed or replaced. To promote transparency during inspections, our technicians take photos and videos to ensure you understand what’s going on within your flue. This is where the bulk of issues are hidden from the view of homeowners.

Here are the general steps we take when sweeping a chimney:

• Do a full inspection of the system
• Place a drop cloth around the cleaning area
• Put on all protective equipment
• Take out any hindering objects from the fireplace
• Start sweeping the flue with the appropriate tools while the HEPA vacuum is simultaneously on
• Finally, brush and vacuum around the firebox area

If you have any questions regarding chimney repair and maintenance, don't hesitate to give us a call.

Yes, in most cases, you can absolutely have your chimney cleaned from the bottom. Sweeping from the top can be dangerous and a lot of work. You’ll be required to safely climb a ladder, walk across the roof, disassemble the cap, and clean the flue using the correct methods and equipment.

Sweeping from the bottom is just as detailed in terms of technical knowledge. Still, it’s much easier if you don’t feel comfortable on a roof. As we said before, you need to schedule an inspection before doing chimney repair and maintenance work. However, if you insist on sweeping your fireplace, we recommend that you clean it from the bottom.

Yes, you technically could clean your flue yourself. Still, even if you’re a DIY expert in all things, you should still hire a professional to conduct an annual chimney inspection and cleaning. While DIY typically implies that you’ll save on price, professional sweeps utilize various industry tools and specialty equipment during their cleanings. There are also serious safety concerns involved. While cleaning, exposure to creosote and other dangerous carcinogens is constant. In some cases, sweeping from the roof is the only option. You won't have to worry about taking this on alone when you work with our chimney repair and cleaning professionals.

Your chimney should be cleaned and inspected at least once a year, according to the CSIA and other veteran professionals. It should also always be swept when any amount of glazed creosote is present. Experts worldwide have told customers that exact statement a thousand times and we’ll continue to say it because it’s an essential aspect of wood-burning and gas fireplace chimney maintenance. As a fireplace owner, you should follow this maintenance tip religiously. 

If you use a wood-burning fireplace year-round, our team recommends that your system be cleaned two to three times per year. Of course, the more fires started, the more creosote that will be built up. Spending a couple hundred dollars on chimney repair and cleaning is better than worrying about putting your family and home at risk.

While the CSIA gave their accepted product status to chimney cleaning logs, they don’t really work as an effective cleaner. It may sound great, but $15 cleaning logs are not, and never will be, a substitute for hiring a professional for chimney repair and cleaning.

If carbon monoxide is leaking through your furnace, that likely means that your heat exchanger is cracked. A heat exchanger is a metal shield that distributes air from the furnace. When the furnace heats up, the metal shield expands. When the furnace cools down, the metal shield contracts. As this keeps happening over time, cracks can develop within the shield, causing carbon monoxide to leak out. You can avoid potential furnace carbon monoxide leaks by scheduling annual inspections, replacing air filters, and checking your carbon monoxide detectors. Our chimney repair and maintenance team can make sure everything is safe and properly functioning.

Chimneys can catch fire, and, unfortunately, more often than you would think. Over 25,000 chimney fires happen per year, according to the CSIA. Many of which led to hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage to your home. Not only can they destroy your system, but they can also ruin your home. They truly epitomize why you should take chimney repair and maintenance seriously. These fires typically occur due to an abundance of creosote build-up or debris catching fire inside the flue. Restricted air, improperly seasoned firewood, and cool temperatures in the system encourage creosote build-up.