Chimney Service in Seattle
Real Local Stories, Simple Tips, and What Homeowners Should Know:
If you have a fireplace in Seattle, you know how weird the weather gets.
One day it's dry, the next day the clouds dump rain like someone left a big bucket in the sky.
I've been doing chimney service for a long time, and I keep seeing people say things like
“Well, I only burn a few fires a year, so it’s fine.”
But nope. Seattle chimneys get messy fast. Rain, wind, moss, wet wood, all that stuff makes things a little wild up there. So I wanna talk about chimney service the way I talk to my friends, simple, honest, and a little messy here and there.
I’ve done chimney service for 30 years now, with chimney 360 working all over Seattle and places like Auburn, Bellevue, Bothell, Burien, Des Moines, Edmonds, Everett, Federal Way, Issaquah, Kenmore, Kent, Lake Forest Park, Lynnwood, Mercer Island, Mountlake Terrace, Redmond, Renton, Sammamish, Shoreline, Tacoma, Tukwila, and Woodinville. And yep, that sounds like a long list, but fire and smoke don’t care where you live.
What Chimney Service Means for Seattle Homes
Chimney service is just making the whole system safe and working the right way. Simple. Not fancy. Not magic. It’s cleaning, checking, fixing, and helping smoke get out like it’s supposed to.
Most folks think it’s just brushing out the soot, but it’s more. We look for cracks, leaks, loose bricks, broken caps, stuck dampers, and all kinds of weird surprises. One time, I found a whole kid’s sock up inside a chimney in Kenmore. Don’t ask me how.
What makes this stuff matter is that Seattle houses stay damp almost year-round. A damp chimney is like leaving wet socks in a dark corner—it grows funky stuff and makes the smoke stick.
Our Services
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Gas Fireplace Inspection
Only $29
Expert gas fireplace services, including installation, maintenance, and repair, to ensure efficient, safe, and long-lasting warmth for your home.
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Chimney Inspection
Only $49
Whether you're a homeowner or buying a new property, our detailed inspections ensure your chimney meets safety standards.
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Chimney Cleaning
Only $149
Remove soot, debris, and creosote buildup to improve efficiency and reduce fire risk.
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Chimney Repairs
Free Estimate
From minor cracks to major repairs, we’ve got you covered to keep your chimney in peak condition.
Story: The Time a Chimney in Ballard
Almost Filled a Home With Smoke
So I had this call in Ballard, near the Ballard Locks. Nice family with two kids. They said the fire was pushing smoke back into the living room. When I checked, the whole top part of the flue was clogged by wet leaves.
Looked like someone jammed a salad up there.
They hadn’t used the fireplace since last winter. But months of wind pushed leaves inside. And with all the moisture, the leaves piled up like glue. When I cleared it, the sound it made was kinda gross, like pulling wet tape off a floor.
But once we cleaned it and checked the flow, the fire pulled clean again. They were super happy, and the kids thought the vacuum hose was “cooler than a robot.” This kinda thing happens all the time in Seattle.
Why Seattle Weather Makes Chimney Service Different
Seattle weather doesn't play fair. Moisture creeps into everything. Chimneys soak up rain like a sponge. When your chimney stays wet 9 months of the year, the inside walls get crumbly. Creosote sticks harder. Birds wanna build nests there when spring hits.
When I clean chimneys around Capitol Hill or Queen Anne, I always see moss sneaking into the mortar joints. It looks kinda nice from the street, like a fairy garden, but inside it’s messing things up.
Also, Seattle wood tends to be damp, even when folks think it’s dry.
Damp wood = smoky fires = more junk sticking in the flue.
What Happens During a Chimney Cleaning
This is the main deal under the Chimney Cleaning category. Chimney service starts with cleaning. I bring brushes, rods, vacuums, lights, and sometimes a drone when I need to see the top parts.
Some folks think the cleaning is loud and messy, but honestly, the vacuum does most of the work.
Here’s how I explain it to homeowners in places like Rainier Beach or West Seattle:
“I scrub the inside like you scrub a pan with burned stuff stuck on it. Same idea. Just taller.”
We put down tarps, we brush everything, we check the smoke chamber, the flue walls, the damper, the firebox, and we clean up creosote. Creosote is like sticky black fudge that ain’t sweet. It’s the stuff that can cause fires.
A good cleaning feels like giving a house a deep breath.
Chimney Inspection is one of my favorite things because it helps people understand what’s going on inside the chimney. I use flashlights, mirrors, cameras, and sometimes drones.
I had one homeowner in Fremont who thought their chimney was
“fine” because it “never causes trouble.”
But when I checked it, a big chunk of mortar was missing.
You could see daylight through a crack.
Not good. If sparks slip through that, the wood beams can heat up.
Seattle chimneys get worn down faster than in dry places.
Inspections help me find small stuff before it turns big.
A lot of cities around Seattle, like Issaquah or Redmond, have tall fir trees dropping needles into flues.
I pull that stuff out all year long.
Sometimes I find nests from crows or starlings.
One time, a raccoon family tried to make a seasonal home in one.
They were cute but super mad at me.
More Real Stories
From Local Seattle Homeowners
The Magnolia Soot Monster
A lady in Magnolia called saying she smelled something burned even when the fire wasn’t on. When I opened the damper, a pile of soot dropped like a mini avalanche. The inside walls looked like they were painted black. The poor woman said, “I don’t wanna be breathing that.” We cleaned it all out and she said the air smelled “lighter,” which I guess is a good way to say it.
Capitol Hill Surprise
In Capitol Hill, I found a chimney stuffed with small toys. The owner said her toddler liked “feeding the chimney.” Kinda cute, kinda dangerous.
West Seattle Wind Problem
One house near Alki Beach had sand inside the flue. Sand! The wind near the water is no joke.
Chimney Repairs are huge in Seattle.
Water damage is everywhere.
Rain gets into cracks, then freezes in winter, then cracks more.
Kinda like a pothole but in your chimney.
Repairs can be small, like fixing a damper that sticks,
or bigger, like rebuilding a crown or replacing bricks.
I do a lot of crown repairs in Shoreline and Edmonds,
where the wind hits harder.
I also fix chimney caps that blow off during storms.
One job in Federal Way,
the cap was hanging by one screw like a loose tooth.
Every time the wind blew, it clanged like a church bell.
Chimney repairs keep the whole system safe and dry, and dry is a big deal in Seattle.
Chimney Repairs
Chimney Inspection
Seasonal Chimney Tips for Seattle Neighborhoods
In winter:
Folks in Beacon Hill love burning wood on cold mornings. But wet wood makes more creosote. Let it dry longer.
In fall:
In places like Crown Hill and Green Lake, leaves fall into chimneys nonstop. A mesh cap helps.
In spring:
Ballard and Fremont see a lot of birds. Birds love chimneys.
In summer:
Good time for repairs in Redmond, Sammamish, Tukwila, or Lynnwood because the weather is kinder.
Seattle has weird microclimates. If you’re in Shoreline or Everett, you’ll see moss faster.
If you’re near Mercer Island, winds shift a lot. Each neighborhood has its own chimney personality.
Common Problems I See in Seattle Fireplaces:
Landmarks, Areas, and Local Spots Where We Work
Serving Seattle and areas listed:
Auburn, Bellevue, Bothell, Burien, Des Moines, Edmonds, Everett, Federal Way, Issaquah, Kenmore, Kent, Lake Forest Park, Lynnwood, Mercer Island, Mountlake Terrace,
Redmond, Renton, Sammamish, Shoreline, Tacoma, Tukwila, Woodinville—pretty much all the places where fireplaces are older and need more love.
Phone
+1 (206) 6182443
Seasonal Chimney Tips for Seattle Neighborhoods
In winter:
Folks in Beacon Hill love burning wood on cold mornings. But wet wood makes more creosote. Let it dry longer.
In fall:
In places like Crown Hill and Green Lake, leaves fall into chimneys nonstop. A mesh cap helps.
In spring:
Ballard and Fremont see a lot of birds. Birds love chimneys.
In summer:
Good time for repairs in Redmond, Sammamish, Tukwila, or Lynnwood because the weather is kinder.
Seattle has weird microclimates. If you’re in Shoreline or Everett, you’ll see moss faster.
If you’re near Mercer Island, winds shift a lot. Each neighborhood has its own chimney personality.
Common Problems I See in Seattle Fireplaces:
Damp fireboxes
Soot piles
Cracked crowns
Missing caps
Rust on metal parts
Mossy mortar
Dead birds (sorry but it's true)
Smoke rolling back
Creosote glaze
Sticky dampers
FAQs
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1. Do I need chimney service every year in Seattle?
Yeah, Seattle stays damp a lot, so chimneys get messy faster. A yearly service keeps smoke flowing out and keeps stuff from building up inside. -
That’s usually damp soot. Seattle rain makes it sticky. A cleaning helps take the smell out.
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Yep. Wind in Seattle pushes leaves, twigs, and even sand near the coast. A cap helps keep that junk out.
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Moisture. Rain gets into cracks and makes things crumble. Moss grows too.
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Yeah. Wood makes soot and creosote. Gas stays cleaner, but still needs checks each year.
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Sometimes. It means the draft is blocked or weak. Needs service fast so it stays safe.
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Chimneys feel warm and safe to birds. Seattle has lots of nesting birds that try to move in.
