What Chimney Maintenance in Flower Mound Includes
Flower Mound Chimney Sweep Professionals treats chimney maintenance as one yearly visit with four parts, the same for a factory-built fireplace in Bridlewood or a masonry chimney near Lake Lewisville.
- Sweep. Creosote and soot are brushed out of the flue, smoke chamber, smoke shelf and firebox, with drop cloths down and a HEPA vacuum running.
- Level 1 inspection. A camera goes up the flue. We check the damper, firebox panels or firebrick, and the smoke chamber.
- Roof check. Cap, crown, flashing, chase cover and the top of the flue are checked and photographed.
- Report. Before and after photos, a plain list of what we found, and a written price for any repair. You decide what happens next.
One fireplace takes about 60 to 90 minutes. Add a second flue, a wood stove or the dryer vent and we plan for more time.
The Flower Mound Chimney Calendar
Fireplaces here burn from about Thanksgiving to February, and the weather does most of its damage in spring. A maintenance plan follows that pattern.
| Season | What happens to the chimney | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| March to May | Hail and storms crack crowns, lift flashing, bend caps. Chimney swifts arrive in May. | Look at the cap from the yard after each storm. Call if anything looks bent or missing. |
| June to August | 100-degree heat and humidity pull odors out of creosote. Mortar dries and cracks. | Book the yearly visit. Smells mean the flue is dirty. |
| September to October | Last chance before the rush. | Sweep, inspection and roof check. Fix what the inspection finds. |
| November to February | Fireplace in use. | Burn dry wood, damper fully open, ash out at one inch deep. Call if smoke comes into the room. |
What You Can Do Between Visits
Most of chimney maintenance happens once a year, but how you burn matters the rest of the time.
- Burn wood that has dried at least six months and reads under 20 percent on a moisture meter. The EPA Burn Wise program sets that number, and post oak or cedar elm cut this year is not there yet.
- Build small, hot fires. A smoldering fire makes far more creosote than a hot one.
- Keep the damper fully open while anything is burning.
- Clean ash out of the firebox when it is more than an inch deep.
- Keep anything that can burn at least 3 feet from the fireplace opening.
- Walk the yard after a hail storm and look up at the cap and crown.
Signs Your Chimney Is Overdue for Maintenance
- More than a year since the last inspection
- A smoky smell in the house on humid days
- Smoke rolling into the room when the fire is lit
- White stains, rust streaks or dark patches on the brick or siding of the chimney
- Water marks on the ceiling or wall near the fireplace after rain
- A cap that is missing, rusted or sitting crooked after a storm
- Chirping, scratching or droppings in the fireplace
- Chunks of mortar, crown or tile in the firebox
Chimney Sweep
The sweep is the cleaning half of maintenance. Our chimney sweep in Flower Mound page explains how we brush the flue, what the Level 1 inspection covers and why fireplaces that only burn a few months still build creosote. The Chimney Safety Institute of America says to sweep once buildup reaches 1/8 inch, or sooner if any of it is glazed.
Chimney Inspection
The inspection is the half that saves money. A yearly chimney inspection finds the cracked crown, the rusted damper and the torn cap mesh while each is a small job. A Level 1 inspection covers everything we can reach without tools. After a chimney fire, a hail storm that hit the roof, a home sale or a switch from wood to gas logs, a Level 2 inspection with a full video scan is the right step.
Repairs a Yearly Inspection Catches Early
Three repairs come up on the roof more than any others in Flower Mound, and each is small when it is found the same year.
Chimney Cap Installation
The cap is the single cheapest part of a chimney and the one that protects everything below it. A missing or rusted cap lets rain into the flue, where it turns soot into a paste and rusts the damper, and lets raccoons, squirrels and chimney swifts in. We check the cap and its mesh on every visit. If it needs replacing, our chimney cap installation page covers stainless caps and custom sizes.
Chimney Crown Repair
The crown is the sloped concrete top that sheds water away from the flue. Spring hail and summer heat crack it a little more each year. Water in those cracks freezes on the few cold nights we get and widens them. A crown sealed this fall is a small job. The same crown three years later means loose brick, a wet smoke chamber and a far larger repair. Our chimney crown repair page shows what a cracked crown looks like and how it is fixed.
Chimney Waterproofing
Brick is a sponge. Once the crown, cap and flashing are sound, a breathable water repellent keeps rain out of the masonry and stops the white staining and spalling that North Texas humidity and heat cause. We recommend chimney waterproofing after repairs are done, not before, so the sealer is not trapping water that is already inside.
Dryer Vent Cleaning
Lint in a dryer vent is the laundry room version of creosote. The U.S. Fire Administration lists failure to clean as the leading cause of home dryer fires. Since the rotary tools and vacuum are already on site, dryer vent cleaning fits the same maintenance visit.
Book Chimney Maintenance in Flower Mound
Flower Mound Chimney Sweep Professionals is veteran-owned and based on Long Prairie Rd in Flower Mound 75028. We handle yearly chimney maintenance in Flower Mound, Lewisville, Southlake, Colleyville, Keller, Fort Worth and Collin County, 7 days a week from 7 AM to 8 PM. Call (817) 518-6131 or send the form on this page. You get a firm price before we start, photos of everything we find, and a free written estimate for any repair. See what customers say on our reviews page.
