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.
DuraFlex Chimney Cleaning in Inglewood, CA | Hickory Chimney Sweep
We service DuraFlex stainless chimney liners across Inglewood, and most of our calls here aren’t routine sweeps. They’re remediation jobs on older bungalows where a gas conversion was done decades ago, then abandoned, leaving an oversized liner, a rusted damper, and a crown that’s given up. We’re an independent DuraFlex service provider, not manufacturer-authorized or affiliated. Call (855) 554-2841 if your fireplace hasn’t been looked at in years.
Why Inglewood Residents Choose Us for DuraFlex Service
Ruben Acosta has spent two-plus decades sweeping and inspecting chimneys across Los Angeles County, and he’s the one our techs learned from. He grew up a few blocks from Mariachi Plaza in Boyle Heights and picked up the fundamentals of HVAC and mechanical systems at East Los Angeles College, where an instructor pointed him toward flue work and told him the job security was real. He was right.
In Inglewood, we work on 1920s – 1950s bungalows and Spanish Revival homes where the chimney has been through three or four owners and at least one failed retrofit. That’s exactly the housing stock where DuraFlex liners end up installed, and it’s where we know the failure patterns cold. We stock genuine DuraFlex components for liners, tees, and top plates because the joint tolerances and insulation ratings aren’t something you approximate, which is why our Lennox DuraFlex service follows the same exacting standards. For caps and dampers, we offer quality aftermarket alternatives when they meet the same fit and corrosion standards.
Call us, and you get someone who can tell you what the flue looks like and what your winter looks like. That’s not a slogan. It’s how we work.
Styles & brands we work with
Common DuraFlex Chimney Cleaning Problems We Solve in Inglewood
- Oversized liners cooling too fast. In Inglewood’s marine climate, a DuraFlex liner that was never properly insulated for its appliance lets flue gases cool too quickly. That cooling creates condensation, and condensation traps creosote. We see this regularly in homes where a gas log set was installed in the 1970s or 80s and the liner was sized for a wood fire that never happens anymore.
- Missing or rusted top plates and caps. Wind-driven rain off the Pacific and Santa Ana dust both get into a chimney when the top plate fails. Once moisture hits the insulation wrap around a DuraFlex liner, the wrap degrades and the liner loses its thermal protection. We replace top plates and caps on DuraFlex installations across Inglewood every month.
- Liner joints pulling apart at offsets. Older clay flues in 1920s – 1950s Inglewood bungalows often have offset or spalling brick. A DuraFlex liner flexes to follow that offset, but repeated heating and cooling cycles can separate the joints at the elbows. When we clean, we check every joint with a Level 2 camera inspection, not just the brush.
- Rusted-open dampers on abandoned gas conversions. A lot of Inglewood fireplaces were converted to gas, then the gas line was capped and the fireplace forgotten. The damper rusts open. Smoke odors, moisture, and pests come down the flue. If the DuraFlex liner is sound, we repair the damper and cap rather than sell a full replacement.
- Sealed chimneys that still trap moisture. Homeowners sealed chimneys during wildfire smoke seasons or the Santa Ana events, then never opened them. A sealed chimney with no top cap or crown still breathes moisture. Creosote that sat through a wet winter turns into a glaze that’s harder to remove. We open these up, inspect, and clean properly.
DuraFlex Service in Inglewood: What Local Conditions Mean for Your Equipment
Here’s what makes Inglewood different from Altadena or Sierra Madre. In the flat 90301 – 90303 bungalow blocks, it’s common to find a chimney that was “updated” with a gas log set in the 1970s or 80s, then abandoned. The original clay flue is now oversized for the appliance. It’s unlined at the top. The damper is a rusted stub. So the first visit often turns into a liner-and-crown recommendation, not a brush-down. A homeowner calls us for a $200 sweep and learns the liner needs a $3,000-plus replacement. That’s not upsell. That’s what happens when three owners each made a decision that made sense at the time and none of them thought about the flue.
For DuraFlex owners specifically, this matters because the liner is usually the healthiest part of the system in these homes. The cap, the crown, the damper – those are the weak points. We’ll camera the flue, show you the footage, and tell you honestly if the liner can stay. If it can, we repair what’s actually broken. If it can’t, we’ll show you why on the screen before we quote a replacement.
On a Spanish Revival bungalow off South Grevillea Avenue in 90305, our tech found a DuraFlex pre-insulated liner that had been installed without a top plate. Rain had been hitting the insulation wrap for years. The liner had pulled apart at the first elbow. We replaced the top plate and cap, re-secured the liner joint, and re-insulated the exposed section, then ran a Level 2 inspection to confirm draft and clearance. That homeowner now has a sealed flue for their gas log set and a camera record proving it’s safe.
DuraFlex Models & Products We Service in Inglewood
We service and install the full DuraFlex residential liner line. That includes the DuraFlex SS Pre-Insulated Flexible Liner, the DuraFlex SS Two-Ply Flexible Liner, the DuraFlex Insulated Tee Kit, and the DuraFlex Top Plate and Cap System. If you have a DuraFlex liner that was installed years ago and you’re not sure which model, we’ll identify it during the inspection.
For replacement parts, we use genuine DuraFlex liners, tees, and top plates. Joint tolerances and insulation ratings are load-bearing details – you don’t swap in a generic and call it good. For caps and dampers, we offer quality aftermarket options when they meet the same fit and corrosion standards. We keep common DuraFlex components stocked for faster turnaround on Inglewood jobs. For more on our DuraFlex work, see our DuraFlex sales & service page.
See the difference
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After
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AfterDuraFlex Service Pricing in Inglewood
Chimney sweeping in Inglewood typically runs $180 – $340 for a standard cleaning and inspection. A Level 2 camera inspection adds $150 – $300 when it’s needed, which is often the case on older bungalows. Cap replacement runs $150 – $400 depending on the cap and the liner size. Crown repair runs $300 – $900. Full DuraFlex liner replacement runs $2,500 – $5,000 or more depending on the flue height and access. Repairs to a sound DuraFlex system cost far less than a full reline, and we’ll tell you which one you actually need.
Every estimate is free. When we look at your chimney, we’ll camera the flue and show you what we see. No one should be asked to write a check without seeing the evidence. Call (855) 554-2841 to schedule.
Serving Inglewood, CA — Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Inglewood area and also provide DuraFlex in Hawthorne, so we know this community well. Use the map below to see our service coverage — if you’re nearby, we can almost certainly help.
FAQs – DuraFlex Chimney Cleaning in Inglewood
The only way to know is a Level 2 camera inspection. We run a camera down the flue and look for separated joints, corrosion, damaged insulation, and blockages. A DuraFlex liner can look fine from the top and be pulling apart at an elbow halfway down. We’ll show you the footage. Call (855) 554-2841 and we’ll schedule it.
Usually just the cap. If the liner is sound and the joints are intact, there’s no reason to pull it. We replace caps on DuraFlex systems all the time. The cap is the first thing to rust out in Inglewood’s marine air, and it protects everything below it. If the liner is compromised too, we’ll show you that on camera and you decide from there.
If the liner is in good shape, we repair or replace the damper assembly and seal the top. You don’t need a new liner just because the damper gave out. This is one of the most common calls we get in Inglewood, and it’s usually a one-visit fix. Call (855) 554-2841 for a free estimate on the damper work.
Yes. The moisture off the Pacific means more condensation inside uninsulated or under-insulated liners, which accelerates creosote buildup in wood-burning systems and corrosion in gas systems. Inland areas like Altadena or Sierra Madre get drier air and different failure modes, while our DuraFlex service in Del Aire addresses similar coastal concerns. We adjust our cleaning and inspection intervals accordingly for Inglewood homes.
Once a year, even with light use. Occasional fires produce creosote that sits for months between burns, and in Inglewood’s marine air that creosote absorbs moisture and hardens. An annual sweep plus camera inspection catches problems before they require a $3,000 repair. Call (855) 554-2841 to book.
Service Areas Near Inglewood
We also provide DuraFlex service in Altadena for foothill homes with different chimney profiles and drier air conditions, and DuraFlex service in Sierra Madre where older mountain-adjacent construction has its own liner challenges. We cover East Los Angeles, Commerce, Boyle Heights, Maywood, Bell, and Monterey Park as well. If you’re nearby, see our Inglewood service area page for full coverage details. One call covers both chimney and dryer vent work wherever you are.
Book Your DuraFlex Service in Inglewood Today
We’ll camera the flue, show you what’s there, and fix what’s broken. No guesswork, no scare-selling. Call (855) 554-2841 for a free estimate. We schedule across Inglewood’s 90301 – 90305 blocks and surrounding areas, including Alondra Park DuraFlex service, and we’ll get you on the calendar before the next burn season.
Written by Ruben Acosta, Owner at Hickory Chimney Sweep, serving Inglewood and the surrounding Los Angeles area.