Top sealing dampers installed for Doctors Inlet fireplaces
Throat damper rusted or leaking in Doctors Inlet? We fit a gasketed damper at the top of the flue after a free inspection.
- Fully licensed and insured
- Locally owned
- Family owned and operated
- Same-day service
Get Your Free Inspection
Get a quote for chimney and fireplace repair and installation in Jacksonville.
Request received
Thank you. We will call you shortly to set a time.
Quicker by phone? Call (904) 920-5495
Local pros who fit chimney top dampers in Doctors Inlet
- Locally owned in Jacksonville
- Family owned and operated
- 100% satisfaction guaranteed
- Free inspection and estimate
- Same-day service available
- 10% off any service
Existing top dampers are serviced with the maker's own parts.
- Free inspection and estimateYour flue tile in Doctors Inlet is measured and the crown checked on a free visit before any damper is ordered.
- Upfront pricing, no hidden feesThe model, the handle position and any tile or crown work are priced in writing up front.
- 100% satisfaction guaranteedIf the lid does not seal or open the way we showed you, we return and adjust it.
Birds and animals using the flue
A dark, open flue is shelter for birds, squirrels and other animals when the fireplace is idle. A nest left on the smoke shelf chokes the draft and puts fuel where fire gases pass. Animals that nest in a flue also bring in debris that blocks the draft for the next fire.
A closed top damper shuts that entry at the top. If something is already living in your flue in Doctors Inlet, it has to be out, following the wildlife rules, before the damper goes on. We tell you which comes first on a free visit.
Doctors Inlet falls within Clay County. Doctors Inlet lies inland.
Top damper work we take on in Doctors Inlet
- Top sealing dampers set in the maker's adhesive
- Old throat dampers removed or fixed open
- Cracked tile rims repaired before fitting
- Every flue identified before any fitting
How our crew fits a top damper in Doctors Inlet
-
Tile measured on the roof
The flue tile's outside size, height and rim are checked on a free visit, with the crown around it.
-
Model ordered to fit
The damper is chosen from the maker's size chart for your tile and approved on the estimate first.
-
Frame set, cable run
The frame is set in the maker's adhesive, the old plate made safe and the cable run to the handle.
-
Adjusted and demonstrated
The lid is adjusted to seal, and you try the handle before we leave, with the cure time written down.
Standard models inland in Doctors Inlet
Away from the coast, the standard top damper models fit standard fireplace flue tiles in Doctors Inlet, and salt resistance is not the deciding factor. Fit and size are.
We choose the model from the tile measurement and the maker's size chart.
10% off any service booked within 72 hours of inspection
Leaky throat damper? A top damper ordered within three days of the inspection is 10% off.
The parts of a top sealing damper
Four parts make up a top sealing damper: a metal frame that sits on the flue tile, a lid hinged to it with a gasket where the two meet, a spring that pushes the lid open, and a stainless cable that links the lid to a firebox handle. Pull and lock the handle, and the lid closes on its gasket.
Release the handle, and the spring opens the lid for a fire. Because the seal is at the very top, rain and outside air are kept out of the whole flue between fires. Each part is replaceable with the maker's own pieces when it wears. Knowing which part does what makes a problem easy to describe on the phone, and easy to price.
Open fully before every fire
Above everything else, a top damper has to be fully open before a fire is lit. A fire under a closed lid sends smoke and carbon monoxide into the room. The handle position shows whether the lid is open, and a look up the firebox confirms it.
The makers also say to leave it open until no fire remains and the ashes have gone cold. Closing it early on smoldering embers traps their smoke in the house. We cover both points at the walk-through, and write them on the ticket. A lid that is only partly open can also spill smoke, so the check is for fully open, not just unlocked.
Top dampers and decorative gas appliances
Vented decorative gas appliances made for wood fireplaces are tested to ANSI Z21.60, and their installation instructions require the fireplace damper to be removed or permanently fixed open. The appliance vents through the flue and depends on it staying open.
Any damper that can be closed does not fit that rule unless it is locked permanently open, which defeats its purpose. Where such an appliance is in the firebox, we explain the conflict and the alternatives before anything is ordered. The appliance's own manual has the final word, and we read it before recommending anything.
What we check before fitting a top damper in Doctors Inlet
- Handle bracket anchored in the firebox where you approve
- Every flue identified, with the damper on a fireplace flue only
- Round flue or liner top matched with the maker's adapter
- Make, model and flue size written down for your records
Before the damper is ordered
Do I still need a chimney cap?
On a single fireplace flue, the open lid sheds rain like a cap, so one may not be needed. Other flues, or a wish for a spark screen, can still call for one, and we explain it on the estimate.
Will it need maintenance?
Very little. The gasket, spring and cable are checked when the chimney is swept, and the maker's parts replace them when they wear.
More services in Doctors Inlet
-
-
-
-
-
-
Learn more about top-sealing damper installationAll services in Doctors Inlet
Measure, order, set, adjust, done
Repair the old damper or seal the top? Our specialists in Doctors Inlet price both when both make sense.
Free Inspection