Chimney Sweeping + Cleaning

Leading fire safety organizations such as the Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) recommend cleaning your chimney regularly for many reasons, including:

• Reducing the chances of dangerous chimney fires
• Preventing poisonous gases and fumes from escaping into your home
• Keeping birds and other wildlife from building flammable nests in your chimney
• Avoiding the costly repairs that dirty components can cause

Whether it’s a routine chimney cleaning or you feel there is a problem with your chimney, hire an experienced chimney sweep to clean out your chimney and venting system to ensure your family’s safety.

We get this question all of the time, and while it can depend on several factors, there is unanimous agreement among fire safety organizations that chimneys need to be inspected at least once a year. Since Capitol Chimney’s cleaning service includes an inspection, it’s often most cost-effective to get them done together. The official recommendation for the frequency at which you should be cleaning your chimney is:

• The National Fire Protection Association—Chimneys, fireplaces, and vents shall be inspected at least once a year for soundness, freedom from deposits, and correct clearances. Cleaning, maintenance, and repairs shall be done if necessary.
• The Chimney Safety Institute of America—open masonry fireplaces should be swept at 1/8″ of sooty buildup, and sooner if there is any glaze in the system.  This is considered enough fuel buildup to cause a fire capable of damaging the chimney or spreading to the home.
• The Chimney Safety Institute of America—Factory-built fireplaces should be swept when any appreciable buildup occurs. The logic is that the deposit is quite acidic and can shorten the life of the fireplace.

At Capitol Chimney, we understand that our customers are very busy and that chimney cleaning may not be at the top of your “to-do” list. That’s okay; we’re happy to help remind you.

When cleaning your chimney, Capitol Chimney follows the standards set by the Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA), an organization that specializes in preventing chimney fires, dryer fires, and other home heating disasters. The CSIA has specified the following three levels of chimney inspections:

• Step 1—we understand how important your space is to you, so before we start any work, we lay out plastic drop-cloths where the work will be done in your home. Our goal is to keep your house clean, so we use a dust collection vacuum with a heavy-duty HEPA filter to suction soot, dirt, ash, and creosote that may become loose while we work.
• Step 2—a quality check inspection is included with every service that Capitol Chimney offers and is the initial step in our chimney sweeping and cleaning service.
• Step 3—we’ll use professional quality chimney sweeping tools and brushes to loosen deposits and clear away any clearance barriers.
• Step 4—if our inspection reveals any evidence of animals invading your system, we will remove bird nests and any signs of wildlife we may find in your chimney, flue, or chimney cap.
• Step 5—some areas within the chimney chamber are particularly susceptible to creosote build-up, such as the damper and around the firebox. We will thoroughly clean these areas to ensure they are completely debris-free and in good working order.
• Step 6—we’ll clean up any ash and debris that is left over in your fireplace so that it looks as good as new.
• Step 7—once the interior of the chimney and fireplace is taken care of, we will inspect the mortar work and crown for any water or corrosion damage.
• Step 8—during our inspection and cleaning process, we take detailed notes about any issues we discover and provide our recommendations to the homeowner about how those issues should be addressed.

We will always leave your house in a clean and safe condition for you. We’ll vacuum up any loosened debris and properly dispose of any materials we may have used during the service call. We won’t leave until everything is back in order.

We want to be completely upfront and transparent about our pricing and fees. In some specific cases, we can give you an estimate over the phone. However, since most situations are unique, we’ll usually need an in-person inspection to ensure we have the information needed for an accurate estimate.

Once we get your approval, we’ll schedule your service call as soon as possible. As you might expect, we are busiest during colder seasons, so you’ll have an easier time getting an appointment in the warmer months.

We realize that you have several choices when selecting a chimney sweeping company. First and foremost, please make sure the company you hire employs experienced chimney experts and provides them with the tools and ongoing training needed to ensure your family’s safety. Here are some areas where we think Capitol Chimney deserves your consideration:

• We know what we’re doing—we’ve been cleaning and repairing chimneys in Central Texas since 1997. Over that time, we’ve seen it all, so we have the specialized tools, training, and experience to get the job done right and ensure your family’s safety.
• We respect your time and property—we pride ourselves on not wasting our customers’ time. This means we’ll show up when we say we will show up, keep our customers in the loop about what’s going on and clean up any trace that we were ever at your home.
• We’re a safety-first company—chimney sweeping and inspections are primarily done to ensure that your system is operating safely. Our primary focus in whatever we do revolves around providing a safe environment for our customers and their families.
• We’re from here—it’s one thing to have professional experience and another to have 20+ years of professional experience working in Central Texas. Over that time, we’ve gained a deep knowledge of the construction, wildlife, wood and weather issues that can impact the safe operation of your chimney now and in the future.
• We’re not happy unless you’re happy—we’ve built our business on the kind words and referrals of our customers, so we do everything we can to make sure our customers are happy.