Free written estimate before any work begins
Chimney Sweep in Hillsborough, CA
Creosote and soot removed to CSIA standard, with drop cloths down and a HEPA vacuum running the whole time.
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Chimney Sweep for Hillsborough homes
Hillsborough work is different in scale from anywhere else we go. Houses here routinely have three, four or more fireplaces, often on separate flues in the same stack, and estates from the 1910s through the 1930s were built with chimneys tall enough that access is a planned part of the job rather than a ladder against a wall. Multi-flue stacks bring their own failure mode: when the divider between two flues deteriorates, smoke from one fireplace appears in a room served by another, and the diagnosis is a camera job rather than a guess. The mature tree cover through Lower and Central Hillsborough drops a great deal onto these roofs, so uncapped flues fill with debris quickly and caps matter more here than almost anywhere else we work.
Large early-twentieth-century estates with multiple fireplaces and multi-flue stacks, frequently at heights that need planned roof access. Deteriorated flue dividers cause cross-smoking between rooms. Dense mature tree canopy fills uncapped flues with debris and makes proper caps a priority rather than an upgrade.
Included in every job
- Chimney fire risk removed
- A fireplace that actually draws
- Problems found while they are cheap
- No mess left behind
Warning signs
When Hillsborough homes need this service
- It has been more than a year, or more than a cord of wood, since the last sweep
- Smoke pushes into the room when you light a fire
- A sharp, tarry smell from the fireplace on warm days
- Black, flaky or shiny tar-like deposits visible above the damper
- You hear rustling, scratching or birds in the flue
- The damper is stiff, will not seat, or has rusted in place
- Dark staining spreading on the brick above the opening
Chimney Sweep in Hillsborough
Call (209) 447-0752 for same-week availability.
Process
How the visit works
Set up and seal
Drop cloths over the hearth and floor, and the fireplace opening sealed so nothing escapes into the room.
Sweep the full run
Rotary and hand brushes from the firebox through the smoke chamber, throat and flue to the cap, sized to your flue.
Vacuum under negative pressure
A HEPA vacuum runs the whole time so the soot goes into the machine rather than onto your furniture.
Inspect what the brush exposed
Camera and visual check of the liner, damper, smoke shelf and crown now that the surfaces are clean.
Report and photograph
We show you what we found, photograph anything that needs attention, and give you the written estimate before any repair work.
Questions
FAQs
Smoke from the living room fire comes out of the bedroom fireplace. Why?
That is a classic multi-flue problem and it is common in the larger Hillsborough houses. When the masonry divider between two flues in the same stack deteriorates, smoke crosses from one to the other. It needs a camera inspection to confirm, and it is a genuine safety issue rather than a nuisance.
We have five fireplaces. Do they all need doing every year?
The ones you actually use, yes. The ones you never light still need inspecting, because unused flues collect debris, nests and water, but they will not need sweeping on the same cycle. We can put them on different schedules.
How often should the chimney be swept?
Once a year for anything you burn regularly, and the industry standard is an annual inspection regardless of use. If you burn most evenings through the winter, or you burn wood that was not fully seasoned, it is worth doing before every heating season.
How long does a sweep take?
A straightforward single fireplace usually runs about an hour to ninety minutes. Heavy glazed creosote, a blocked flue or a second fireplace adds time, and we will tell you before we start rather than after.
Contact Alpine Chimney
Alpine Chimney Company
1080 Broadway
Millbrae, CA 94030
(209) 447-0752
info@alpinechimneycompany.com
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Fast response. No obligation.