Smoke coming into the room
Smoke in a Portland living room often means the damper is shut or half open, with a cold or blocked flue next.
from $249parts and labor
Chimney symptoms
Chimney and Fireplace Problems, Sorted by What You See and Smell
Find the line that matches your fireplace or chimney, read the first thing to do, and see the likely causes ranked from most to least common, with the service and posted price for each.
Before you light anything
If there is smoke in the house with no fire lit, a roaring or rumbling sound from the chimney, or a carbon monoxide alarm sounding, get everyone outside and call 911 first. Everything on this page can wait for that. Nothing below asks you to climb on the roof or light a fire to test a theory; looking, smelling and a flashlight up the firebox are enough.
Smoke, draft, creosote and chimney fires
A fireplace that smokes, will not draw or has shiny black buildup in the flue is telling you about the flue, the damper or the fuel.
Damper stuck or will not close
A Portland fireplace damper often sticks because rust and creosote have seized the plate on its pins, sometimes because debris sits on it.
from $149parts and labor
Cold air coming from the fireplace
Cold air falling out of an idle Portland fireplace often means the throat damper does not seal or is missing, leaving the flue open to the sky.
from $149parts and labor
Fire will not stay lit or draw
Wet wood is often why a fire keeps dying in a Portland fireplace, with a cold or blocked flue next.
from $249parts and labor
Black, shiny creosote in the flue
Black, glassy creosote is third degree glaze, fuel for a chimney fire, and in Portland we usually trace it to smoldering fires in a cold flue.
from $449parts and labor
Had a chimney fire
If your chimney is on fire, get everyone out, then call 911.
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Water, stains and failing brick
Portland rain finds every open joint, cracked crown and worn flashing, and the brick shows it first.
Water leaking around the chimney
A ceiling stain beside a Portland chimney that grows with each rain often means failed flashing at the roof joint, then a cracked crown or soaked brick.
from $399parts and labor
Water in the firebox after rain
Water on the firebox floor after a Portland rain often means the flue has no cap, with a cracked crown or leaking flashing next.
from $299parts and labor
White stains on the chimney brick
White powder on the brick of a Portland chimney is efflorescence, salt left by water passing through, often rain from a cracked crown or an uncapped flue.
from $349parts and labor
Spalling or crumbling chimney brick
Flaking, crumbling chimney brick is spalling: water soaked in, froze on a Portland winter night and pushed the face off.
from $449parts and labor
Cracked chimney crown
A chimney's concrete cap is the crown, and it often cracks where it was poured tight against the flue tile, letting Portland rain in.
from $349parts and labor
Loose or missing mortar on the chimney
Mortar falling out of a Portland chimney has often been washed out by rain, worst above the roofline on the weather face, and the joints need repointing.
from $449parts and labor
Chimney leaning or pulling away from the house
A Portland chimney that leans or pulls away from the siding has often lost the mortar in the stack above the roof, sometimes its footing.
from $299parts and labor
Rust on the damper or firebox
Rust on the damper or firebox of a Portland fireplace often means rain is coming down a flue with no cap, sometimes through a cracked crown.
from $299parts and labor
Animals, birds and smells
An uncapped flue is an open invitation, and a smell from the fireplace usually has a cause we can name.
Fireplace smells bad
A fireplace that smells on damp Portland days often has creosote in the flue, stirred up by humidity.
from $249parts and labor
Birds or animals in the chimney
Chirping at dusk in a Portland chimney in late summer often means Vaux's swifts; scratching at night often means a raccoon.
from $249parts and labor
Dryer vents and air ducts
A dryer that runs two cycles or a musty smell from the registers points at the vent or the ductwork, not the appliance.
Dryer takes too long to dry
In a Portland home, a dryer needing two cycles is often pushing air through a lint-choked vent, sometimes a crushed hose or a stuck hood flap.
from $149parts and labor
Dust or a musty smell from the vents
In Portland houses, vents that smell musty or blow dust at the first heat often mean a dirty filter or summer dust burning off the furnace.
from $449parts and labor
Already know what you need? Go straight to the services list.
Ready to book a sweep?
Call with what the fireplace is doing, or text a photo of the opening and one of the chimney top, and we will name the service and its posted price before we come out.