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Yes, we clean chimneys! But our company does a whole
lot more than that. In fact, we help homeowners keep
their chimneys in good repair by performing minor masonry repairs
such as crown repair and tuckpointing (replacing the
mortar between bricks) so our clients can avoid larger
and more expensive repairs such as having to rebuild
the entire chimney.
Masonry:
- Crown Repair: the crown is the
top of the chimney and is frequently made of cement.
Sometimes, due to weather, the crown begins to disintegrate
allowing more water to enter the chimney as well as
to erode the bricks underneath. A poor crown often warns
of more serious damage in the future.
- Tuckpointing: Like crown repair,
tuckpointing is another first line of defense against
more serious, and expensive, repairs. If the mortar
between the bricks of your chimney begins to crumble
or can easily be pried loose, it won't be long before
the bricks themselves begin to sag. Well, you can imagine
what a problem this can be with all the weight pushing
down.
- Waterproofing: If crown repair
and tuckpointing can minimize more serious damage, can
anything be done to minimize those problems? The answer
is YES. By having the exterior of your chimney waterproofed
you can minimize even these initial problems.
As you can begin to see, we do a lot more
than clean chimneys. We can become part of your first
line of defense against more serious and costly repairs.
And part of that defense begins inside the chimney itself
for those of you who burn wood. Just about everyone
knows that burning wood creates creosote but how many
know that not all creosote is created equal?
When we clean the chimney for your fireplace
or woodstove, we will be more than happy to explain
the difference between the different types of creosote
and, depending upon what we find in your chimney, show
you the difference. The real nasty kind is called "glaze
creosote" and it requires more effort than usual
to remove it. Just running a chimney brush up and down
won't handle this tough problem - do-it-yourselfers
take especial note of this.
ChimScan: We can also prepare a
video of the interior of your chimney for you. By lowering
a camera into the... well, here are some pictures:
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| This is a chimney professional
running a video camera inside a fireplace. |
This is a chimney professional
running a video camera inside a chimney that has
a woodstove. |
This is a chimney professional
running a video camera inside a chimney that gas
or oil furnace. |
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| We find an obstruction in the
chimney flue. |
The homeowner can see what the
chimney professional sees. |
Here we find an obstruction that
might be missed. |
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With our video equipment we can
also see cracks and breaks in the liner inside the chimney...
and you can see it right along with us! We use this
specialized equipment not only for homeowners, but also
for insurance companies and real estate companies before
the sale of a home. Before you purchase your dream castle,
please consider giving us a call and we can show you
what is hidden inside the chimney. And, when you're
ready to sell, have us out before your home goes on
the market - so there will be no surprises at closing.
Dryer Vent Cleaning: Yes, a fire
can start from the buildup of lint in your dryer hose/pipe.
It's a good idea to have it cleaned periodically. We
can help.
Duct Cleaning:
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Bend: 389-1497
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Redmond: 548-7441
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| E-mail Brown's Chimney Service |
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