Before you light the first fire of the year.

It depends on the scope, and any chimney sweep who quotes a firm price without seeing the job is guessing. We give you a free written estimate up front, with the price agreed before any work starts — so there is no moving number at the end.

Most chimney sweeping estimates are scheduled within a couple of business days, and the work itself is booked around your schedule. Busy seasons run longer, and we will tell you honestly rather than promise a date we cannot hold.

Nashville and all of Middle Tennessee — 65 towns across 12 counties, including Franklin, Brentwood, Murfreesboro, Hendersonville, Mt. Juliet and Smyrna. If you are roughly an hour from Nashville, we cover you.

Yes. Every chimney sweep we send is licensed for the work they are doing and carries liability insurance. Ask and we will send you the certificate before anyone comes out — you should ask that of anyone who works on your home.

No. Estimates are free and carry no obligation. You get a written scope and price, and if you decide not to go ahead, that is the end of it.

You send the form and we come back. Workmanship is backed in writing, and manufacturer warranties on materials are passed through to you. Getting it right is cheaper for us than arguing about it.

Annually if you burn wood regularly, and inspected annually regardless of use. The standard guidance is inspection every year and sweeping when creosote reaches a measurable thickness. A chimney unused for a season still needs inspecting, because the common problems in unused chimneys are animal nests, a cracked crown and water damage rather than soot.

Draught failure. The usual causes are a closed or partly blocked damper, creosote or a nest restricting the flue, a cold flue that has not been warmed before lighting, or negative pressure in a tightly sealed house pulling air down the chimney. A flue that is too short or too narrow for the fireplace opening will do it every time and is a design problem rather than a maintenance one.

Creosote is the tarry residue from wood smoke condensing on the flue walls, and it is highly flammable — it is what burns in a chimney fire. It builds up fastest from burning unseasoned wood or running slow smouldering fires. In its hardest glazed form it cannot be brushed off and needs chemical treatment or removal, which is one reason annual inspection matters.

Creosote reacting with humidity. It is worst in warm damp weather, and it is a sign there is more residue in the flue than there should be. A sweep is the actual fix. Reducing negative pressure in the house helps in the meantime — the smell comes down the chimney because air is being pulled that direction rather than up it.

Yes, though less often than wood. Gas appliances still vent combustion products, and the flue can be obstructed by nests, debris or a deteriorating liner. Annual inspection checks the venting, the logs and the gas connection. The risk with a blocked gas flue is carbon monoxide rather than a chimney fire, which makes it no less serious.