Effective Soot Removal in Princeton, NJ

Most often a closed or partially closed damper, an obstructed flue (creosote, a nest, or debris), a cold flue that needs warming, or negative pressure pulling air down the chimney. The $89 inspection pinpoints the cause - and smoke backup is a 'stop using the fireplace until we look' call.

We tarp and protect the hearth, run a HEPA-filtered vacuum at the firebox, brush the full flue, clean the firebox, smoke shelf, and smoke chamber, inspect the damper, cap, crown, and liner, document with before/after photos, and finish with an airflow check.

Yes. Cap installs and replacements, crown sealing and rebuilds, and stainless-steel or clay-tile liner work are all in scope. A missing cap is the number-one entry point for animals and water, and we quote any repair on the inspection visit before starting.

Yes - damper repair, replacement, and top-mount damper installs are standard scope. A stuck damper is one of the calls we get the day before someone wants to use the fireplace for the season, so we keep parts on the truck for the common types.

Yes. The three common sources are a failed or missing cap, a cracked crown, or a flashing failure where the chimney meets the roof (often more than one). The inspection identifies which, and cap, crown, and flashing can usually be done on a single repair visit.

Yes - we're the three together: chimney sweep, air duct cleaning, and dryer vent cleaning. Ask for a bundle and we'll discount the second and third service. Most Princeton customers end up doing at least two of the three.