Chimney, Flue and Fireplace Work

Chimney, Flue and Fireplace Work

The older neighborhoods in Dallas, from Swiss Avenue to Lakewood to Munger Place, are full of tall masonry chimneys on steep roofs. A chimney sweep or mason working those houses needs roof access that does not damage the shingles and a way to work the stack itself.

Getting to the Roof Without Damaging the Shingles

A ladder laid straight against a gutter crushes it and puts the feet on a surface that gives. A standoff or a walk-through top section spreads the load and gives a handhold at the transition, which is the moment most roof falls happen.

Our Werner walk-through extension ladder at $255.68 is built for that transition, with a top section that puts a person above the roofline before they step off.

Set the feet on firm ground, not on a landscaped bed, and tie the top off to the chimney or a roof anchor rather than to the gutter.

Working the Chimney Itself

A masonry chimney is worked from the roof, from a scaffold beside the house, or from the ground with a long reach. Repointing, crown repair and cap replacement all happen at the top of the stack.

On a one-story house the chimney top is often ten to fourteen feet, which is extension ladder territory. On a two-story Tudor it can be thirty feet, and that is a different plan.

Our Werner fiberglass extension ladder is $349 in the 20 foot size and $399 for 24 feet, and fiberglass keeps the ladder from conducting if a flue job turns into an electrical problem.

Caps, Dampers and Liners

A top-sealing damper or a new cap is a two-hand job at the crown, and standing on a roof slope beside it is not the same as standing on a platform. A roof anchor and harness make the difference between a repair and an incident.

Our UpGear fall protection kit at $89.38 is the minimum for roof work above a one-story eave.

For interior work, a drop cloth and a step stool handle the firebox and the damper, and no ladder belongs inside a fireplace opening.

Interior Fireplace and Flue Work

Interior jobs are the firebox, the damper, the smoke shelf and the hearth. A step stool and a good light cover most of it, and anything above the damper is a chimney sweep's rod job from the roof.

Never stand in the firebox to reach the damper. The brick is not a floor, and a fall into a fireplace is worse than it sounds.

Outfitting a Chimney Crew

Most chimney crews carry a 20 or 24 foot fiberglass extension ladder with a walk-through top, a roof harness, a step stool for interior work and a standoff for gutters that cannot take load.

Tell us the eave height and the roof pitch and we will size the ladder.

Everything ships from 5030 Dexham Rd. Ste. 103 in Rowlett, TX, and local crews can pick up the same day. Call 972-331-1090 and we will tell you what is on the floor right now.