Professional Chimney Sweeping in Pleasantville, NJ

Common signs: smoke coming back into the room when the fireplace is on, a dark sticky buildup in the flue, animal sounds or droppings in the firebox, water staining around the chimney, a damper that won't open or close cleanly, and last winter's smell lingering year-round. Any one is worth an inspection.

Yes. Gas fireplaces make less creosote than wood but still need a yearly safety check of the vent path, burner, pilot, gas connections, glass-front seal, and chimney cap. Pleasantville customers who report a gas smell when the fireplace runs almost always traced it to a skipped yearly service.

Most often a closed or partially closed damper, an obstructed flue (creosote, a nest, or debris), a cold flue that needs warming, or negative pressure pulling air down the chimney. The $89 inspection pinpoints the cause — and smoke backup is a 'stop using the fireplace until we look' call.

We tarp and protect the hearth, run a HEPA-filtered vacuum at the firebox, brush the full flue, clean the firebox, smoke shelf, and smoke chamber, inspect the damper, cap, crown, and liner, document with before/after photos, and finish with an airflow check.

Yes. Cap installs and replacements, crown sealing and rebuilds, and stainless-steel or clay-tile liner work are all in scope. A missing cap is the number-one entry point for animals and water, and we quote any repair on the inspection visit before starting.

Yes — damper repair, replacement, and top-mount damper installs are standard scope. A stuck damper is one of the calls we get the day before someone wants to use the fireplace for the season, so we keep parts on the truck for the common types.