Masonry repair
Sweep & inspection
Caps & crowns
Flue relining
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.
Olympia Chimney Damper Repair: The Alpharetta Owner’s Guide
Olympia Chimney damper repair in Alpharetta typically runs between $240 and $520 installed, depending on the damper model and what failed inside it. We stock Olympia Chimney-compatible replacement hardware on our service trucks, so most damper repairs are completed on the first visit. The failure almost always announces itself the same way: a damper handle that suddenly spins without resistance, a damper plate that won’t stay open, or cold air spilling down into the living room on a warm afternoon.
Most Alpharetta homeowners discover the problem in late spring, right around the first stretch of humid weather. The fireplace hasn’t been lit in weeks, but the house feels stuffy near the hearth, and the utility bill ticks up a few dollars. That’s the damper no longer sealing. Or the handle still moves, but the plate underneath doesn’t respond at all. Either way, the part is doing nothing, and the fireplace is open to the outdoors.
We’ve repaired hundreds of Olympia dampers across Alpharetta, including quite a few in the Windward community near the lake. Older wood-burning fireplaces there tend to see more damper wear than homeowners expect, mostly from years of seasonal heating and cooling cycles working against the cast iron.
Which Olympia Chimney Models This Applies To
Olympia Chimney supplies dampers for factory-built fireplaces and stoves, and the damper assembly we repair most often in Alpharetta homes is the Olympia Chimney top-sealing damper, which mounts at the flue’s crown and seals with a spring-loaded plate. These come in three standard flue sizes: 8×8, 8×12, and 13×13. The size matters, and it’s the first thing we check on site.
If you can still read the label, look for a model number stamped on the damper frame or the original fireplace manual. Olympia’s damper part numbers appear on the underside of the plate or along the cable bracket. Don’t worry if the label is gone; we’ll measure the flue opening directly, which takes about a minute and removes all guesswork.
The honest advice here: for Olympia dampers, we prefer genuine Olympia replacement hardware whenever the frame itself is intact. The tolerances on the cable guides and spring seats are tight, and generic aftermarket plates sometimes bind. When the old hardware is too far gone to rebuild, we quote a full damper replacement using Olympia materials, not a workaround.
Kindling Chimney Alpharetta is an independent service provider. We’re not affiliated with Olympia Chimney, but we’ve installed and repaired their dampers for years, and we keep current part references and sizing charts in the truck.
Styles & brands we work with





Signs Your Olympia Chimney Damper Repair Is Failing
- Cold drafts near the fireplace when the damper is closed. The plate no longer seats flush against the frame, which means the damper is letting conditioned air escape and outside air leak in.
- The handle spins with little or no tension. Olympia dampers use a cable and spring mechanism, and when the spring loses tension or the cable slips off its pulley, the handle moves but the plate doesn’t respond.
- A damper plate that won’t stay in the open position. This usually points to a worn spring assembly or a cracked plate. You’ll notice it immediately because the damper slams shut mid-fire, which is dangerous and needs attention before the next burn.
- Visible rust scaling on the plate or frame. Georgia humidity and a flue that carries combustion moisture eventually create rust, and rusted plates don’t seal. The rust flakes can also drop into the firebox and onto the hearth floor.
- A grinding sound when the damper moves. The cable is rubbing against a damaged guide or the spring is binding. Continuing to force the handle will snap the cable, and then you’re replacing more than just the spring.
Replacement Cost & What’s Included
In Alpharetta, most Olympia damper repairs land between $240 and $520 installed. The range comes down to which part failed: a cable and spring replacement sits near the bottom of that range, and a full top-sealing plate with new mounting hardware approaches the top. If the flue opening needs a new frame because the old one is warped or broken, we quote that before any work starts, and you’ll see the number in writing.
What’s included on every damper repair:
- Written price before any work starts, so the bill never surprises you.
- Genuine Olympia or equivalent professional-grade replacement parts, not generic hardware that binds.
- Replacement of the cable, spring, and mounting hardware where needed, not just the visible part.
- A function test: open, close, partial open, seal check. The damper is tested before we pack up.
- Our 365-Day Done Right Promise. If the repair isn’t right, Kindling makes it right. No fine print, no runaround.
Our technicians follow the C.A.R.E. values on every call: shoe covers down before we enter, drop cloths under the work area, nothing moved without asking, and a photo of the clean-up taken before we head out. Your floors and furniture stay as we found them.
See the difference
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After
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After
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AfterDIY or Call Us?
For an Olympia damper, there’s very little safe DIY room. The spring assembly on a top-sealing damper is under tension, and the cable runs through a flue where a dropped tool becomes a lodged obstruction. If you have a fireplace that doesn’t draft correctly, you also can’t see the full damper plate from below, which means you’re working blind on a part that sits at the top of a dark flue.
What you can safely do: open and close the damper slowly and listen for grinding or slack. Check for visible rust from the firebox with a flashlight. Check that the handle isn’t loose at its mounting point. Those three observations help us diagnose faster, and you can do all of them without ever touching a spring under tension. But we’d rather you call us before the cable snaps completely, because a snapped cable on an open damper means you can’t close the flue at all until we get there.
Call (762) 225-2593 and we’ll talk through what you’re seeing. If it sounds like a damper repair, we’ll get you on the schedule right then.
FAQs
A well-maintained Olympia damper in an Alpharetta fireplace typically lasts 10 to 15 years before the spring or cable needs attention, though dampers in frequently used wood-burning fireplaces often need service sooner. Georgia’s humidity and the thermal cycling from hot fires to cold nights shorten that lifespan compared to drier climates.
Yes, in most cases the damper can be repaired instead of replaced. Call us at (762) 225-2593 for an exact quote. If the frame or plate is rusted through or warped, we’ll show you the part before recommending replacement.
Most Olympia damper repairs in Alpharetta are completed in under two hours, including the function test and clean-up. Call (762) 225-2593 for a scheduling window and an exact estimate. We inspect, quote, and complete the work in one visit in most cases.
Yes, we stock common Olympia damper parts on the truck, including cables, springs, and standard plates in 8×8, 8×12, and 13×13 sizes. We also keep parts from DuraFlex, HeatShield, and Gelco for related chimney work. Call (762) 225-2593 if you want us to check a specific part number before we arrive.
Call Kindling Chimney Alpharetta for Olympia Damper Repair
If your Olympia damper isn’t holding, sealing, or responding to the handle, call (762) 225-2593. A live person answers 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, no voicemail trees. We’ll schedule a visit, confirm the exact damper size and part in your fireplace, and hand you a written price before any work starts. Danny Cortes and the crew at Kindling Chimney Alpharetta have repaired Olympia dampers across Alpharetta for years, and every repair carries the 365-Day Done Right Promise. A clean flue is a quiet house, and quiet is exactly what a family should hear on a cold night.
Written by Danny Cortes, Owner, Kindling Chimney Alpharetta at Kindling Chimney Alpharetta, serving Alpharetta and nearby areas.