Certified Chimney Sweep, Inspection & Repair Services

Certified Chimney Sweeps

The technicians at Potomac Services are highly trained and experienced in maintaining equipment, diagnosing issues and repairing chimneys. We’re also certified by the Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA). Not only do we follow the high standards, methods and codes outlined by this organization, we receive annual training from them. This means you can rest assured that we’re the best professionals for your chimney services. And we always treat your home and your job with the respect and care that it deserves.

Should our technician discover any issues that need repair during your chimney inspection, we provide you with options to restore your system to its optimal working condition for safety and efficiency.

Our Professional Chimney Sweep Services

Life can get hectic. For some homeowners, routine chimney and fireplace maintenance gets pushed down to the bottom of the to-do list. However, this simple maintenance task is incredibly important. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) recommends that all chimneys have an annual cleaning and inspection. Whether you use your chimney often or just a few times a year, chimneys have many components that can be damaged by water, fire, normal wear and tear and even lack of use.

Bring chimney cleaning back to the top of your priority list with a call to Potomac Services. We offer professional, thorough chimney inspection and cleaning services to meet your needs and maintain the safety of your home and family.

Chimney Cleaning

Your fireplace is designed to contain fires that keep your home warm while getting rid of the substances produced when wood burns, including:

• Smoke
• Water vapor
• Gases
• Unburned wood particles
• Volatile hydrocarbons
• Tar fog

As these by-products exit your fireplace or wood stove and travel to cooler places in your chimney, they can build up and form a substance called creosote, which you may recognize as a dark brown or black residue in your chimney. While creosote is a natural result of burning fires, many people don’t realize that creosote is highly flammable, especially if it builds up. If not regularly cleaned out, it can lead to flue blockages and chimney fires. Not to mention that animals, water and other outside materials can also enter your chimney, causing hidden dangers in your home.

All of these potential hazards make it crucial to have your chimney system inspected and swept regularly. Fortunately, Potomac Services employs a variety of cleaning techniques to remove these dangerous chimney deposits.

The Chimney Cleaning Process

We’ve outlined a few of our chimney cleaning methods below. The recommended method of cleaning your chimney will depend on both the type of deposits and the type of chimney you have, which we can identify during our professional chimney inspection.

• Standard sweeping. This is the standard or basic cleaning process and involves the use of brushes to remove deposits on the chimney flue liner.
• Mechanical cleaning. Wire brushes, plastic cables or special chains rotated at a high speed by an electric motor are all tools used in this process. You may need a mechanical cleaning to remove hard creosote or glazed creosote deposits.
• Chemical cleaning. Special chemicals may be used to loosen or dissolve heavy deposits of creosote and glaze. A chemical cleaning may be used in conjunction with mechanical cleaning.

Chimney Inspections

Enjoy your first warm and cozy fire of the season free of worry, knowing your chimney is safe from fire hazards with a chimney inspection from Potomac Services. Our technicians use a high-definition video inspection system to give us an up-close and detailed look at the state of your chimney, which helps us better identify potential hazards, repairs and the best method of cleaning to use.

When any component of your chimney is damaged or not functioning properly, it’s important to repair it before using your chimney again. Continuing to use a chimney with faulty components puts you, your home and your family at risk.

Chimney Repairs

Ready to get your chimney back in tip-top shape? Potomac Services is here to help. From chimney leaks and relines to cleaning or general repairs, our technicians are trained to diagnose and fix any chimney issues. Our services include:

• Chimney liner installation
• Chimney waterproofing
• Chimney cap installation, repair & replacement
• Chimney crown repair
• Top-mounted damper repair & replacement
• Chimney flashings
• Tuck pointing
• Firebox repointing & rebuilding
• Flue repair
• Creosote removal
• Custom chase covers