Fireplace Cleaning

There are hundreds of different types of factory-built fireplaces. The damper sits where the smoke chamber ends and the flue begins — grab a flashlight and look up from the bottom of the firebox.

Your damper is the metal flap, usually 8 to 10 inches round. Some are square or rectangular. They have a handle you push up and pull down — hard to miss once you know where to look.

Because every part is metallic, factory-built fireplaces get softer brushes. Smoke chamber, damper, and firebox walls — all cleaned with hand brushes working from the bottom up. No scratched surfaces, no bent damper plate.

Older South Florida fireplaces are often the classic brick-and-mortar type. If the damper looks like a cast iron slab on a pivot rather than a sheet-metal flap, that's masonry.

Stiff wire brushes knock out stubborn creosote. Soft nylon brushes when the flue is cleaner. Joe decides which on site — after seeing what's actually built up, not before.

If you think you might need repairs, call before booking a clean. Sometimes nothing more is needed.