The chimney should be cold to perform service adequately, do not burn a fire 12 hours prior to visit. Make the Appliance easily accessible, move away any obstructions and lock your dogs in a separate room.

Hardwood such as Oak, Walnut and Almond are much denser, provide more heat per log and burn longer and cleaner. Softwood such as Pine, Spruce and Fir are less dense, burn quicker and promote more creosote build-up than hardwood. Burn only seasoned firewood (Seasoned Softwood 6-12 months, Hardwood 1-2 years, split to thickness of 6-8 inches, stacked outdoors, off the ground, top covered, sides open for ventilation).

Between 45 min to 1.5h depending on system length, roof access, weather.

It is hard to do with wood stoves unless you can climb your room and look down the flue. On Fireplaces, open the damper and shine a light towards the chimney and look for dark/black fluffy or shiny deposits. Note: This method does not substitue professional inspection.

1/8 OF AN INCH of Creosote accumulation is enough to need a chimney sweep. This build-up can take anywhere from a month to a year to develop depending on how much you burn, what kind of wood you use and the amount of oxygen available to the fire. If you choke your fire with a damper often, you will need a sweep more quickly.

Tahoe Chimney & Fireplace has a flat rate of $179, some special conditions like job complexity, oversized fireplaces and unusually difficult access may incur an extra charge agreed upon.

Yes, most weekends.

Your damper is left open or it is damaged and does not close properly. You have no damper. Your home is very tight and you are running a clothes dryer or kitchen hood. Your Factory-built fireplace or stove outside air intake is flawed.

No. The entire work are gets covered with protective rugs as a precaution. We also use high power vacuum cleaners to make sure no dust enters the home. We also wear shoe covers when needed.