They found a crack in the flue we never knew about. Probably saved our home. CSIA certified crew - truly trustworthy.
Free written estimate before any work begins
Chimney Sweep in San Jose, 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 San Jose homes
San Jose is large enough that the only sensible way to describe the chimney work is neighborhood by neighborhood. Willow Glen, the Rose Garden and Naglee Park hold the city's genuine period housing, with 1920s and 1930s masonry fireplaces that are original to the room and often carry the decorative detail of the era. Almaden Valley, Cambrian and Blossom Valley are post-war and later, with the lighter fireboxes and shorter flues of tract building. Evergreen and the eastern edge are later again and increasingly prefabricated. Across all of it, valley summers are hot and long and winters are short, so systems here typically get used a handful of evenings a year, which makes blockage, corrosion and decayed mortar far more common findings than creosote.
Period 1920s-1930s masonry with decorative detail in Willow Glen, the Rose Garden and Naglee Park; post-war tract fireboxes through Almaden, Cambrian and Blossom Valley; largely prefabricated systems on the newer eastern edge. Long hot summers and short winters mean very low annual usage, shifting findings toward blockage, corrosion and mortar decay rather than creosote.
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 Jose 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 Jose
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 Jose customers
Questions
FAQs
Do you actually come out to San Jose?
Yes. San Jose is a scheduled part of our week rather than an emergency call, so we book South Bay work into planned days and give you a proper appointment window instead of a vague promise.
Our Willow Glen fireplace has original tile and brick. Will a repair spoil it?
It should not. The period fireplaces in Willow Glen and the Rose Garden are a feature of the house, and matched mortar and careful protection of the surround are part of the job rather than an extra.
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.