Free written estimate before any work begins
Chimney Sweep in South San Francisco, 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 South San Francisco homes
The housing in South San Francisco splits neatly into two eras and the chimney work follows the split. The older neighborhoods below Sign Hill, laid out for workers at the steel plant and the shipyards, hold compact 1920s and 1930s homes with brick stacks that have now had a century of salt air on them. Westborough and the developments up the hill are a different proposition, built from the 1960s onward and far more likely to have a prefabricated metal firebox and a factory-built Class A chimney behind a decorative chase. Those two systems fail in completely different ways and are repaired with completely different parts, which is why the first question we ask on a South San Francisco call is which side of town the house is on.
A clear split between pre-war masonry near the older downtown and Sign Hill, and 1960s-onward hillside housing with prefabricated metal fireboxes and factory-built chimneys in decorative chases. Salt-laden air accelerates corrosion on metal systems and erodes mortar on the older brick.
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 South 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 South 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.
Questions
FAQs
How do I know if I have a real masonry chimney or a metal one?
Look inside the firebox. Firebrick laid in courses with mortar joints means masonry. Smooth panels, often with a visible seam or a metal lip, mean a prefabricated unit. It matters, because a prefab firebox is a manufactured appliance with specific replacement parts rather than something that can simply be repointed.
Does the salt air really affect the chimney?
It does, particularly on the metal components. Caps, flashing, dampers and factory-built chimney sections corrode noticeably faster on this side of the Peninsula than they do inland, and a rusted-through cap is one of the more common findings here.
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.