Michael T.
After years of avoiding chimney service, Alpine's team completely transformed our fireplace. Professional, on time, thorough.
Free written estimate before any work begins
Chimney Sweep in San Francisco, CA
Creosote and soot removed to CSIA standard, with drop cloths down and a HEPA vacuum running the whole time.
Licensed & insured11 years experience5.0 star ratedUpfront pricing
Licensed & insured · 134 reviews
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1 yrRecommended sweep interval
60-90 minTypical single fireplace
CSIACertified technicians
Chimney Sweep for San Francisco homes
San Francisco chimneys are old, tall, narrow and built into houses that share walls with their neighbors, and that combination makes the city its own specialty. Victorian and Edwardian homes across Noe Valley, the Richmond, the Sunset and Bernal Heights typically have unlined brick flues serving fireplaces that were the original heating for the room, often several stacked on a single chimney breast. A great many have been decommissioned, partially filled, or connected to a later appliance without the flue ever being brought up to a state that suits it. On top of that sits the seismic question: unreinforced masonry above the roofline in a city that has twice demonstrated what that means. Almost every San Francisco job we take starts with a camera rather than a brush.
Victorian and Edwardian housing with tall, narrow, commonly unlined brick flues, frequently several serving one chimney breast, on shared-wall lots. Widespread historic decommissioning and improvised later connections. Unreinforced masonry above the roofline is a live seismic concern in a city with two major earthquakes on record.
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 San Francisco 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 San Francisco
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.
Reviews
From San Francisco customers
Questions
FAQs
Our Victorian has three fireplaces on one chimney. Can they all be used?
Sometimes, but not on the assumption that they were designed to be. Multiple flues in one San Francisco stack are often narrow, unlined and separated by masonry that has decayed, and a camera inspection is the only way to know which of them are still safe to light.
Is my unreinforced brick chimney an earthquake risk?
Above the roofline, where the stack is unbraced, it is the part of the structure most likely to fail in a significant quake. That does not mean it needs to come down tomorrow, but it does mean an honest assessment is worth having, particularly if there is already cracking or a lean.
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
Open 24/7Every day, including holidays
Request a Free Quote
Fast response. No obligation.