Chimney animal removal in Cheval, handled in the right order

Why a fire is the wrong way to drive an animal out

Lighting a fire or burning something smoky to force an animal out of a chimney is a common impulse and a bad idea. A trapped animal may not be able to climb out at all, young in a nest cannot leave, and nest material in the flue can catch fire.

Keep the fireplace unused and the damper and doors closed until the chimney has been checked. NFPA safety guidance calls for chimneys to be inspected every year, and a chimney with an animal problem needs that check before it is used again.

If a fire was already burning when the sounds started, let it burn down and the fireplace cool before doing anything else. Then leave the damper closed and have the flue checked before the fireplace is used again.

Keeping the animal out of the living space

The fireplace damper and the glass doors or screen are the barrier between the chimney and the room. While an animal is in the chimney, keep both closed and resist opening the damper to look.

If the fireplace has no doors, block the opening with something the animal cannot push aside, and keep children and pets out of the room. Those steps buy time while the animal is identified and the right help is arranged.

• Keep the damper and fireplace doors closed
• Keep children and pets out of the room
• Do not light a fire or use smoke
• Note when you hear the sounds and what they are like

Cleaning the chimney after the animal is out

Nests, feathers, fur and droppings usually remain after an animal leaves. Material left on the smoke shelf or in the flue can block the path of the smoke and catch fire the next time the fireplace is used.

Once the chimney is confirmed clear of animals, our team sweeps the flue and smoke chamber, clears the smoke shelf and checks that the flue is open from the damper to the top. You hear what we found before the fireplace goes back into use.

If the damper, the smoke shelf or the flue was damaged during the visit, the repair appears on its own line of the estimate so you can decide on it separately.

Galvanized or stainless steel cap screens

Cap screens have to resist heat and corrosion at least as well as 19-gauge galvanized or 24-gauge stainless steel under Florida's residential code. A cap built to either standard can meet the rule.

The difference shows over time. Galvanized steel relies on its zinc coating, while stainless steel does not depend on a coating in the same way. We explain how each is likely to hold up on your chimney and let you choose.