Level 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.
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AfterFast, Reliable Chimney Inspection Across Converse
A chimney inspection in Converse, TX typically runs $189 – $549 depending on the level, and most Level 1 and Level 2 inspections are completed in about an hour. At Flint Chimney Sweep, we schedule Converse inspections on a date that works for you, arrive inside the window given, and hand you a written report with photos before we leave. Call (830) 251-4560 to book a chimney inspection in Converse, TX and get a written price before any work begins.
We know Converse. We drive FM 78, FM 1516, and the residential streets off Toepperwein daily. Our technicians carry ladders sized for both single-story ranch homes and two-story builds in developments like Escondido and Paloma. When you call, a live person answers and sets a time that works.
Why Flint Chimney Sweep Is Converse’s Preferred Chimney Inspection Company
Flint Chimney Sweep has operated since 2002 as part of the Garrison Partners family. We built our Converse reputation on one rule: every inspection gets a written price before the truck rolls. No bids adjusted at the door. No “while we’re here” add-ons. The number on your invoice is the number you approved. That’s The Garrison Standard, and it applies on every call in Converse.
Converse homeowners request us for inspections ahead of real estate closings, after a chimney fire scare, and before the first burn of the season. Our background-checked, uniformed technicians arrive with serious tooling: Chim-Scan cameras, soot vacuums, and the right-size brushes held in the truck. When a Converse customer books with Hank Delano’s crew, the schedule holds.
Our Chimney Inspection team documents everything. You get a photo report. You see what we see. If the flue is clean and the crown is sound, we say so plainly and write it down.
Chimney Flue Inspection in Converse
Chimney Flue Inspection in Converse means running a camera up the interior passage that carries smoke and gases from your firebox to the outside. We check for creosote buildup, cracked flue tiles, gaps in mortar joints, obstructions like nests or debris, and liner damage. Converse sits on heavy blackland clay that swells and shrinks with rainfall and drought. That movement shifts foundations and chimneys enough to crack mortar and pull flashing away from the flue, so a flue inspection here has to look at the whole system, not just the inside of the pipe.
What the camera actually shows
A Chim-Scan camera records the full liner length. The stills go into your report. You’ll see any first-degree creosote (dry, powdery, brushable), second-degree (tar-like flakes), or third-degree (hard glaze) documented by location. If a separation shows between flue tiles, the camera pinpoints the depth so a repair discussion is about evidence, not opinion.
Is the chimney cap doing its job?
In Converse, a missing or damaged cap is an open invitation for rain, grackles, and squirrels. Our flue inspection always includes the cap and crown. A hairline crown crack may look minor, but in our blackland clay, it widens with every freeze-thaw cycle until water tracks down the outside of the liner and shows up as water stains on the firebox wall.
Chimney Fire in Converse
Chimney Fire in Converse is what happens when creosote inside the flue ignites. The first sign is often a loud roar from the chimney, like a freight train, or flames and heavy smoke from the top. A chimney fire can reach temperatures that crack flue tiles, warp the damper, and send embers onto the roof. After any chimney fire in Converse, a full Level 2 inspection is the minimum before the fireplace is used again.
We’ve inspected homes in the Deer Creek area off FM 78 after late-night chimney fires where the firebox looked fine from the living room, but the flue liner was cracked at three points. That’s what a camera inspection is for: finding damage you can’t see from the hearth.
Post-fire documentation
After a chimney fire, your insurance company often wants a written report with photos. Our post-fire inspection delivers exactly that. We document crack locations, liner condition, creosote type, and whether the fire spread beyond the chimney proper. If a masonry repair or liner replacement is needed, we quote it in writing with product brands specified: HeatShield, Gelco, Olympia Chimney, or Famco.
Signs you should not ignore
If you hear popping in the flue during a burn, see oily black tar dripping into the firebox, or smell smoke inside the house, stop using the fireplace and call (830) 251-4560. These are warnings that the fuel load inside the flue is building. A chimney sweep and inspection beats waiting for the fire to tell you where the deficiency is.
Trusted Brands We Service in Converse
When a Converse inspection finds needed repair work, we quote the fix with materials named on the estimate. We install and service HeatShield cerfractory flue sealants, Gelco chimney caps, and Olympia Chimney chase covers. Famco dampers come up often in Converse because original dampers rust out after years of water entry through cracked crowns. Since our trucks run local routes through Converse daily, we typically have common cap and damper sizes on hand, which shortens the time between inspection and completed repair. You won’t be waiting on a long part ship-out for standard fixes.
Common Chimney Inspection Problems We See in Converse Homes
- Crown and flashing cracks from clay soil movement. Converse’s shrink-swell blackland clay moves more than the limestone hill country to the north. Crowns crack, flashing pulls away, and the gap lets water run where it shouldn’t.
- Water damage mistaken for a flue problem. Homeowners see staining or a musty smell and assume the flue is dirty. Often the real problem is water entry through a cracked crown or missing cap. Our camera inspection tells the difference in the first twenty minutes.
- Firebox spalling from repeated moisture exposure. We see this across Converse, including homes built in the early 2000s along FM 78. Mortar joints break down, and the firebox starts shedding material. A crown seal often stops it before a full rebuild is needed.
- Third-degree creosote glaze ignored too long. By the time heavy glaze forms, a standard brush doesn’t remove it. Catching first-degree creosote during an annual inspection is cheap prevention. Waiting turns a sweep into a liner conversation.
Pricing for Chimney Inspection in Converse, TX
A Level 1 chimney inspection in Converse typically runs $189 – $249 if no sweep is bundled. A Level 2 camera inspection, common for real estate closings or after chimney fires, runs $329 – $489. Level 3 inspections, which may involve opening walls or the chimney structure after known catastrophic events, start at $549 and are quoted per job. The camera report is included at no extra charge on Level 2 inspections. The price we write for you is the price you pay, and a full-year repair guarantee applies if any covered repair follows. Call (830) 251-4560 for a free estimate, and we’ll tell you over the phone which level your situation calls for.
We Also Serve Cities Near Converse
Our crews serve Converse and the surrounding communities on this side of Bexar County. If you’re in Universal City, Schertz, Cibolo, or San Antonio, the same written-price-before-work standard applies. Call (830) 251-4560 and we’ll get your chimney inspection scheduled.
Serving Converse, TX - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Converse 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 Inspection in Converse
Once a year, even if you only burn a few fires. The annual Level 1 inspection is recommended by the National Fire Protection Association, and in Converse the freeze-thaw cycle on clay soil keeps shifting crowns and flashing whether or not the fireplace gets used. A $200 inspection beats discovering crown damage after a hard winter. Call (830) 251-4560 to schedule yours.
A Level 1 inspection is a visual check of the accessible portions of the fireplace, chimney, and flue. We verify the flue is free of obstruction and combustible deposits, check the damper, cap, crown, and flashing, and confirm the firebox is sound. It is the standard annual inspection for a chimney that has not changed since its last service. The price in Converse runs $189 – $249.
No. On Level 2 inspections, the Chim-Scan camera report and photos are included in the written price. You don’t pay more to see the images. On a Level 1 inspection, we may run a hand-held spot camera at no charge if a visual question comes up and we need to document a suspect spot. The photo report belongs to you.
Third-degree creosote is a hard, glossy tar glaze baked onto the flue liner. It cannot be brushed out with a standard sweep. Removing it requires rotary cleaning heads or chemical treatments. It is the stage where chimney fires become most likely, because the glaze burns intensely once ignited. If another company flagged it, get a written camera report that shows the glaze, then call (830) 251-4560. We’ll show you exactly what we find.
If a Level 1 inspection shows first-degree creosote, a clean flue, and a sound crown, you can go another season. Minor cosmetic masonry work, like a small hairline crack that does not admit water, can ride for a year while you watch the photos in your report. What cannot wait: water intrusion, missing caps, cracked flue tiles, or any creosote build-up beyond normal. If our report says the chimney is safe, we tell you. We do not invent urgency. Call (830) 251-4560 and get the report before you decide.
Written by Hank Delano, Owner at Flint Chimney Sweep, serving Converse since 2002.