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 Altadena
If you heat with wood in Altadena, you need a sweep who understands this foothill climate, not a generic cleaning crew. A thorough chimney sweep in Altadena typically costs $189 – $289 for a standard fireplace, with wood-stove sweeps running $219 – $319 depending on creosote buildup. We’re Hickory Chimney Sweep, led by Ruben Acosta, and we work throughout the 91001 and 91003 zip codes with crews who know exactly what burning wood at the base of the San Gabriels does to a flue. Call (855) 554-2841 and we’ll get you on the schedule.
Why Hickory Chimney Sweep Is Altadena’s Preferred Chimney Sweep Company
We earn our place in Altadena homes by doing the things other sweeps skip. When we sweep a fireplace in the Janes Village area or a ranch home near Lincoln Avenue, we’re not just running a brush. We’re checking for post-Bobcat Fire ash clogging the cap, measuring creosote thickness, and looking at the firebox mortar like it’s our own chimney. Ruben Acosta built Hickory around a simple sequence: clean it, repair it, protect it. That means if our tech finds a crack in the smoke chamber during a sweep near Farnsworth Park, we can apply HeatShield resurfacing the same visit, not hand you a referral card. Altadena homeowners tell us that’s what keeps them calling.
We also service the things other sweeps won’t touch. The Chimney Sweep work we do covers the full system, and we’re the only crew many Altadena customers call because we stock DuraFlex liner components and Gelco caps locally. No waiting a week for parts. No second opinion needed when the camera shows a cracked flue. Just one call, one crew, and a chimney that’s actually safe.
Styles & brands we work with
Fireplace Cleaning in Altadena
Fireplace Cleaning in Altadena means contending with more than just soot. Homes here, especially the 1920s and 1930s bungalows near Lake Avenue and up toward Loma Alta Drive, often have original fireboxes that have burned decades of oak and eucalyptus. That’s a different kind of creosote than you’d find in Pasadena’s newer construction. We remove what’s built up, brush the full flue length, vacuum the smoke shelf, and check that the damper actually seals. In Altadena you’ll pay $189 – $289 for a standard Fireplace Cleaning, which includes a Level 1 inspection as part of the sweep.
Ash and Debris Removal After Foothill Wind Events
Santa Ana winds push fine ash straight down into chimney caps and flues. We see it after every wind season. During your Fireplace Cleaning we clear the cap screen and flue of wind-blown debris, which matters more here than in flatland LA.
Firebox and Damper Check
We check the firebox refractory panels and damper during every cleaning. In older Altadena fireplaces, dampers warp from decades of heat and stop seating properly, which pulls heated air out of the house when the fire isn’t lit. We flag it and can usually adjust or replace the damper same day.
Chimney Services in Altadena
Chimney Services in Altadena go past the brush and vacuum. Given the seismic history of the San Gabriel foothills, we treat every pre-1950 chimney here as a potential repair project until the camera proves otherwise. A Level 1 inspection is included with every sweep we perform in Altadena. A Level 2 inspection, which runs $299 – $399 and includes a full internal camera scan, is what we recommend for any home that sat through the 2020 Bobcat Fire or has an original clay-tile flue. Those clay liners crack. When they do, heated gases move through gaps into framing, and that’s a house fire waiting for the right conditions. We fix what the camera finds, usually with HeatShield resurfacing for minor damage or a DuraFlex liner system when the flue is too far gone to patch.
Clay-Tile Flue Repair and Relining
Old clay tile is the most common failure we see in Altadena. Spalled tiles block the flue and expose the structure to heat, so we repair with HeatShield or fully reline with DuraFlex flexible liner systems, which are spec’d by certified chimney professionals and hold up to modern appliance temperatures.
Chimney Cap and Crown Rebuilding
The cap is your first line of defense against embers during fire weather. We install Gelco and Olympia Chimney caps sized to your flue, and rebuild deteriorating crowns so water stops getting into the flue. In Altadena that exterior protection is not optional, it’s the difference between a safe chimney and one that invites embers in during red-flag days.
What happens when you call
- 1
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 Altadena
We don’t guess with hardware-store parts. When an Altadena chimney needs a cap, a damper, or a liner, we work with Copperfield, Gelco, and Olympia Chimney components because that’s what certified professionals specify. These brands are built for lifespan, not for a quick fix that fails in two seasons. We keep common components stocked for quick turnaround in Altadena, so a damaged cap found during a sweep near Eaton Canyon usually gets replaced the same visit. Our repair work also carries HeatShield resurfacing for smoke-chamber cracks and DuraFlex liners for full relines, which means the fix actually fixes the problem rather than kicking it down the road.
See the difference
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After
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After
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AfterCommon Chimney Sweep Problems We See in Altadena Homes
- Deferred sweeping based on “I only burn dry wood.” Dry wood slows creosote, but it doesn’t stop it. We’ve pulled third-degree glaze from chimneys on Rubio Street and Palm Street that hadn’t been swept in five years because the homeowner burned seasoned oak. That glaze is what turns a chimney fire into a structure fire.
- Bobcat Fire ash still sitting in caps and flues. The 2020 fire left ash over a huge area. Wind keeps redistributing it into chimneys near the foothills, and we routinely find half-clogged caps on homes below the burn scar. A blocked cap means smoke backs up into the house and embers can’t escape safely.
- Clay-tile flues spalling from seismic shifts. Original clay tiles in pre-1950 Altadena bungalows crack from earth movement over the decades. Most cracks stay hidden until a camera inspection shows them. By then, the flue often needs HeatShield or a full reline, not a patch.
- Mismatched chimneys after renovations. A lot of Altadena homes got added onto over the years, which means the original masonry chimney now serves a different appliance or venting configuration than it was built for. We check clearances, connector sizes, and flue diameter during every service visit.
Pricing for Chimney Sweep in Altadena, CA
Altadena pricing matches the foothill workload. A standard fireplace sweep runs $189 – $289. Wood stove sweeps, which require more labor to remove heavier creosote, run $219 – $319. A Level 2 camera inspection costs $299 – $399 when ordered separately, but is discounted when bundled with a sweep. If we find damage requiring HeatShield resurfacing or a DuraFlex reline, we’ll show you the camera footage before we quote anything. You will never get a recommendation to replace a liner without seeing the proof yourself. Call (855) 554-2841 for a free estimate, and we’ll give you the exact number before starting.
We Also Serve Cities Near Altadena
Our crews work throughout the western San Gabriel Valley and foothills. You’ll find us in Pasadena, La Cañada Flintridge, East Pasadena, and San Marino on any given week. If you’re outside Altadena proper, call (855) 554-2841 and ask if we cover your street. Most homes near the Altadena border fall within our route.
Serving Altadena, CA — Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Altadena 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 Altadena
Twice per burn season. We recommend a sweep at the start of fall and again mid-winter for Altadena wood stoves used as a primary heat source, because the lower temperatures and longer burn times here produce heavy creosote loading faster than an occasional fireplace fire would. Call (855) 554-2841 to set up your seasonal schedule.
First-degree creosote is a dry, flaky soot you can brush out easily. Third-degree is a hardened glaze that requires chemical treatment or mechanical removal, and it’s the type most likely to ignite during a chimney fire. In Altadena’s dry air, first-degree can progress to third-degree within a single season if a wood stove runs hot and fast without enough airflow. That’s why the mid-season check matters here.
Yes. The ash and debris from the Bobcat Fire settled into chimneys across Altadena, and wind events keep recirculating it. We still find clogged caps and ash-packed flues on homes near Eaton Canyon and the foothill slopes. A camera inspection will show whether your flue or cap is holding old fire debris.
Usually not without a liner. Original clay tiles in 1920s and 1930s Altadena homes are often cracked or undersized for a modern wood stove insert, which burns at higher temperatures than those flues were designed for. We evaluate the tile condition with a camera first, and if needed, install a DuraFlex flexible liner sized to the insert’s output. Call us before you fire a new insert in an old flue.
Burn only seasoned hardwood with less than 20% moisture, and give the fire enough air to burn hot rather than smolder. Smoldering fires at low temperature are what deposit the most creosote. In Altadena’s dryness, even good burning practice won’t eliminate it, so you’ll still need an annual sweep, but you’ll avoid the worst of the glaze buildup that leads to liner replacement.
Written by Ruben Acosta, Owner at Hickory Chimney Sweep, serving Altadena and the San Gabriel foothills.