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 Decatur
If you’re in Decatur and your fireplace hasn’t been swept in a year or two, fireplace repair in Decatur may be needed-the problem isn’t just dust. It’s creosote, and in this city’s older homes, it builds faster than you’d think. Most chimney sweeps in Decatur run between $189 and $329 for a standard cleaning, and we can usually get to your home within a few days of your call. That’s the number you should have in your head before anyone knocks on your door.
Ashby Chimney Atlanta has served Decatur homeowners since 2002, and we know what these houses throw at us. Call (678) 263-7908 for a written quote before any work starts.
Why Ashby Chimney Atlanta Is Decatur’s Preferred Chimney Sweep Company
Nathan Corliss runs our Decatur crews the same way he’s run jobs since 2002: the price goes in writing first, the technician shows up in the window we gave you, and the guarantee comes on paper, not as a verbal promise. That’s the Kingswell Way, and it’s why Decatur homeowners call us back year after year.
We answer the phone with a live person, 24 hours a day. Not a callback form. Not a voicemail that says “we’ll get back to you Monday.” If you call at 10:30 on a Sunday night because water is dripping through your chimney breast, a person picks up.
Our technicians are background-checked and uniformed. You’ll know exactly who’s walking into your home, and they’ll leave it cleaner than they found it. Every Chimney Sweep job comes with a written price before work starts and a written guarantee when it’s done. If a covered repair fails inside the guarantee period, we return and fix it at no charge. That’s our 365-Day Done Right Promise, and it’s not an add-on. It’s automatic.
Styles & brands we work with
Chimney Maintenance in Decatur
Chimney Maintenance in Decatur means staying ahead of what this city’s trees and weather do to a flue. Most Decatur homes need a maintenance sweep every one to two years, depending on how often you burn and whether your flue is lined. A standard maintenance visit runs $189 to $249 in this market, including the sweep, a basic visual check, and cleanup.
Here’s what that looks like at a 1920s bungalow near Agnes Scott: we sweep the flue, remove the creosote and soot, check the crown and cap for freeze-thaw damage, and tell you plainly if anything needs attention. No upsell. If the flue is clean and sound, we say so.
Annual Sweep and Creosote Removal
In Decatur, fall is the busy season. Mature oaks and pines drop leaves and needles onto roofs, and some of that debris ends up in chimneys. Burn a few fires on top of it and you get first-degree creosote within weeks. We remove it before it cures into the tar-like glaze that’s much harder and more expensive to deal with.
Soot Removal and Fireplace Cleaning
Soot is the fluffy black powder that coats your firebox and damper. It’s not as dangerous as creosote, but it’s abrasive and it stinks when humidity rises. Our sweep includes full firebox cleanup, damper check, and removal of ash from previous fires. In Decatur’s humid summers, a dirty firebox is why some homes get that campfire smell in July.
Chimney Sweep Services in Decatur
Chimney Sweep Services in Decatur cover everything from a routine cleaning to inspecting a flue in a house you just bought. A basic sweep in Decatur runs $189 to $269. A Level 2 inspection, which we recommend for any real estate transaction or after a chimney fire, runs $299 to $449 depending on the access and the number of flues.
Nathan Corliss has seen what happens when a sweep is skipped for five years in a 1930s Oakhurst Craftsman. The flue was coated in second-degree creosote, the smoke chamber held a squirrel nest and a quart of acorns, and the crown was spalling from winter ice. We swept it, installed a DuraFlex stainless liner and an animal-proof cap, and wrote the guarantee. That’s the full job in Decatur, not just running a brush through.
Level 1 and Level 2 Inspections
A Level 1 inspection happens with every sweep: accessible parts of the chimney, from firebox to cap, checked for obvious damage or blockage. A Level 2 goes further and is the standard for home sales, changes in fuel type, or after a fire. In Decatur, where many homes are sold with original unlined flues, a Level 2 before closing has saved more than one buyer from a $4,000 liner replacement they didn’t know was coming.
Creosote and Animal Debris Removal
Creosote in an old unlined flue is not a DIY job. Brushing a third-degree glaze just polishes the tar. We use professional-grade rotary tools and, when the flue is sound, recommend a stainless liner from HeatShield or DuraFlex to protect the masonry from further buildup. And if a squirrel has been using your chimney as a pantry, we’ll remove the nest and fit a proper cap so it doesn’t come back.
What happens when you call
- 1
A real person answersNo phone trees - you reach a local pro.
- 2
You get an upfront price rangeHonest numbers before anyone is dispatched.
- 3
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 Decatur
We stock and install liners, caps, dampers, and crown products from brands chimney professionals actually use: HeatShield for resurfacing flues, Gelco and Olympia Chimney for caps and chase covers, and Famco for dampers. When a Decatur customer needs a replacement part, we don’t make them wait a week for a warehouse order. We carry common sizes in our trucks, so most repairs finish the same day.
See the difference
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After
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After
Before
AfterCommon Chimney Sweep Problems We See in Decatur Homes
- Third-degree creosote glaze in original unlined flues. These 1920s – 1950s bungalows were built before liners were standard. Creosote bakes onto the brick, and a regular brush won’t touch it. Removing it properly takes mechanical methods, then usually a liner to prevent recurrence.
- Squirrel nests and acorn debris in Oakhurst and MAK. Decatur’s dense canopy means squirrels. They drop acorns down open flues, build nests in smoke chambers, and block passageways. We remove the debris and install animal-proof caps.
- Spalling crowns from freeze-thaw cycles after ice storms. Decatur gets enough winter moisture that older brick crowns crack. Water gets in, freezes, expands, and the crown flakes apart. If left alone, the water reaches the flue liner and the masonry starts to fail from the inside.
- Creosote migration in shared chimney stacks. Many Decatur duplexes and attached bungalows share a chimney stack with a neighbor. If one flue is never cleaned, creosote and exhaust can migrate into the adjacent flue. Your fireplace stays clean, but your flue still carries the neighbor’s buildup and its fire risk.
Pricing for Chimney Sweep in Decatur, GA
Here are the numbers we give Decatur customers over the phone, before any work is scheduled:
- Standard chimney sweep (one flue, accessible roof): $189 – $269
- Chimney sweep with creosote removal (moderate to heavy buildup): $249 – $329
- Level 1 inspection (included with every sweep): $0
- Level 2 inspection (camera, for real estate or post-fire): $299 – $449
- Fireplace cleaning (firebox, damper, glass): $89 – $149
In Decatur, what mostly affects the price is roof access, the number of flues, and how long it’s been since the last sweep. A 1950s ranch with an easy roof pitch is faster than a three-story Tudor with a steep pitch and a shared stack. We give you the written price before we climb the ladder. Call (678) 263-7908 for a free estimate.
We Also Serve Cities Near Decatur
Our crews cover Chimney Sweep in Decatur and the surrounding metro. If you’re in Atlanta, Union City, or Fairburn, the same written pricing and 365-Day Done Right Promise apply. Dispatch and scheduling run from our Atlanta office, but the crew that shows up at your door is local to the metro and familiar with the housing stock.
Serving Decatur, GA - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Decatur 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 Decatur
Have it swept every fall, even if you only burn a few fires a year. Unlined flues in old brick accumulate creosote faster than modern lined systems, and a single fire can ignite whatever has built up over a year. A fall sweep runs $189 to $269 in Decatur. Call (678) 263-7908 and we’ll get you on the calendar.
Yes, it can. In Decatur’s attached bungalows and duplexes, many chimneys share a single stack with separate flues. If one flue is not cleaned, creosote and exhaust can migrate through gaps and mortar joints into the adjacent flue, even if your fireplace is never used. A Level 2 camera inspection shows whether your flue is being affected. The inspection runs $299 to $449. If you suspect migration, call (678) 263-7908 and we’ll tell you what’s actually happening in your stack.
Because the chimney has no animal-proof cap, or the existing cap has gaps a squirrel can squeeze through. Decatur’s tree canopy means constant squirrel pressure in neighborhoods like Oakhurst and MAK. We remove the nest and acorn debris, then install a cap from Gelco or Olympia Chimney that seals the flue while maintaining proper draft. The cap plus a full sweep typically runs $289 to $449. Call (678) 263-7908 for a written quote.
Yes. A cracked crown is the most common entry point for water into a Decatur chimney, and our sweeps inspect the crown on every visit. Small cracks can be sealed as part of a repair visit. A badly spalled crown needs rebuilding, which runs $700 to $1,400 depending on size and access. Ignoring it lets water into the flue and accelerates liner damage. If you’ve noticed cracks, call (678) 263-7908 for an inspection.
Yes, third-degree creosote is the hardest, most combustible form, and it’s common in older Decatur chimneys that have been burned hot with insufficient cleaning. It resembles a black, glossy tar glaze. Brushing alone won’t remove it. We use mechanical removal methods, then usually recommend a HeatShield resurfacing or a stainless liner to prevent recurrence. Removal for heavy third-degree creosote runs $329 to $599 depending on flue height and access. If you haven’t had your flue inspected in years, call (678) 263-7908 and we’ll send a technician out.
Written by Nathan Corliss, Owner at Ashby Chimney Atlanta, serving Decatur since 2002.