Sweep & inspection
Caps & crowns
Flue relining
Masonry repair
Gas fireplace serviceLevel 1 sweep and inspection to the NFPA 211 annual standard - flue, crown, cap, and flashing checked and photographed
Chimney sweep logs do not sweep chimneys. They loosen some creosote - which then falls where a brush and vacuum still have to collect it.
Fast, Reliable Chimney Sweep Across Candler-McAfee
Chimney sweeping in Candler-McAfee typically costs between $189 and $329 for a standard fireplace, depending on the flue type and how much creosote has built up. Most homes in this part of DeKalb County fall into one of two camps: mid-century brick ranches with original clay tile flues, or 1980s and 90s frame construction with factory-built metal chimneys. Both need different handling, and we know the difference by heart. If you live near Columbia Drive, Candler Road, or over by I-20, you can call us directly at (678) 263-7908 and speak to a live person, day or night.
Ashby Chimney Atlanta has been cleaning and repairing chimneys since 2002. Nathan Corliss runs the operation with a simple rule: nothing gets recommended unless we can show you the camera footage that proves it. For Candler-McAfee homeowners, that matters more than most places, because the biggest risk here isn’t a dirty flue. It’s an old clay liner quietly cracking behind a clean surface.
Why Ashby Chimney Atlanta Is Candler-McAfee’s Preferred Chimney Sweep Company
The reason Candler-McAfee homeowners keep coming back to us isn’t complicated. We show our work. Before any sweep, before any repair recommendation, we run a camera through the flue and walk you through what we see on the screen. You don’t have to take our word for a cracked clay tile or a rusted prefab seam. You watch it with your own eyes, in real time, and then you decide.
Every one of our technicians is background-checked and uniformed. When we say we’ll arrive at a specific time, we show up at that time. The price we quote at your door is the price you pay at the end. That’s a written promise, not a handshake. Nathan puts it in writing because he’s seen too many Candler-McAfee residents get burned by a low quote that ballooned after the tech “discovered” a problem. We don’t work that way. The price is set before tools come off the truck.
We’re part of the Kingswell network of independently owned chimney companies, and every job we do carries the 365-Day Done Right Promise. If a covered repair we make fails within the guarantee period, we return and correct it at no charge. No fine print gymnastics. You call, we come back.
Searching for a Chimney Sweep in Candler-McAfee means sorting through a lot of generic contractors. We’re the ones who answer the phone at 11 p.m. when a storm blows a cap loose and water starts dripping down your fireplace wall.
Styles & brands we work with
Fireplace Cleaning in Candler-McAfee
Fireplace Cleaning in Candler-McAfee means more than scooping out ashes and brushing the firebox walls. In this climate, the real job happens inside the flue, where humid summer air mixes with creosote and forms a sticky, corrosive layer that a basic surface wipe never touches. Our standard fireplace cleaning includes hand-brushing the firebox, vacuuming the smoke shelf, and sweeping the full flue length with appropriately sized brushes. For Candler-McAfee homes, a standard fireplace cleaning runs $189 to $249 for a single flue.
Creosote and Soot Removal
Creosote removal in Candler-McAfee is a bigger deal than in drier parts of Georgia. The humidity here keeps creosote soft and tar-like year-round, which means it clings to flue walls instead of flaking off. We use rotary loop tools and hand scrapers to break it loose, then vacuum with a HEPA-filtered system. Soot removal runs $165 to $225, and creosote-heavy jobs can add $60 to $95 depending on the buildup.
Annual Sweep and Inspection Add-Ons
Most Candler-McAfee households do fine with one annual sweep before burning season. That runs $189 to $229, and if you add a Level 1 inspection at the same time, you’re looking at $245 to $299 total. It’s the price point that keeps most fireplaces safe without overcharging for services you don’t need yet. Our Chimney Sweep team will tell you plainly if you can skip the extras this year.
Chimney Services in Candler-McAfee
Chimney Services in Candler-McAfee go beyond the routine sweep, and this city’s housing stock keeps us busier than most with two specific problems: cracked clay tile liners and corroding prefab metal chimneys. When your home was built between the 1950s and 1990s, the flue liner has either outlived its expected service life or is approaching the end of it. Our camera inspection catches what a brush can’t, because a clean flue with a cracked liner is still a dangerous flue.
Level 1 and Level 2 Inspections
A Level 1 inspection is the visual walkthrough we do during any standard sweep. It covers the firebox, damper, chimney crown, and the accessible exterior. For Candler-McAfee homes, a Level 2 inspection is what we push for, especially if you’re buying or selling one of the mid-century properties near Columbia Drive. It includes camera scanning the full flue interior, attic and crawl space checks, and documentation of every crack, gap, and rust spot. Level 2 runs $349 to $449 and includes a written report with photos.
Repair Documentation You Can See
Nothing gets recommended in your Candler-McAfee home without camera evidence. That’s not a sales tactic. It’s basic honesty, and it protects you from the kind of scare-selling that’s too common in this trade. If we see a crack in your clay tile flue, we’re going to put the camera on it and show you. You decide if it needs work now or can wait another year. If we can document that it’s stable, we’ll tell you that, too.
What happens when you call
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A real person answersNo phone trees - you reach a local pro.
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You get an upfront price rangeHonest numbers before anyone is dispatched.
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A background-checked tech heads outLicensed & insured, dispatched right away.
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You approve before work beginsNothing starts until you say go.
Trusted Brands We Service in Candler-McAfee
When a Candler-McAfee chimney needs fireplace repair, we don’t install whatever part is rolling around in the van. We stock and install professional-grade materials from recognized chimney-trade brands like HeatShield, DuraFlex, and Gelco. HeatShield is the resurfacing system we most often recommend for cracked clay tile liners in this area, because it’s certified, effective, and comes with a transferable warranty. DuraFlex liners handle the 1980s prefab chimney replacements, and Gelco products cover the masonry sealing and crown repair work we do on those 1960s brick ranches. We keep common parts stocked for Candler-McAfee jobs, which means faster turnaround when you need a cap or a damper replaced.
Common Chimney Sweep Problems We See in Candler-McAfee Homes
- Cracked clay tile liners on 1960s-era homes. Homes near Candler Road and Columbia Drive were built on expansive clay soil. When that soil shifts through wet and dry cycles, foundations move slightly, and the rigid clay tiles in the chimney stack crack. The result is heat and gases escaping into wall cavities, or water leaking down into the smoke chamber.
- Rusting prefab metal chimneys from humidity. DeKalb County summers are wet. Those 1980s and 90s frame homes with factory-built metal flues are corroding from the inside out. Light rust near the cap is normal. Rust that flakes and pits the seams is a replacement indicator.
- DIY chimney crown repairs that failed. We see a lot of well-meaning patch jobs from big-box store caulk that cracked after one freeze-thaw cycle. A proper crown repair with Gelco product and professional tooling lasts decades. Caulk lasts a season.
- Blocked or damaged spark arrestors. Candler-McAfee has enough tree cover and wind during storm season that twigs, leaves, and even pest nests find their way into uncapped or damaged flues. We always check the cap and screen during a sweep.
See the difference
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AfterPricing for Chimney Sweep in Candler-McAfee, GA
A standard chimney sweep and fireplace cleaning in Candler-McAfee runs $189 to $249. If your flue has heavy creosote buildup from years of burning green wood or no cleaning at all, expect $260 to $329. Level 2 camera inspections add $349 to $449. Repointing a chimney crown runs $550 to $950 depending on size and access. HeatShield resurfacing for a cracked clay liner typically lands between $1,800 and $3,200 in this area, and prefab chimney replacements run $3,500 to $6,500. Those are real numbers. Call (678) 263-7908 for a free, written estimate on your specific chimney.
We Also Serve Cities Near Candler-McAfee
Our crews cover Candler-McAfee and the surrounding DeKalb County and metro communities. We work in Candler-McAfee most days of the week, and we also serve homeowners in Atlanta, Dunwoody, North Atlanta, and East Point. If you’re a few minutes outside the Candler-McAfee line, you’re still in our service area.
Serving Candler-McAfee, GA - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Candler-McAfee area and know this community well. Use the map below to see our service coverage - if you’re nearby, we can almost certainly help.
FAQs About Chimney Sweep in Candler-McAfee
The short answer is you can’t know without a camera inspection, which is exactly why we don’t guess. Hairline cracks in a clay tile liner are invisible from the rooftop or the firebox. They hide behind years of soot, and a standard sweep won’t reveal them. What you might notice instead are cold drafts in the room when the fireplace isn’t lit, a musty smell after rain, or small water stains on the ceiling near the chimney. Those are indirect signs. A Level 2 camera inspection that costs $349 to $449 will show you the cracks directly, on screen, as we scan. We document everything and give you photos. If the liner is sound, you’ll see that too. Call (678) 263-7908 to schedule one.
Light surface rust near the cap on a factory-built metal chimney is common in Candler-McAfee’s humid climate and usually not an immediate hazard. The cap and chase cover take the brunt of rain exposure. What concerns us is rust that has pitted through the metal, flaking seams, or swelling panels, because that means water is getting inside the chase and likely the flue itself. We’ll inspect it during your sweep and tell you plainly whether it needs a replacement cap, a chase cover, or a full liner replacement. We won’t recommend a $4,000 replacement for a $300 cap job. Call (678) 263-7908 and we’ll give you a straight assessment.
Burning occasionally doesn’t reduce the risk from a cracked liner or corroded flue. In fact, many Candler-McAfee homeowners who burn once or twice a year go years without a sweep because they assume low usage means low risk. The creosote does build up over time, even with infrequent use, and the structural problems from soil movement and humidity don’t care how often you light a fire. If your chimney hasn’t been inspected in years, schedule a standard sweep and Level 1 inspection at minimum. It runs $189 to $229. If anything is questionable, we’ll show you. Call (678) 263-7908 for an estimate.
This is the single most common complaint we hear from Candler-McAfee homeowners. The answer is usually that the previous company found a crack or spalling and jumped straight to a liner replacement recommendation without showing you the evidence. We handle it differently. When we find a crack, we put the camera on it and walk you through what we’re seeing, in real time. Then we discuss options. Sometimes a HeatShield resurfacing system is sufficient, and it costs significantly less than a full rebuild. Sometimes the crack is stable and can wait. And sometimes the liner genuinely does need replacement. You’ll see why with your own eyes before any work is authorized. That’s the Kingswell Way. Call (678) 263-7908 for a second opinion backed by camera footage.
Not always. A weathered crown with minor hairline cracking can sometimes be sealed with a Gelco crown repair product and last another decade. What we look for is structural failure: large cracks that let water penetrate into the masonry, chunks of crown missing, or the crown separating from the flue tile. If water is getting through the crown, it will eventually destroy the mortar joints below and lead to costly repointing or liner damage. We’ll assess it during your sweep and give you a written recommendation, with photos, and we’ll tell you honestly if it can wait. Crown repair and sealing typically runs $550 to $950 in Candler-McAfee. Call (678) 263-7908 for a free estimate.
What It’s Like Working With Us in Candler-McAfee
We believe the best way to understand who we are is to hear what we actually do on a typical Candler-McAfee job. This is the kind of thing we see regularly, and it’s why we approach older chimneys here so carefully.
At a brick ranch off Candler Road, our tech camera-scanned a clay tile flue and found hairline cracks running the full height. Water had been weeping into the smoke chamber for years. The homeowner had no idea, because the fireplace still drew fine and the previous sweep had simply brushed it and left. We documented the entire scan live for the homeowner, showing them every crack on the screen as we found it. Then we installed a HeatShield resurfacing system and repointed the chimney crown before any creosote work was done. That’s the order we work in: structural integrity first, cleaning second. No upselling, no mystery. Just the camera, the evidence, and a written quote.
If you’re in Candler-McAfee and you haven’t had your chimney looked at in years, or you’ve been told you need expensive work by someone who never showed you why, call us. Nathan Corliss started Ashby Chimney Atlanta in 2002 with a simple promise: say the price, show up in the window, leave it cleaner, put the guarantee in writing, and come back if it fails. We’re still doing it that way today.
Call (678) 263-7908 for a free estimate. Live person, no voicemail loop, and a written price before any work starts.
Written by Nathan Corliss, Owner at Ashby Chimney Atlanta, serving Candler-McAfee since 2002.