What We Do

Complete Chimney & Fireplace Services

From annual cleanings to full cap-and-pan replacements — we handle everything your chimney needs to be safe and ready to use.

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Chimney Sweep & Cleaning

Annual cleaning removes creosote buildup and soot deposits that can ignite into a dangerous chimney fire. Schedule before fall — we're less busy and prices are lower in spring and summer.

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Safety Inspections

Single-page, easy-to-read report the same day. We tell you what's safe, what needs attention now, and what to watch over time — without unnecessary upselling.

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Chase Pan & Cap Replacement

Florida's galvanized metal caps and pans rust through over time. We replace them with aluminum pans (custom-made locally) and stainless steel caps that will never rust again.

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Masonry & Crown Repair

Cracked crowns, spalling brick, damaged mortar joints — we repair masonry chimneys to stop water intrusion before it becomes a major structural problem.

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Leak & Moisture Protection

Tropical heat, humidity, and Florida's rain cycles are hard on chimneys. We identify and stop leaks — because you don't have to be using your fireplace for a rusty cap to let water into your walls.

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Firebox & Refractory Panel Repair

Cracked refractory panels inside your pre-fab firebox are a safety hazard — they're the only barrier between your fire and the combustible framing behind the wall. We replace them before they fail.

Rusted chimney cap and pan — Florida chimneys need local expertise

Why Local Expertise Matters

Florida Chimneys Need Florida Experts

Tropical heat, extreme humidity, heavy rain, and hurricane-force winds put demands on chimneys that most of the country never deals with. Most national chimney guides aren't written for Florida.

Every chimney in the Jacksonville area was built with galvanized metal caps and chase pans. Galvanized metal in Florida's climate eventually rusts, becomes porous, and leaks. That's not a question of if — it's a question of when.

Humidity accelerates metal corrosion year-round
Summer storms can blow caps off or force water down the flue
Heat and UV exposure degrades mortar crowns faster than cold-climate chimneys
Tropical pests find their way in through damaged caps

Schedule an Inspection

Why Chimneys Need to Be Swept

One Little Ember Is All It Takes

Most homeowners don't realize their chimney is a fire hazard until it's too late. Here's what's happening inside your flue every time you light a fire.

Every fire you have deposits a little bit of soot on the flue pipe wall. It doesn't seem like much at first. But fire after fire, season after season, the soot builds up — and it's highly flammable.

The technical term is creosote. It coats the inside of your flue in layers. At first it looks like a thin film. Eventually it's a thick, tar-like buildup that coats the walls like a sleeve.

Then one night, a single ember floats up the chimney, lands on the creosote... and starts a chimney fire. These fires can burn at over 2,000°F — hot enough to crack flue tiles, ignite nearby wood framing, and spread to the rest of your home.

"This is preventable. An annual cleaning removes the creosote before it becomes a hazard."

Clean flue — wide open, proper airflow, safe to burn

Each fire deposits soot — a thin layer every time smoke passes the walls

Build-up accumulates — season after season, it thickens; this is creosote

One little ember floats up and lands on the flammable coating

Chimney fire ignites — 2,000°F+ inside the flue, potentially devastating

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Annual cleaning prevents this — remove the creosote, remove the risk

Schedule Your Cleaning

Chimney Cap & Chase Pan

Is Your Chimney Cap Leaking?

Here's the rule: if you can see rust on the side of your chimney, there is definitely rust on the top. If it's not leaking yet, it will be soon.

Every Jacksonville-area home was built with galvanized metal caps and chase pans. Galvanized metal in Florida's climate rusts through over time. Leaks don't stay the same — they always get worse. Every time it rains, a little more rusted metal washes away.

Water pouring into your walls causes rot and mold. Water sitting on the firebox top causes it to rust through. At that point you're looking at a full replacement — $5,000–$8,000 and an unsafe fireplace.

Our solution: We replace chase pans with custom aluminum (made by a local sheet metal shop — will never rust) and caps with stainless steel. You won't have to deal with this again.

Have Your Cap Checked

Before

New aluminum pan & stainless cap — never rusts again

After

☀️ Schedule your cap inspection before hurricane season — post-storm we're booked for weeks

Know Your Fireplace

What Kind of Chimney Do You Have?

Masonry and pre-fabricated chimneys look similar from inside your living room — but they have different parts, different maintenance needs, and different common problems.

Masonry Chimney

Built from brick, block, or stone with a clay tile flue liner. Found in older homes and custom builds. Parts include the firebox, smoke shelf, smoke chamber, flue tiles, crown, and chimney cap. The crown (the concrete cap at the top of the brickwork) is a common failure point in Florida's climate — cracking allows water in.

Pre-Fabricated Chimney

A factory-built metal system inside a wood framed "chase" — the exterior box you see. Consists of a firebox, damper, air-cooled outer pipe, inner flue, chase pan, and chimney cap. Almost every Jacksonville-area home built in the last 40 years has this type. The chase pan and cap are the most common failure point.

Florida Homeowners Know

Hurricane Season & Your Chimney

"The time to call the chimney man is NOT three days before a storm."

When a hurricane or tropical storm blows through, chimney caps can blow off entirely — leaving your flue wide open to rain, debris, and animals. A missing cap also means water pours straight down into the firebox and your walls.

The smart move: have your cap inspected before summer storm season begins. If it's already rusted or loose, we replace it while there's no emergency and no wait. Post-storm, we're booked out for weeks.

Schedule Before Storm Season

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Did Your Cap Blow Off in the Storm?

Don't wait — open flues let in rain, debris, and animals

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"Does your chimney cap have a proper animal guard?"

Don't Let This Happen to You

Does Your Cap Have a Proper Animal Guard?

An open or damaged chimney cap is an invitation. Squirrels, birds, raccoons, and owls regularly find their way into chimneys — and sometimes into your home.

Beyond the obvious problem of animals in your living room, nesting materials inside the flue are a fire hazard. And some birds (like chimney swifts) are federally protected — once they've nested, you can't remove them until the fledglings leave.

A proper stainless steel cap with a mesh animal guard solves all of this permanently. It also keeps debris and leaves out of the flue.

Check Your Cap Today

Buying a Home?

4 Times You Need a Chimney Inspection Before You Close

Home inspectors in Florida rarely understand chimney systems. We see reports every week that miss real hazards — and make a big deal about things that aren't problems. Here's when to call us.

1. You Can See Rust on the Chase

If you see rust on the side of the chimney box where water runs off, it almost certainly looks worse on top where water sits. Rusty chase pans leak into walls. It always gets worse — never better.

2. It's an Older or Historic Home

A well-maintained chimney lasts a very long time. But if it hasn't been properly cared for, damage accumulates — water intrusion, cracked flue tiles allowing carbon monoxide in, or creosote buildup that won't contain a chimney fire.

3. The Home Inspector Flagged Anything

Home inspectors, especially in Florida, aren't trained on chimneys. They use wrong names for the parts, miss real hazards, and flag non-issues. When they write "have chimney inspected by professional," they genuinely don't know what they're looking at.

4. You Love a Fire & Chose the House for It

It happens all the time: someone calls in the fall, firewood stacked in the corner, wanting to "just make sure it's safe." Then we have to tell them the firebox is rusted through and they need $5,000–$8,000 in repairs. Have it checked before closing.

Realtors: We Work With You

We understand the difference between a buyer and a seller — and we won't blow up your deal.

Realtor discount on every chimney safety inspection Same-day single-page report — just the facts Priority scheduling to fit your inspection window Repairs completed before closing — or we issue an escrow invoice

Call for Realtor Pricing

What Our Customers Say

Trusted by Jacksonville Homeowners

★★★★★

"Very knowledgeable and professional. He explained everything he found and gave us a clear report the same day. No pressure, just facts. We'll use them every year."

— Jacksonville, FL

★★★★★

"Our home inspector flagged the chimney and we called Ash Away. Turned out the cap was completely rusted through and leaking into the walls — something the inspector completely missed. Saved us from a much bigger problem."

— St. Johns County

★★★★★

"Scheduled before fall and I'm so glad I did. They replaced the old rusted pan with a custom aluminum one and put in a new stainless cap. The quality of the work is obvious — looks great and I know it's done right."

— Ponte Vedra Beach, FL

⭐ See all our reviews on Google · Angi · ThreeBestRated

Where We Work

Serving 5 Counties in Northeast Florida

We serve the greater Jacksonville area including all the communities below. If you're not sure if we reach you, just call — we probably do.

Duval County

Jacksonville · Jacksonville Beach · Atlantic Beach · Neptune Beach · Baldwin

St. Johns County

St. Augustine · Ponte Vedra · Fleming Island · St. Johns · Nocatee · Fruit Cove

Clay County

Orange Park · Fleming Island · Middleburg · Green Cove Springs · Keystone Heights

Nassau County

Fernandina Beach · Yulee · Callahan · Hilliard · Bryceville

Baker County

Macclenny · Glen St. Mary · Sanderson · Olustee

Common Questions

What Homeowners Ask Us

How often should I have my chimney cleaned?

The National Fire Protection Association recommends annual inspection and cleaning as needed. For most Jacksonville homeowners who use their fireplace regularly in the cooler months, once a year is right. If you've had several fires this season, don't wait — schedule now.

Do I need to use my fireplace for the chimney top to leak?

No — and this surprises most people. Your chase pan and chimney cap are weather protection, not just fire-related. A rusted-through chase pan lets rain in every time it storms, whether you've lit a fire in years or not. If there's rust, there's likely a leak.

What's the difference between a masonry chimney and a prefab chimney?

A masonry chimney is built from brick or stone with a clay tile flue liner. A prefab (pre-fabricated) chimney is a factory-built metal system inside a wood-framed chase box — the most common type in Jacksonville-area homes built in the last 40 years. They have different parts and different maintenance needs.

Can I wait until fall to get my chimney cleaned?

You can — but spring and summer are better. We're less busy, scheduling is faster, and prices are typically lower. By October we're fully booked and wait times stretch out. Don't wait until you want to light your first fire of the season.

What does a chimney inspection include?

We inspect the firebox, damper, flue, and the top of the chimney (cap and chase pan or crown). You get a single-page written report the same day — easy to read, just the facts. We identify what's safe, what needs attention now, and what to watch in the future.

Why does my fireplace smell bad in summer?

Summer humidity activates creosote deposits, sending a smoky smell back down the flue into your home. It usually means your chimney needs cleaning. A good annual sweep eliminates the source of the odor.

Are Ash Away's chimney sweeps certified?

Yes. We are locally owned and operated, with over 20 years of experience specializing in Jacksonville-area chimneys. We understand Florida's specific climate challenges in ways that out-of-state or national franchise operations don't.

"Every cozy moment starts with a clean, safe chimney."

Complete Chimney & Fireplace Services

Chimney Sweep & Cleaning

Safety Inspections

Chase Pan & Cap Replacement

Masonry & Crown Repair

Leak & Moisture Protection

Firebox & Refractory Panel Repair

Florida Chimneys Need Florida Experts

One Little Ember Is All It Takes

Why Do Chimneys Need to Be Swept?

Is Your Chimney Cap Leaking?

What Kind of Chimney Do You Have?

Masonry Chimney

Pre-Fabricated Chimney

Hurricane Season & Your Chimney

Does Your Cap Have a Proper Animal Guard?

4 Times You Need a Chimney Inspection Before You Close

1. You Can See Rust on the Chase

2. It's an Older or Historic Home

3. The Home Inspector Flagged Anything

4. You Love a Fire & Chose the House for It

Realtors: We Work With You

Trusted by Jacksonville Homeowners

Serving 5 Counties in Northeast Florida

What Homeowners Ask Us

Let's Make Sure Your Chimney Is Ready