Chimney sweep and cleaning in New Jersey
The fireplace smells of smoke or tar, or you cannot remember the last time the chimney was swept. We sweep the soot and creosote out of the flue, then check the crown, cap, flashing and liner and show you the photos. We do this on houses in 14 New Jersey counties.
NJ HIC 13VH13268400 · Licensed and insured · Free inspection · Fast ResponseModern Home Roofing & Chimney sweeps chimneys in 14 New Jersey counties under NJ HIC license 13VH13268400. We take soot and creosote out of the flue, because creosote is what burns in a chimney fire. While we are up there, we check the crown, cap, flashing and liner. Every sweep starts with a free inspection, photos and a written estimate.
Why a flue needs sweeping
Every fire leaves soot and creosote on the inside of the flue. Creosote is what burns in a chimney fire. It builds up a little with every fire, faster when the wood is wet or the fire smolders, and you cannot see it from the room.
Once a year if you use it. That is how often NFPA 211, the national fire safety standard for chimneys and fireplaces, calls for a chimney to be inspected.
Signs the chimney is due for a sweep
- The fireplace smells of smoke or tar, even when it is not in use.
- It has been a year or more since the last sweep.
- Black flakes falling into the firebox.
- Smoke coming back into the room instead of going up the chimney.
- You just bought the house and do not know when it was last swept.
A sweep takes out what has built up. It does not fix a cracked liner. If we find broken tile in the flue, we show you the photos and tell you what it needs. How a chimney liner job works
How a chimney sweep works
A chimney sweep with us runs in six steps. The sweep itself is only part of it, because we check the whole chimney while we are there. Your written estimate lists how long the work will take.
We look at the chimney first, free
Before anything gets swept, we look at the fireplace, the damper and the top of the chimney, and photograph what we find.
You get a written estimate
What the sweep covers and the price, on paper. If we already see something that needs repair, it goes on the estimate as a separate line so you can decide on it.
We protect the room
Drop cloths go down in front of the fireplace and the opening is covered, and a vacuum runs while we sweep, so the soot stays out of the room.
We sweep the flue
We sweep the soot and creosote out of the flue, along with any nests, leaves or loose debris that have collected in it.
We check the crown, cap, flashing and liner
While we are up there, we photograph the top of the chimney, the flashing where it meets the roof, and the liner inside the flue.
We go over the photos with you
You see what came out and what the chimney looks like. If something needs repair, you get a written price. If nothing does, we tell you that.
What a sweep takes out of the flue
This is what builds up inside a flue between sweeps. Most of it comes out with a brush. Some of it tells you something else is wrong.
Soot
Fine black powder left by smoke. It narrows the flue a little at a time and is the first layer on the walls.
Flaky creosote
Dry, crumbly deposits that build up from ordinary fires. This is what falls into the firebox as black flakes.
Tarry creosote
Sticky and dark, from wet wood or a fire that smolders. It is harder to brush off and burns hotter when it catches.
Glazed creosote
A hard, shiny coating on the flue walls. A brush does not take it off. If we find it, you see the photos and we tell you what it means for the chimney.
Nests and leaves
Birds and animals build in a flue with no cap over it. They block the smoke from getting out.
Pieces of clay tile
If broken tile comes down with the soot, the liner is cracked. A sweep cannot fix that.
Time to have the chimney swept?
Get a free inspection
What the sweep can turn up
Broken tile in the fireplace?
The liner is cracked, and that needs more than a sweep. See Chimney Liners.
Leaves, nests or water in the fireplace?
The cap is missing or the crown is cracked. See Chimney Caps and Crowns. A stain on the ceiling next to the chimney is usually Chimney Flashing.
Check us out before we sweep your chimney
It depends on how many flues the chimney has, what you burn, and how much has built up since the last sweep. A fireplace used a few times a year and a wood stove run all winter are different jobs. We do not quote over the phone. You get a written price after we have looked.
NFPA 211, the national fire safety standard for chimneys and fireplaces, calls for a chimney to be inspected once a year if you use it, and swept when the inspection finds enough buildup to need it. If you burn wood all winter, that often means every year.
Creosote is what smoke leaves on the inside of the flue as it cools. It starts out as flaky soot and can build up into a sticky tar or a hard glaze. It is what burns in a chimney fire, which is why it should come out of the flue before it gets thick.
Usually it is creosote in the flue. The smell is often worse in summer, when humid air and air pulled down the chimney carry it into the room. A sweep takes out most of what causes it. If the smell stays after a sweep, we look for what else is going on.
Yes. While we are up there, we check the crown, cap, flashing and liner and show you the photos. If something needs repair, you get a written price for it. If nothing does, we tell you that, and you do not have to take our word for it.
It should not. Drop cloths go down in front of the fireplace, the opening gets covered, and we run a vacuum while we sweep so the soot stays in the flue and out of the room. We check the floor in front of the fireplace before we leave.
We sweep chimneys in Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean, Passaic, Somerset, Sussex, Union and Warren counties. If your town is in one of those, we can come out and look at it.
Find out what is in your flue
Tell us what you burn and when the chimney was last swept, if you know. We come out, look at it, and give you a written price. While we are up there, we check the top of the chimney and show you the photos. If you hire someone else, you owe us nothing.
Fast Response · NJ HIC 13VH13268400 · Licensed and insured