Chimney Sweep in Moorpark, CA

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Most of our neighborhood went up in the late '80s and the fireplace has a metal firebox — does that still need sweeping?

   Yes, though the work looks different than it does on an old masonry chimney. A factory-built metal fireplace with its stainless flue and chase on the roof still accumulates soot and creosote from wood burning, and the parts that fail are the ones exposed to weather: the chase top, the storm collar, the spark arrestor screen. On a gas log set there's little creosote, but the flue still needs to be checked for blockage and the firebox panels and gaskets inspected. Either way, the inspection matters as much as the brushing.

2. We keep finding debris and twigs in the firebox — what's going on?

   That's usually birds. An uncapped or damaged flue on a Moorpark home is an open invitation, and we pull nesting material out of chimneys here regularly. Combine that with the agricultural dust that drifts in and settles in the flue and smoke chamber over a dry summer, and a chimney that worked fine last February can be partly choked by the time you want a fire in December. A sound arrestor screen in good condition solves most of it; once nesting material is packed in, it has to come out before you light anything.

3. When should we book, given we only burn a few months of the year?

   Moorpark sits inland, away from the coastal moderation, so winter nights get cold and most households here light fires from December through February and then forget the fireplace until the next cold snap. That makes fall the sensible window, late summer into autumn, before the first chilly evening. If you call in the middle of a December cold stretch, you're calling at the same time as everyone else, and the schedule reflects it. Off-season, we can usually get out to you within a few days.

4. Can you come out the same day?

   Sometimes, particularly outside the winter months when the calendar is lighter. If you've got smoke pushing into the room, a blocked flue, or you've just found a nest and want it cleared, tell us that when you call and we'll work it into the day's route if there's room. Routine seasonal cleanings in December and January are harder to fit same-day, so give us as much notice as you can for those.