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.
Famco Chimney Sweep in Alpharetta: What to Know First
We provide independent Famco chimney sweep and inspection in Alpharetta, with most standard sweeps completed in a single visit. A typical Famco fireplace or chimney sweep in the Alpharetta area runs between $189 and $329 depending on creosote buildup, flue length, and whether you’re due for a Level 1 or Level 2 inspection alongside the cleaning. If you own a Famco chimney cap, damper, or fireplace component and it hasn’t been swept in the last 12 months, this page will tell you exactly what happens next. Call (762) 225-2593 and a live person will answer, walk you through what you’ll pay, and get you on the schedule.
How Famco Products Fail – and How We Fix Them
We’ve swept and inspected enough Famco components in Alpharetta fireplaces to know where they tend to struggle. Here’s what we regularly see, and what we do about it.
- Famco stainless steel chimney caps with creosote-glazed mesh. On wood-burning fireplaces in Alpharetta, especially older homes near the Windward community, we routinely find the mesh on Famco caps clogged with hardened creosote. When that mesh seals over, draft drops, smoke rolls back into the room, and the fireplace feels weak. The fix is a careful wire-brush and chemical treatment of the mesh during the sweep, not a cap replacement. We’ll show you a before-and-after photo of the cap so you can see the airflow return.
- Famco dampers that stick after a season of disuse. Alpharetta’s humid summers let soot and moisture settle into the damper track, which makes the handle stiff or causes it to sit slightly off-seat. That little gap lets conditioned air escape and, worse, lets a faint smoke smell drift in. During a sweep we clean the damper frame with a dry brush, check the seat alignment, and note any warping from heat exposure. If it’s warped, you’ll get a straight answer: sometimes it’s a $40 adjustment, sometimes the damper is done.
- Creosote buildup above Famco liners with rough internal seams. The junction where a Famco liner meets the flue tile is a gathering point for stage-2 creosote, the flaky, brittle kind that brushes off in sheets. We see this frequently on two-story Alpharetta homes where the flue has multiple offsets. Our sweeps on those flues are slower and more methodical, with repeated passes above and below each offset to make sure no ledge of creosote remains.
- Famco chase covers with rust at the waterline. On prefabricated chimney systems, the Famco chase cover sits exposed to every Atlanta storm. We often find the perimeter fasteners weeping rust and the cover showing pinholes before the homeowner ever notices a leak inside. During a sweep we inspect the chase cover as standard practice, not as an add-on. If we see early rust, we tell you honestly whether you need to act now or monitor it for another season.
- Famco spark arrestors backed with fine soot on gas log systems. Gas fireplaces don’t produce creosote, but they do produce a fine, sticky soot that clings to spark arrestor mesh. On service calls in Alpharetta townhome communities with gas log sets, this is the most common issue we fix. The sweep includes cleaning that mesh with dry brushes so the arrestor works as designed while keeping insects and debris out.
Styles & brands we work with





Our Famco Chimney Sweep Process
Every Famco sweep follows the same careful sequence, whether you’re in a 1990s colonial near downtown Alpharetta or a newer build near Halcyon. Here’s how a typical job goes from call to cleanup.
- 1
You call, a person answers. No voicemail tree. We ask about your fireplace, how often you use it, and whether you’ve noticed any smoke, odor, or draft problems. That conversation tells us what to bring.
- 2
The technician arrives and protects the home first. Shoe covers and drop cloths go down before any equipment leaves the truck. Furniture is never moved unless we ask first, and anything we do move goes back exactly where it was. If you have a pet that gets anxious, tell us on the phone; we’ll adjust how we work around them.
- 3
We inspect before we sweep. Every Famco job starts with a Level 1 inspection of the accessible flue, cap, damper, and firebox. We look at the Famco components specifically: cap mesh, damper seat, chase cover condition, and any liner seams visible from the top or bottom. If we recommend a deeper Level 2 inspection, usually after a house sale or a chimney fire, you’ll know why and exactly what it costs before we begin.
- 4
The sweep itself is methodical, not rushed. We use brushes sized to your exact flue dimensions and work in sections, especially where Famco liners meet offsets or transitions. Soot and creosote fall into the firebox, not onto your floor. We use a HEPA vacuum at the firebox to control dust, and where there’s a choice we use pet-safe cleaning products.
- 5
We document what we found and what we did. Before the crew packs up, we take photos of the cleaned flue interior, the cap, the damper, and the firebox. You’ll see what the condition was and what it looks like now. If something wasn’t right, you’ll hear it plainly, with a photo to back it up.
- 6
You get a written summary and a straight recommendation. If the Famco components are sound and the flue is clean, we say so. If something needs attention, we give you a written price before any repair work starts, and there’s no pressure to decide on the spot. Every sweep is covered by our 365-Day Done Right Promise: if it’s not right, we make it right.
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AfterWhat Famco Chimney Sweep Costs in Alpharetta
Most standard Famco chimney sweeps in Alpharetta fall between $189 and $329. That includes the sweep itself, a Level 1 inspection, cap and damper checks, firebox cleanup, and the full drop-cloth-and-shoe-cover treatment. If you’re adding a Level 2 inspection, expect roughly $150 to $250 more, depending on access and whether we need a second technician for roof and attic angles.
What moves the number: heavy stage-3 creosote (glazed and hardened) takes longer and may need a chemical treatment, flues with multiple offsets add time, and second-story roof access with a steeper pitch affects the crew’s work plan. Straight-up flues with routine buildup stay at the low end. We’ll tell you the exact price in writing before any work begins, always. Call (762) 225-2593 for a free estimate.
Why Alpharetta Homeowners Call Kindling Chimney Alpharetta for Famco Work
We’re an independent Famco service provider, not a manufacturer-authorized shop, and that matters. It means when we inspect a Famco cap or damper, our recommendation is based on what’s actually happening in your flue, not on moving you toward a particular parts list. If a component is fine, we tell you it’s fine. If it’s failing, we tell you why, show you the photo, and give you the honest range of options.
Every job is covered by the 365-Day Done Right Promise, and every visit includes the Cedarwell Care Promise: shoe covers and drop cloths down before we start, a written price before any work begins, and a photo of the cleanup before the crew leaves. Our technicians are background-checked and uniformed, and they follow the C.A.R.E. values on every call. And because chimney work sometimes means more than cleaning, we also work with professional-grade materials from DuraFlex, HeatShield, and Gelco when liner or repair work is part of the picture. Being part of the Cedarwell family of companies, established in 2003, gives us the buying power and training depth of a larger operation, but this location is independently owned and operated by Danny Cortes, who’s been serving Alpharetta families long enough to know that a quiet flue on a cold night is the whole point.
FAQs
Yes, we sweep, inspect, and clean all common Famco chimney caps, dampers, spark arrestors, and related components on both masonry and prefabricated systems in Alpharetta. We’re an independent Famco service provider, not a manufacturer-authorized shop, so our recommendations focus on what your flue actually needs, not a parts catalog. Call (762) 225-2593 for a free estimate.
No. Routine chimney sweeping and inspection are considered necessary maintenance by every fireplace manufacturer, and Famco is no exception. The practices that void warranties are typically lack of maintenance, improper liner connections, or unapproved modifications, not cleaning. If you’re wondering about your specific Famco component, bring your paperwork to the visit and we’ll walk through what’s covered before we start.
Once a year if you burn wood regularly, and every two years at minimum if you use the fireplace only occasionally. Alpharetta’s humid summers can cause creosote to absorb moisture and set harder, which makes annual sweeps the safer habit for wood-burning fireplaces here. Gas fireplaces can typically go two years between service calls, but the spark arrestor and logs still benefit from a thorough cleaning.
We use both, and we’ll be clear about the tradeoff before you spend a dollar. For items still under warranty, we recommend genuine Famco parts to preserve the coverage. When a component is out of warranty and a quality aftermarket part fits and performs just as well, we’ll tell you the price difference and let you decide. No hard sell either way. Call (762) 225-2593 for an honest conversation about your options.
In most cases we can schedule your Famco chimney sweep within a few business days, and if you’re noticing smoke rollback or a strong odor, tell us when you call and we’ll do what we can to move things around. A live person answers the phone 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, so you’ll never leave a message and wait for a callback. Call (762) 225-2593 and we’ll get you on the schedule.
Written by Danny Cortes, Owner, Kindling Chimney Alpharetta at Kindling Chimney Alpharetta, serving Alpharetta and nearby areas.