Professional Chimney & Fireplace Services
White Glove’s certified chimney sweeps provide professional cleaning, inspections, repairs, and installation of chimneys and fireplaces to Northern California.
What to Expect from your White Glove Chimney Appointment
You can expect happy things when we come to your home to service or repair your chimney or fireplace system because we are there to provide you with a warm, secure and healthy living environment. Taking care of you, your property and potentially you and your family’s lives is what our chimney sweeps do every day and we take it very seriously. We also guarantee the lowest price for the same level of service. You will always get quality and professional care that you can count on at White Glove Chimney. You can rest assured that our technicians are trained and nationally certified. We have a full training program and facility where all of our chimney and dryer vent technicians are trained.
Our Promise
On Time Service: We always arrive on time and prepared for your scheduled service. Our technicians will call you ahead of time so that you know what our arrival time will be on your scheduled appointment date.
No Mess Guaranteed: Thats right, we guarantee no mess! We always wear surgical booties and lay out clean drop cloths in our work area, so that we never touch your floors with our equipment. We also use HEPA filter vacuum’s, specially designed for soot and dust control.
Free Inspection Before Service: We will never charge you for a service you do not need. Before scheduling a service we will check the overall chimney condition using a specialized camera to identify any issues and determine what exactly is needed.
Free Inspection of Other Systems: While we are at your home we will check your home air pressure, preform a free air flow and temperature test of your dryer vent and take a look at your Swamp Cooler if you own one.
Before Your Appointment:
24 Hours in Advance: Please do not use your fireplace or stove during the 24 hour period prior to your scheduled appointment. This ensures that we are working on an appliance that is sufficiently cool. We also ask that you remove all ash from the firebox before we arrive.
Day of Appointment: Please remove all fragile objects surrounding the fireplace. We require a 5 to 6 for radius for equipment purposes. Feel free to stay and watch us in action! We are huge advocates for education and would love to help you learn about your fireplace or stove.
Chimney & Fireplace Cleaning
To avoid the risk of fire, it is recommended to have your chimney cleaned regularly to remove any buildup of creosote, a highly flammable substance left behind by tars and gases exiting the chimney when a fire is burning in your fireplace. The chimney sweepers at White Glove are trained and equipped to diagnose why the buildup is occurring and and explain your options for preventing it in the future. With proper cleaning and maintenance your chimney and fireplace can warm your home safely for years to come.
White Glove also specializes in cleaning fireplaces, wood stoves, and wall furnaces. If you do not have your wall furnace regularly cleaned and inspected, the system can become a dangerous source of carbon monoxide in your home. Our technicians will disassemble, clean and inspect for damages. This includes removal of wood burning inserts and a thorough cleaning of the flue and heat exchanger. After a cleaning and inspection, we can install clean-out doors, stainless flue liners and new seals around the stove door.
Chimney & Fireplace Inspections
The National Fire Protection Association recommends that every chimney, fireplace, and venting system be inspected annually by a CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep to maintain the safety of your home. Our technicians use specialized cameras and tools to inspect the inside of a chimney flue to identify cracks, breaks, rust, and holes commonly found along the walls of chimney liners. Inspections can prevent leaks, cracks or holes in your chimney, which can cause carbon monoxide or water decay to make its way into your home.
White Glove also specializes in real estate sale inspections, protecting the buyer or seller from costly surprises or fire hazards due to improperly installed hearth systems. Real estate inspections are vital to home safety and required by the NFPA 211 Standard, stating that all chimneys, fireplaces, and venting systems must be inspected by a CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep when a home is changing hands. Our technicians provide complete written performance evaluation of your systems, including photos and detailed documentation, as well as the costs for any recommended repairs to keep you informed and protected. There are no surprise charges when you work with White Glove. All of these inspections are included in the basic service call price which is applied to any work we do.
Inspection Levels
The NFPA has classified inspections into three levels with regard to intensity and frequency of inspection. The inspection you need will depend on the circumstances and the condition of your system.
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A Level One Chimney Inspection is the minimum requirement and should be performed every year, along with a routine cleaning of the chimney flue.
In a Level One inspection, the chimney and flue are examined to determine current condition and is inspected for any blockages. In addition, all accessible areas of the chimney is evaluated including chimney exterior, interior, and connector appliance.
This level of inspection is conducted annually, during routine chimney sweeping, and any time that a connected appliance is replaced with a similar unit.
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As in a Level One Inspection, a Level Two Inspection requires an evaluation of the overall condition of the chimney and flue and a check for blockages in these areas.
All accessible areas of the appliance conductor are assessed, as well as, accessible portions of the chimney structure. Using video documentation, all enclosed flues are evaluated, checking for size and suitability. This level of inspection is issued when adding, removing or replacing an appliance or after an event in which the chimney was likely to be damaged (i.e. chimney fire, seismic event, or severe weather event).
A Level Two Inspection is also necessary when transferring property ownership, when verifying that a system is fit for service under changing conditions, or when a Level One Inspection is deemed inadequate.
During a Level Two Inspection the inspector must have access to the chimney exterior, interior, connector appliance and all parts of the chimney passing through crawl spaces and attics.
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A Level Three Inspection includes a thorough inspection of all concealed areas of the chimney structure and the enclosed flues, in addition to all the checkpoints of a Level 2 inspection. The entire system is also examined for combustible materials.
A Level Three Inspection is conducted on an as-needed basis, to examine damage to the chimney system or building. An inspector may also choose to conduct a Level Three Inspection when a Level One or Two Inspection detects a possible hazard that cannot be further identified without access to otherwise-concealed areas.
A Level Three Inspection is required when knowledge of the condition of the chimney is critical to the renewed or continued use of the chimney.
In a Level Three Inspection, the inspector must have access to the designated parts of the chimney structure and building, including areas that may be concealed. The removal of parts of the chimney or building is often required in order to give the inspector complete access to all concealed areas.
Chimney, Fireplace & Wood Stove Repairs
All White Glove technicians are trained to repair any chimney, fireplace or wood stove no matter the age or condition. If not maintained properly or cleaned regularly your chimney, fireplace or wood stove may experience a variety of problems. Common problems include gas stove clicking but not igniting, fires going out consistently, strange odors, or different flame colors. Many problems can be due to flue obstructions, fireplace or chimney damage, pressure imbalance, leaks, gaps or holes in flashing, an improperly sealed crown, or atmosphere-related challenges. Chimney Leaks, cracks and holes can allow dangerous carbon monoxide gas to enter your home. Whatever the source of your chimney problems, you can trust our technicians to pinpoint and repair all chimney issues quickly and efficiently.
Crown Repairs
Crown repairs are commonly needed due to age or improper installation and maintenance. The crown is situated at the top of the chimney and is meant to direct water away from the area. When it is improperly sealed, water is able to enter into the chimney, causing it to deteriorate. Crown repairs are an easy and affordable fix and should be repaired as soon as an issue is detected.
Flashing Repairs
Another common chimney repair involves the flashing, a series of layered, metal segments where the chimney meets the roof. Flashings are exposed to the elements and can experience corrosion, wind or animal damage and can become ineffective over time. When flashings bend, shift, or separate from the roof or chimney, water can easily escape into the chimney, leading to serious water damage.
Chimney Relining & Resurfacing
The chimney lining serves the important function of keeping heat inside the chimney and away from the combustible areas surrounding it. Once breaks and cracks form in the liner, it will no longer be able to contain the byproducts of combustion, and it will need to be repaired for safety reasons. White Glove offers chimney relining and resurfacing services to keep your home protected.
Repair Services Include:
Hearth Repair
Chimney Repair & Rebuilding
Waterproofing
Smoke Chamber Repair
Firebox Rebuilding
Tuckpointing
Chase Covers
Loose Bricks
Masonry Repairs
Masonry Restoration
Smoke Chamber Paraging
Crowns & Caps
Smoke Leaks
Water Leaks
Dampers
Missing Chimney Cap
Spark Arrestor Chimney Caps
Cracked Chimney Crown Repairs
Cracked & Missing Mortar Joints
Rusted or Damaged Chase Covers
Weak Flashing
Fireplace & Wood Stove Installations
White Glove has over 45 years of experience installing fireplaces, inserts, and wood stoves. We guarantee proper hearth installation, ensuring the safety and efficiency of your heating appliance. Our technicians at White Glove will discuss the entire installation process with you, so that you can be sure every safety and design element will be carefully considered and investigated prior to installation. When we evaluate a chimney system in preparation for an insert, we use a digital camera to check for size and condition compatibility. Without the help of a professional you may be putting yourself at risk for a fire or, at the very least, you may have an inefficient appliance. Call White Glove today for all your fireplace or wood stove installation needs.
Not only do we provide service, maintenance and repairs for fireplaces and stoves, but we also sell and install them!
White Glove Installs:
Wood Stoves
Pellet Stoves
Kerosine Stoves
Seals Around the Stove Door
Chimney Caps
Chimney Shrouds
Dampers
Clean-Out Doors
Stainless Flue Liners