How Long Does a Chimney Sweep Take? | CHIMNEY SWEEP SERVICES

How Much Does it Cost to Hire Bay Area Chimney Cleaner/Sweep?

Looking to Hire a Local Bay Area chimney cleaner Expert? Chimney maintenance is a task that often flies under the radar, but it’s extremely important to preserving the structural integrity of your home and reducing flammable buildup in the chimney’s interior. When shopping for a reputable chimney sweep in the Bay Area, here’s how much you can expect to pay for the highest quality services.

What Sets a Chimney Cleaning Company Apart?

There’s no industry-wide standard or regulation for chimney cleaners or chimney sweeps. As a layperson, it can be difficult to know whether or not you can trust a chimney cleaning company or not. After all, a chimney is a structural element of your house: an improperly inspected chimney could be secretly harboring cracks, buildup, and damage that could compromise the safety of your home.

Licensing and Certification

The Irish Sweep proudly holds a masonry contractors license issued by the State of California and certified by the Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA). CSIA-certified companies receive top education and training in the field, and also sign a code of ethics promising only excellent service. A CSIA license and certification is a guarantee that you are working with seasoned experts in chimney safety.

Qualities of Reputable Chimney Cleaners/Sweeps

Excellent customer reviews or testimonials
Licensed and insured
Decades of experience
Transparency about pricing
Prompt service
Professional advice about continued chimney maintenance
Range of comprehensive services

How Much Does a Bay Area Chimney Cleaner/Sweep Cost?

Expect a wide range of prices when searching for a Bay Area chimney cleaning service. Since pricing may vary from company to company, it’s a good idea to check out the licensing and certification status, client reviews, and real-world indicators of top-notch service providers.

A basic chimney checkup and cleaning from a CSIA-certified company typically ranges between $200 and $300.
More intensive services, such as a thorough inspection with a chimney camera, may range from $100 to $500.
If your chimney has weathered significant damage, such as from a recent earthquake or storm, you need a detailed inspection to check for and resolve structural damage. This service may range from $1,000 to $5,000.

What Else Affects Chimney Cleaning Costs?

Any manufacturer will tell you that maintenance is key to reducing costs long-term. An annually cleaned, inspected chimney will last longer and function better than a neglected chimney. If you can’t remember your last chimney cleaning, it’s probably time for one. Otherwise, a good rule of thumb is to schedule your appointment once every 75 fires or per every cord of wood burned.

We are your local Bay Area chimney cleaner with 40+ years of experience.

Schedule a Chimney Cleaning Today

Our services at The Irish Sweep can help maintain and enjoy a wood-burning chimney and fireplace for years to come. We take great pride in offering our Bay Area chimney cleaning services to the resident community and the local Bay Area.

To schedule an appointment with our team, call us at (510)521-4088, or use this simple contact form by clicking here.

Enjoy a crackling fire this Holiday season with the knowledge that your chimney is clean and safe.

Chimney Cleaning Services : Truth About Spare the Air Days

After another hot dry summer season with raging California wildfires and ozone pollution, it might feel like sitting beside a cozy fire at the fireplace over the Holidays are a long way off. Yet the Holidays are just around the corner! Your friendly local Orinda chimney cleaning services can help.

Fireplace Safety

It is perfectly safe to have a wood fire if safe burn practices are followed. Staying aware of Spare the Air days and regularly getting the chimney inspected and cleaned can allow us to enjoy our fireplace this winter.

7 Safe Burn Practices:

Burn seasoned wood, or wood that has been dried for at least one year. This significantly reduces smoke than fresh, “wet” wood.
At no time burn plastics, garbage, paper, or other harmful substances.
On no occasion use a liquid fire lighter to start a fire in the fireplace
Get a chimney inspection and cleaning annually.
Keep flammable materials like curtains and furniture a safe distance from the fireplace.
Make sure that nobody sits so close to a fire that clothing could catch fire
Check the local Spare the Air alerts before burning.

When can we have a cozy fire?

A family gathering over the Holidays is often cozier and more memorable with a lovely traditional fire burning. We can use our fireplace when an alert has not been issued. Most people don’t realize that Spare the Air days are normally few and far between. In 2021, there have only been five no-burn days so far.

Understanding Spare the Air Days

In the Bay Area, there are two major air pollutants to pay attention to: ozone and fine particulate matter. When these pollutants are in high concentrations and deemed unhealthy for long-term exposure, a Spare the Air alert will go into effect.

Ozone is the primary ingredient in summer smog. It comes from a reaction between sunlight and pollutants emitted by refineries, cars, power and chemical plants, as well as other industrial facilities.
Fine Particulate Matter are small particles which can travel into the lungs. Fine particulate matter comes from vehicle exhaust, chemical reactions to pollutants and other materials. Wildfires can cause particulate matter to travel hundreds of miles.

Did you know….

In the Bay Area, mandatory Spare the Air Days begin on November 1st and end on the last day of February of any year?

Check the Bay Area’s current air quality on the Bay Area Air Quality Management District organization’s website.

How Can The Irish Sweep help?

Regular chimney cleaning and inspection services help preserve the structural integrity of the chimney. If a fireplace hasn’t been used over the summer, perhaps a squirrel or other creature has made its home there!

4 Main Reasons for a Chimney Inspection and Clean

Prevents carbon monoxide poisoning
Prevention of chimney collapse- both the summer and winter months can be harsh on the integrity of the chimney. A dry climate along with heat and strong winds over the summer can harm the integrity of the cement and brickwork. Add in the fact that earthquakes, no matter how small can create tiny fractures in the brickwork. A chimney inspection can be a proactive way to detect this and prevent further or costly damage.
Reduces the likelihood of chimney fires from dust residues and creosote build-up
Reduces the chance of the house smelling smokey

We are your friendly local Orinda Chimney Cleaning Services.

Schedule an Orinda Chimney Cleaning

Our services at The Irish Sweep can help maintain and enjoy a wood-burning chimney and fireplace for years to come. We take great pride as being your neighbor offering Orinda chimney cleaning services to the resident community and the local Bay Area.

To schedule an appointment with our professional Orinda Chimney Cleaning team, call us at (510)521-4088, or use this simple contact form by clicking here.

Enjoy the crackle of a yule log in a roaring fire this Holiday season.

How To Prevent Chimney Fires?

Call the chimney cleaning company, because the Holiday season is almost here. For some, nothing says the Holidays more than sipping a hot cup of cocoa beside a crackling fire in the fireplace. Feeling the warmth and enjoying the glow of the embers as they waft up the chimney. Before we get too comfortable though, here are a few things to watch out for which might save lives start to learn tips on preventing chimney fires.

Preventing Chimney Fires

You May Not Notice a Chimney Fire

Did you know that most chimney fires go undetected?

Sometimes, chimney fires won’t have enough fuel or air to cause a noticeable fire. Even though there is no sign of visible combustion, these slow-burning fires reach high temperatures and can cause enormous damage to the chimney structure.

8 Main Signs that a professional chimney sweep will look for when providing chimney cleaning services and inspection

A distorted or discolored rain cap
Roof damage near the chimney
Discoloration from smoke escaping through masonry joints or tile liners
A buildup of a creosote residue: black or brown, highly combustible residue, especially if it has a puffy or “honey-comb” appearance
Evidence of heat damage
Cracked or compromised brickwork
Missing cement/mortar between brickwork
Cracked, collapsed, or missing flue tiles

Best Practice

A damaged chimney poses a danger to the home and those who live there. Regularly scheduled chimney cleaning services and inspections are the best and most proactive way to keep the chimney safe and reduce problems.

How to Prevent Chimney Fires

It’s tempting sometimes to add items to the fire especially if they give off pretty colors or cause a pop! Resist the temptation to throw anything and everything flammable into the fireplace. To prevent toxic gases and fumes in the air, buildup of flammable creosote on the chimney walls, and other combustible elements from forming, only use what is safe to burn.

6 Common Items NOT to Burn

Cardboard – especially with printed ink, may release toxic fumes when burned.
Unseasoned wood – also known as wet wood. Unseasoned wood contains a high percentage of water and can create thick, excessive smoke when burned.
Christmas trees – as tempting as it might be, not only are Christmas trees unseasoned wood, if preservatives have been added to the water to prevent needle drop, this preservative is now being burned into the environment.
Paper – can easily go airborne once it catches fire. Stray embers are a leading cause of fires. Colored paper including wrapping paper is especially dangerous as it releases carcinogens and chemical fumes.
Painted or treated wood – when burned, painted or treated wood releases toxic chemicals into the air as well as sometimes smelling bad.
Material products– sometimes thought of as an easy way to light a fire, materials such as clothing release dangerous carcinogens and chemical fumes because of dyes and fire retardant substances.

To enjoy a fire, burn seasoned wood, keep the damper open, and opt for an annual chimney cleaning and inspection. The cozy warmth of a fireplace in wintertime can help get us into the holiday spirit.

Schedule a Chimney Cleaning To Prevent Chimney Fires

Our services at The Irish Sweep can help safely maintain and enjoy a wood-burning fireplace and chimney for years to come.

To schedule an appointment with a professional, call us at (510)521-4088, or use this simple contact form by clicking here.

Why you Need a Home Inspection Chimney?

Before you buy your dream home, it’s important to get a full home inspection chimney. Home inspection chimney can uncover potentially life-threatening problems like toxic mold, faulty wiring that could cause a significant fire, or unstable structures just months away from collapsing. Often as buyers, we expect a professional home inspection chimney service to cover all aspects of the property, but the chimney needs a separate qualified evaluation for many safety reasons.

The health and safety of your family could depend on your decision to go through with a chimney inspection. Here’s some important information you need to know about why home inspection chimney are crucial when it comes to purchasing new homes.

What a home inspection chimney could uncover:

Potential Water Damage

Did you know that the foundation of a chimney is typically only 12 inches deep? That means that with earth movement from summer to winter, water damage from sprinklers, downspouts, and weather conditions could render your chimney foundation dangerous.

Neglected Spaces

Most inspections are carried out for the purpose of the loan lender or negotiations, and they may not always serve the buyer. Make sure that your home inspection includes often-forgotten spaces like the crawl space, basement, attics, chimney, fireplace, and loft area. A smart buyer can even use details from the full home inspection to negotiate with the seller.

Shifting from New Construction

Has the space around the chimney been newly landscaped, subject to digging, or under construction? Have there been significant earthquakes since the last chimney inspection? Shifting of the earth underneath or around the chimney could cause instability, which is why it’s important to make sure the inspection includes outdoor areas surrounding the chimney.

Instability from Cold Weather

With the drought and hotter weather, the hard soil can stabilize a chimney to some degree, but only temporarily. As cold weather moves in, dampness and moisture soften the soil around the base of the chimney, allowing movement in the structure which could render the chimney unstable. Even if the house is on a concrete slab and the chimney is surrounded by concrete, the concrete still absorbs the moisture and the chimney can still move. If your area experiences high winds, wet weather, and earthquakes, instability can be particularly dangerous.

Fireplace Inserts: Extra Credit

Once your fireplace and chimney have been thoroughly inspected and cleaned, you may be looking for ways to enjoy the ambience of a crackling fire. A fireplace insert is a fuel-efficient, heat-efficient method of doing just that. The closed combustion system of a fireplace insert can be 60% to 80% heat efficient, contrasting with traditional or older fireplaces that only convert 5% to 20% of fuel into usable heat. You can enjoy watching the flames through the glass doors of the fireplace insert while needing less firewood to keep them stoked.

Schedule a Home Inspection Chimney Now

Our services at The Irish Sweep can help you safely maintain and enjoy your wood-burning fireplace and chimney for years to come. To schedule an appointment with an expert, call us at (510)521-4088, or use this simple contact form by clicking here.

The Accidental Chimney Sweep

Are you looking for an Alameda chimney cleaner? Meet Sally McKnight—Sal to her friends, the woman behind The Irish Sweep. This is the story of how she got an unexpected start in the industry.

Sally Answers an Ad

In 1982, Sally responded to an advertisement that was placed by Jim Halloran, a hot-headed New Yorker from Brooklyn who started the original company in the 70s with guts and determination, but no real plan. He hired her to work part time in the office, answering phones and scheduling appointments.

She was a fast typist at a time when things were still done by hand, but she didn’t yet know anything about fireplaces or chimneys so she wasn’t (in her own words) an “effective communicator with customers.” Truth be told, Jim Halloran didn’t know much more than his new office assistant did, but he struck out to learn from experience.

This is a photo of him with his first sweeping vehicle and his trusty dog, Sweeper.

One day, Halloran asked Sally if she would be willing to ride along with him in the van and sweep some chimneys. He needed an extra set of hands. She agreed and that was the beginning of their future partnership. Of that initial experience, Sally said, “Well, I went out there and just loved being outdoors all day long, meeting new people along the way, working in some amazing homes and gaining new skills.” She quit her other retail position and joined the business full time.

Chim-Chimney

But it wasn’t easy. Not only were they learning on the job, but when she first began, some customers called her a “powder puff” and questioned how a woman could do the work, while others wouldn’t let her touch their fireplace unless she sang and danced “Chim-Chimney”—from the beloved children’s movie Mary Poppins.

Buying The Irish Sweep

Later, a partnership was formed and Sally became half owner of The Irish Sweep. But eventually she became frustrated with Jim and offered him a buyout. She scraped together enough cash to purchase Halloran’s half of the business. The year was 1988. A lot has changed since then, but Sally is still the dynamic force behind The Irish Sweep.

Since those early years, she has become an educator in her community, having sat on the Board of Directors for the National Chimney Sweep Guild and for the Chimney Safety Institute of America. She has also been President of the Golden State Chimney Sweep Guild, and now serves as treasurer. Not bad for a “powder puff.”

Talk to an Alameda Chimney Cleaner

To schedule an appointment with an Alameda chimney cleaner at The Irish Sweep, call us at (510)521-4088 or use this simple contact form by clicking here. You can also read testimonials on our site. Your safety is our number one priority. We look forward to hearing from you.

Your Summer Home Dryer Maintenance Checklist

Check out our ultimate dryer maintenance checklist of summer home dryer maintenance checklist tips to help you give your home some TLC, and learn how our experts at The Irish Sweep can help!

Ah, summer is here. The temperatures are soaring, the sun is blazing, and the days are long. It’s important that you take the time to maintain your home this summer and to prepare it for the extreme heat that you could be facing. If you’ve been scouring the internet for dryer vents cleaning, chimney services, or fireplace installation, look no further.

Indoor Summer Home Dryer Maintenance Checklist

Do a test of your smoke detectors. Replace the batteries if needed.
Get your cooling system ready. Replace the filter in your air conditioner.
Get your chimney cleaned. Yes, you might not use your fireplace again until fall or winter, but that’s exactly why this is the perfect time to call a chimney cleaning service. They won’t be as busy!
Reverse the direction of the ceiling fan if necessary. During summer, use your ceiling fan in a counterclockwise direction – this directs airflow down to create a cooling effect. Take the time to dust the fan blades, too!
Clean the garbage disposal. When’s the last time you tackled your garbage disposal? Exactly.
Take on some decluttering. Why not take the chance to go on a Marie Kondo-style decluttering spree?
Clean your dryer vents. Professional dryer vent cleaning services help your dryer work more efficiently, use less energy to do its job, and extend its lifespan. Clogged dryer vents are also a fire hazard.
Be aware of material shortages due to the pandemic. Reduced fabrication of certain appliances due to restricted access to materials is an unfortunate side effect of the coronavirus pandemic. If you have considered installing a gas or wood burning insert to your fireplace, begin the process now! Retailers and installers recommend starting renovation now to avoid a long wait for materials.

Outdoor Summer Home Dryer Maintenance Checklist

Clean your grill to prep for summer barbecuing. Use hot water, dish soap, and a scrub brush to clean a charcoal grill. For a gas grill, close the lid, turn the heat to high, and let the grill cook for about half an hour. Let it cool, then use a grill brush to sweep the grill and clean the drip trays.
Consider your watering schedule. If you’ve got plants, think about your strategy for watering them over the summer.
Add a layer of mulch. Also, some extra mulch will help fight off weeds and help your soil retain moisture during those scorching summer months.
Protect your home against unwanted guests. Caulking your windows and doors can help stop bugs and ants from infiltrating your home.
Don’t forget the pool. If you have a swimming pool, take the time to give it a good clean so it’s all ready for the summer.
Consider an outdoor clothesline. Take advantage of the warm weather and put up an outdoor clothesline so you’re not using your dryer as much.
Put a sturdy mat at the door. Help your guests avoid tracking in dirt by having a good mat at your front door.

Need Alameda Dryer Vents Cleaning?

So, there you have it – our summer home dryer maintenance checklist tips. The above list will help you clean up and take care of your home this summer. Preventive home maintenance can even help you save money on home insurance, and it’s never too late to start!

Our services at The Irish Sweep can help you get your home summer-ready in no time. To schedule an appointment with an expert, call us at (510)521-4088, or use a simple contact form by clicking here.