Don put it off. Late summer is a great time to get your chimney cleaned.
It won't be long until there will be a chill in the air and you will want to light that fireplace or wood stove. Let us get it cleaned and inspected so it is ready for use when you are ready.  As we get into the fall,we get very busy and we may not be able to get you on the schedule as quickly as you would like. We are taking appointment right now for annual maintenance. 
 At the same time we will inspect the chimney and fireplace to make sure you don't have any necessary repairs that need to be done.
​ Please call at 423-398-1632 or contact by email at [email protected]

Now is a great time to get your chimney cleaned and inspected.  The National Fire Protection Administration recommends that you have your flue cleaned and 
inspected by a certified technician every year. AN important part of our service include the video inspection of te inside of your flue tile to make sure 
it is still safe to use.
Gaps in the mortar joints and cracks in the tile can open up without you having any way of knowing it. Gaps and cracks can make it very dangerous to burn 
in your fireplace so you NEED to know what condition it is in. If there is damage, we can discuss the options for geting it repaired.

 I know it doesn't feel like it right now but fall will be here befre we know it. Why not get your chimney taken care of and ready to go for the fall.
We have appointments available right now so give us a call and we will schedule your appointment.

You can reach me at 423-398-1632 or by email at [email protected]

I hope to heard from you soon,

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CHIMNEY FIRES
Did you ever wonder how a chimney fire causes so much damage to you flue tiles? Simply put, the chimney fire causes a rapid increase in temperature. The inner surface of the tile heats up and expands at a greater rate than the outside surface causing failure of the tile. Here is a short video demonstration of what happens during a chimney fire

 To avoid this expensive damage, have your chimney inspected and cleaned ANNUALLY
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#chimneyfire   #fluetile  

Joint Repair
To repair chimney interiors, one of two methods are used. The Joint Repair System is used for chimneys that only require repair of defective mortar joints. The Resurfacing System is used to repair mortar joints and other minor defects in tile lined flues.

With our (patent pending) Joint Repair system your chimney is fixed right, the first time.

First, a special foam applicator blade is custom made to fit your chimney. The applicator tool and blade are then plunged down your chimney and positioned below each gap or void.

The HeatShield® Cerfractory® Flue Sealant mixture is added. Each void in your flue is filled as HeatShield® mixture is extruded into the void by the tool. Your repaired void is then made smooth as the blade passes over the filled void as the tool is pulled upward.

Your repair is then immediately scanned with a specially designed video camera. The Chimney Sweeps of NE Tennessee technician then verifies that each gap or void has been properly repaired as it is immediately viewed on the cameras monitor.

Your Chimney May Look Good On the Outside, But Have Hidden Dangers On the Inside.
 Damaged chimney liner? HeatShield® can restore your chimney’s clay flue liner and save you the expense of rebuilding or relining with a stainless steel chimney liner.
 HeatShield® is a chimney liner repair system that eliminates the hazards and draft problems caused by gaps, cracks and spalling in otherwise sound masonry chimneys.

A thorough inspection of your chimney liner may reveal hidden dangers. To choose an effective, economical solution you should know how your chimney works, and understand the fire & health risks these dangers can cause.

We don't have set prices as each fireplace is a little different. Things like height, size, amount of creosote debris and other factors can affect the amount of time it takes to clean a chimney. As a result, prices can vary slightly. However, the basic charge for cleaning a standard fireplace is $245 which includes all taxes, labor etc.   This includes power brushing the entire flue, smoke chamber and firebox and a visual inspection of the lower flue and smoke chamber. You might be thinking "$225 sounds like a lot"   First off you need to understand, no one else does the level of work we do to clean and inspect your chimney for any less.  You will find others than clean it for less money but they are not as thorough as we are. They don't take the extra time to make sure it is as clean as it possibly can be like we do. In addition, we are the only service in the area that is CSIA certified (Chimney Safety Institute of America). Your personal safety is at risk. You don't want someone to just quickly run a brush up the flue, collect their money and walk away.  We take the job very seriously and do our very best to make sure you receive a cleaning that is better than you expected.  Our philosophy is "under promise and over deliver"

Video Inspection - The only way to effectively inspect the flue tile is to insert a camera into the flue. Using the camera equipment we can get a close up view of each mortar joint looking for cracks and missing mortar. We can also spot any crack in the flue tile.  the fee for video inspection is $75

For an accurate price quote for your particular situation, call us at 423-398-1632

Why should you get you flue cleaned every year?  
Good question. Some people go for several years without cleaning their flue. Some get by with it but most don't. I personally saw  5 homes in the Tri CIties area that burned completely down as a result of a chimney fire. Who knows how many more received partial damage. The cost of getting your chimney cleaned by a professional is nothing compared to the cost of losing your home and all your possessions. Even worse than losing your possessions, you risk losing your life or the life of a family member. Why take the risk?  
 Some people clean their chimney themselves and think they are doing a good job. While their intentions are good, I can tell you that few if any homeowners have the right equipment and knowledge to clean a flue the way we do.  We see it all the time where a homeowner goes to Lowes or Home Depot and buys a 6 or 8 inch round brush and some lightweight rods and tries to "clean" their chimney.   Most flue tiles are 13 inch by 13 inch. Think about it, an 8 inch round brush isn't going to scrub a 13 inch share tile very well. In addition they are standing up on the roof trying to reach the top of the chimney chase and then run the rods and brush up and down the flue. Working on the roof is always dangerous. 
 Certainly this is better than doing nothing but just barely. The fact is, it takes appropriate sized equipment to clean the flue adequately. We use expandable brushes that are spun by an electric motor. As they spin they expand to reach every surface of the flue multiple times per minute. Some flues have just a buildup of light ash, some have creosote, some have heavy crystallized creosote. We have different brushes for each. For the worst cases we have a brush that uses 3/16 inch steel cable for the brushing fibers. In short, cleaning a chimney is NOT a DIY project.  A homeowner can supplement the cleaning process but it should still be cleaned by a professional once per year. Don't risk your home or your life, call Chimney Sweeps of Northeast Tennessee to schedule your chimney cleaning today.

We found a great new cleaner that we can use on decks and vinyl siding.  We washed a large deck made out of Composite material last week. When we were through, the owner said it was the cleanest the deck had EVER looked.  That made me feel real good. We got it clean, the customer was very satisfied and we did it with an environmentally safe product using a low pressure system. The low pressure system allows us to get the job done without causing any damage.  Please check out our website for more information   www.RoofWashTriCities.com or call me at 423-398-1632
#deckwashing #stainremoval

Water is constantly trying to make it's way into your chimney. When it does, your chimney begins to slowly but steadily deteriorate. Given enough time, the chimney can be reduced to a useless pile of rubble.
 It is important that you monitor your chimney looking for signs of water intrusion. Better yet,  have a Chimney Professional inspect your chimney system annually as part of an annual cleaning and inspection maintenance program.
 When conducting an inspection, the technicians from  Chimney Sweeps will look at 5 main areas for signs of water intrusion.

1. Rain Cap- All flues should have a good quality rain can installed. Without it, every time it rains large amounts of water goes      straight down the flue.  This is the first and easiest point of entry to control. We keep all sizes of rain caps in stock and can    easily install one for you
2. Cracked Crown - The crown is the horizontal surface at the top of the Chimney Chase. The crown is made of either concrete, mortar or it could be a metal chase cover. Concrete and mortar crowns often crack over time. Chase covers are often made from galvanized steel and galvanized WILL rust. Any of these failures will allow water into the chase resulting in damage. 
 Our technicians will offer you three different options to repair your crown. If the masonry crown only has minor cracks, an elastomeric rubber coating may be a sensible option. A better and more permanent option is to either pour a new Concrete Crown or install a new metal Chase Cover. A proper crown will not only cover the horizontal surface but also come down over the side a minimum of 3 inches. This assures that water will drop down rather than try to run back under the crown.  When we install a new masonry crown we use High Strength Concrete not Mortar. Concrete lasts longer. We fortify the concrete mix with water repellents.  If a metal chase cover is the right choice for you, we will have it made at a local metal shop and will recommend it be made from either Aluminum or Stainless Steel.  Copper is another good choice for an upscale look.
3. Brick Work - Bricks and mortar can absorb water to the point that the mortar will soften and the bricks will develop a condition called Spalling.  Spalling occurs when the outer layers of the brick flake off. Each time a layer flakes off, more moisture is absorbed and another layer will flake off eating away at the brick until there is nothing left.  Other signs of water absorption are white flaky deposits called effervescence. You may also see dark and light areas in sections of the brick. The drark areas are probably areas that are absorbing water.  We recommend applying a water repellent to the chimney Chase. Not a sealer but a repellent. The brick needs to breathe. A repellent will allow this but a sealer will trap moisture.
4. Flashing - Flashing is metal placed where the shingles meet the chimney and serve as a seal between the two. Improperly installed flashing allows rain water to enter your home damaging the interior brick and possibly the ceiling in your home.
 We can install a product called flash seal which is a rubberized material embedded into a fiberglass cloth. This forms a near permanent bond to the chimney and roof surface keeping rain water out of this junction point
5. Ventilation - As mentioned earlier, bricks need to breath. If your chimney does not have any vents near the bottom we can install a series of small vents. This will allow air movement within the hollow chimney chase giving the bricks a chance to dry out.
 For these or any other Chimney related problem, contact Chimney Sweeps at 423-398-1632 or by email at [email protected].  You can also visit our website  www.ChimneySweepsTN.com