The local chimney company that covers Doctors Inlet

Calls from Doctors Inlet to our 24/7 emergency line come down to a short list of problems, and knowing the list helps you decide whether tonight or tomorrow is right. Urgent means water coming into the house at the chimney, a cap or chase cover that has blown loose or is hanging over the roof edge, an animal trapped in the flue, masonry that has fallen or looks ready to fall, or a chimney that needs checking after the fire department has put out a chimney fire.

Some things come before any call to us. Smoke filling the house, a sounding carbon monoxide alarm or a gas smell means you get everyone outside and ring 911 or the gas company from the street, and only once they have cleared the house do you call us. On the line, we ask what you see, whether anyone is at risk, and whether water is reaching anything electrical.

Some problems can be made safer while you wait, such as closing the damper with no fire lit, moving furniture, putting a bucket under a drip, or turning off a gas unit at its valve when there is no gas smell and you can reach it safely. When a visit is needed, the first job is temporary, such as covering an open flue or clearing a blockage, and the permanent repair follows on a written estimate like any other job.

We tell you on the call what the temporary work involves before anyone drives out. Routine problems, such as a slow draft or a stained crown, wait for a normal booking. Note when you first saw the problem and what has changed since, which helps the person on the line decide the next step. If water reaches outlets or light fixtures, switch off that circuit at the panel if you can safely.

Urgent calls go to the 24/7 emergency line, and everything else is booked as a routine visit. Book your free inspection in Doctors Inlet at (904) 920-5495, or send the short form.