Local Chimney and Fireplace Service in Fish Hawk

Fish Hawk is one of Hillsborough County's census-designated places, and our family-owned crew takes on chimney and fireplace jobs there, including flues that animals have moved into. Everything begins with a free inspection. Go ahead with animal work, or any other service, inside 72 hours of it and 10% comes off. Scratching or chirping in the fireplace, nesting material on the damper or a strong odor are the usual signs that something is living in the chimney.

Resist lighting a fire to smoke it out, and keep the damper shut rather than opening it for a look. Close the fireplace doors if there are any, keep pets away from the opening and let us know what you have heard and at what time of day. The right response depends on the animal and the season.

Chimney swifts are protected under federal law, and their active nests stay put until the young have fledged and the birds have gone. Florida rules also set a season when bats may not be shut out of a building. Other animals may need a wildlife professional. We identify what is in the chimney and explain the appropriate next step and its timing before quoting anything, rather than promising an immediate removal.

Once the flue is clear of occupants, nesting material and droppings are cleaned out, since both can block the flue and hold odor. The opening is then closed with a cap sized to the flue with an intact screen, or with a repaired chase cover on a factory-built chimney. On a Fish Hawk chimney, the cap wears with the weather.

Screens clog with leaves, fasteners work loose and a cap that was never secured can shift. The whole top gets checked, not just the screen, because a loose cap lets animals back in just as a missing one does. Debris from the flue and any old cap are hauled away, and an open flue is covered before we leave each day.

You agree the price before work begins, free of hidden fees, and the job carries our workmanship warranty and a written record for your files. If an animal gets back in after the cap goes on, call us, because a second entry point somewhere on the chimney is the likely reason.