Services

Annual sweeping of your chimney can prevent fires, improve the quality of your inside air during winter months and much more.

A Level I inspection is the recommended routine evaluation of the chimney system for continued service. A Level I inspection is limited to readily accessible portions of the venting system, and accessible portions of the connected appliance(s) and the chimney connection. The inspector will check the readily accessible portions of the chimney, its enclosing structure, and the flue. This is a top-to-bottom inspection for safety which will call out any repairs that need to be made to keep your fireplace safe to burn.

A Level II inspection is more detailed and thorough than a Level I inspection and is the recommended inspection when conditions of use for the appliance or venting system are changing, or when a Level I inspection reveals the need for a more detailed inspection.

Several instances where a Level II inspection is specifically recommended include: Replacement of an appliance with one of dissimilar type, input rating or efficiency, prior to a flue relining,  during a Real Estate transaction sale or transfer of the property, after an event likely to have caused damage to the chimney, such as a chimney fire or other sudden occurrence event.

A Level II inspection includes all of the requirements of a Level I inspection as well as the following: Inspection of accessible areas of attics, basements, and crawl spaces Accessible areas of the chimney exterior and interior Accessible portions of the appliance and chimney connection Video scanning, or other thorough method of inspection, of the flue interior Evaluation of the flue lining to determine that its material and sizing is appropriate for the appliances being served Proper clearance from combustibles in the accessible areas listed above Proper construction and condition of the chimney system in the accessible areas listed above While the Level II inspection is a rather thorough inspection and requires access to many areas of the building, it does not require removal of permanent parts of the building, such as siding, chase covers or wall coverings.

Dryer vent cleaning and maintenance is an inexpensive, preventative measure that all Homeowners should invest in.  The lint within the dryer and the dryer vent is extremely flammable and if not removed from the ducting vent on a regular basis can catch fire and cause a fire in the home.  Signs you may need a dryer vent cleaning include, but are not limited to, if you need to add additional drying time to heavier loads, such as towels or jeans or if your dryer is located in a separate ‘laundry room’ and there is moisture buildup on the walls when running the dryer.  This indicates that the heated dryer air is not being vented outside as it is supposed to be, most likely due to a blockage in the line.

On occasion during a fireplace inspection a chimney sweep may discovery that one or more of the liners in the chimney are cracked or broken or the mortar joints between the liners are damaged/missing, which renders the fireplace unusable until repaired. Relining the chimney is one relatively quick way to solve the problem. There are several different types of relining processes and materials, all of which have their merits. However, Smokey Joe’s, after extensive research and evaluation, has chosen to Saver Systems Cerfractory relining process.  We feel this process is superior to inserting a metal tube into the liner because it does not downsize the liner by no more than ¼”, which does not affect the outflow of smoke, etc.  The metal liners cannot/do not fit snugly against the walls of the flue, thereby make the diameter of the flue smaller which in turn restricts the amount of smoke the flue can handle.  With Saver Systems, the terra cotta liners remain intact inside the chimney.  With the metal tubing, the terra cotta liners have to be knocked out and removed to allow the liner the maximum diameter.  Not only is the terra cotta removal time consuming and messy, if the removal is not done with extreme care, it can cause more damage to the chimney resulting in additional costs.  Saver Systems process is also much quicker than the traditional metal tube installation.

Water causes over a billion dollars in damage annually in the form of staining, loss of insulation value, freeze-thaw damage, deterioration, and ultimately structural failure.

Smokey Joe’s applies a water REPELLENT that is 100% vapor permeable. It is NOT a water sealer and that difference could save you hundreds, or even thousands of dollars in repairs because sealers can actually damage masonry.  Our repellent is a non-film-forming water repellent (not water proofing) that penetrates deep enough to protect masonry from destructive water penetration while maintaining the structure’s vapor permeability.