Laguna NiguelSouth Orange County
24050 Aliso Creek Rd #150
Laguna Niguel, CA 92677
Sun–Fri: 6:00 AM – 10:00 PM
San Clemente Chimney Sweep & Repair Service Spanish Village chimneys
- Calls taken Sun–Fri
- Drop cloths on every visit
- Repairs only if you agree
Ole Hanson laid out San Clemente in 1925 as a town of white walls and red tile, and stucco-wrapped chimneys are still everywhere. We sweep, inspect and repair them, along with the gas fireplaces in the newer inland tracts.
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Chimney services in San Clemente
Here the work splits two ways: older brick and stucco chimneys near the pier that need crown, flashing and masonry attention, and inland tract homes whose gas units need vent checks. The list below covers both.
Most booked Chimney Sweep
Lit the fireplace a handful of times since the last cleaning? A sweep is the place to start.
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Chimney Inspection
Buying a house, after a quake, or simply unsure: an inspection tells you where things stand.
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Chimney Repair
Water stains, cracked brick or pieces on the roof. We find the source before fixing anything.
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Chimney Cap Installation
Open flue or a rusted screen? A new cap and arrestor closes the gap to rain and embers.
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Fireplace Repair
Gas logs that won't light right, a damper that sticks, or panels cracked from heat.
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Chimney Crown Repair
Hairline cracks at the top let the winter rain straight into the brick below.
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Offers this season
Tap an offer to request it, then mention it when you book. View all offers and terms
10%
Off
Senior Discount
Homeowners 65+, up to $50
10%
Off
Military & Veterans
Active duty and veterans
10%
Off
First Responders
Fire, police and EMS
$25
Off
First-Time Customers
First chimney cleaning of $125+
One offer per visit. Mention it when you book.
Two kinds of town
Old coast, newer hills
Hanson's deed rules once required building plans to pass an architectural board so roofs stayed red tile and walls stayed white. The rules didn't last, but the look did, and Southwest San Clemente, just south of downtown, still holds the city's oldest homes. Chimneys there are typically brick covered in stucco. The stucco hides the brick, which means cracks in the mortar underneath often show only as a hairline in the finish or a stain near the roof. A tech looks at the crown, the flashing at the tile and the inside of the flue to find out what the coating is covering.
Inland, the picture changes. Talega, in the city's northeast corner, began construction in 1999 and was planned for about 3,500 homes, most in a Spanish-Tuscan style. Many of those houses have gas fireplaces or factory-built units vented through metal pipe. They don't need much sweeping, but the vent joints, the termination cap and the glass gasket do need checking. Forster Ranch and other hillside tracts fall somewhere between, so the right visit depends on what's actually installed in your home.
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What to expect
A plain report and your decision
You'll hear what the tech saw on the roof and in the flue, in order of importance, with photos where they help. A stucco chimney with a small crack might only need sealing; one with a broken crown needs more. The room stays covered and vacuumed while the work happens, and nothing moves forward without your okay.
- Open until 10 PM, six days
- Photos of roof and flue
- Nearest office: Laguna Niguel
How it works
Call, look, decide
- 01
You call or send the form
Say what you've noticed and what kind of fireplace you have. Gas or wood changes what we bring.
- 02
A tech goes through it
Firebox, flue, roof and crown are checked in order, and whatever turns up is walked through with you in plain terms.
- 03
You pick the work
Some visits end with a sweep. Others need a cap, a crown or masonry. Nothing extra starts until you say yes.
Sea breeze, little rain
What wears out south county chimneys
San Clemente gets roughly 12 to 13 inches of rain a year and about 310 sunny days. Long dry stretches bake stucco and sealant, then winter storms test every gap at once. Water that gets behind a stucco chimney soaks into the brick and the framing next to it, and the first sign indoors is often a damp patch on the ceiling beside the fireplace. Breathable masonry sealer and a sound crown cut down on how much water the stack absorbs.
Closer to the beach, sea air rusts steel caps, spark arrestor mesh and the metal pans on top of framed chases. Up the hill, the concern shifts toward dry brush and wind on open slopes, which makes a working spark arrestor more important. Gas vents are easy to forget because they have no smoke, yet a nest or rusted termination can still push exhaust back inside. A sweep and inspection visit covers both kinds of homes.
- Hairline cracks in stucco
- Tile flashing at the stack
- Gas vent cap unblocked
- Crown sealed before winter
Neighborhoods
Across San Clemente
Visits include Southwest San Clemente, North Beach, the Pier Bowl area, the Southwest Riviera, Talega and Forster Ranch, as well as nearby Dana Point and San Juan Capistrano to the north.
- Services in San Clemente
- Dana Point
- San Juan Capistrano chimney care
- Laguna Niguel
- Mission Viejo city page
5 listed service areas. marks a shop location. Call to confirm availability for your address.
That town isn't on the list. Call (949) 353-6287 to check.
Nearest office: Laguna Niguel
Photos
On the roof and at the firebox
Common calls
Common chimney problems in San Clemente homes
- Smoky smell when it's warm out
- Fireplace puffs smoke into the room
- Black flakes in the firebox
- Haven't had it swept in years
- Ceiling stain after the first rain
- Crack across the crown
- Rusty or missing cap
- Embers worry on wind days
Areas near San Clemente
Services in San Clemente
- Chimney Sweep in San Clemente
- Chimney Cleaning in San Clemente
- Chimney Inspection in San Clemente
- Chimney Repair in San Clemente
- Fireplace Repair in San Clemente
- Chimney Cap Installation in San Clemente
- Chimney Crown Repair in San Clemente
- Chimney Liner Installation in San Clemente
- Chimney Masonry Repair in San Clemente
- Chimney Rebuilding in San Clemente
- Chimney Waterproofing in San Clemente
FAQ
San Clemente chimney questions
Short answers to what people ask most. More are on the full FAQ page.
Our chimney is covered in stucco. How can you tell if the brick underneath is cracked?
Stucco shows clues: hairline cracks that run in a stair-step pattern, bulges, stains below the crown, or gaps where the chimney meets the wall. From the inside, a camera inspection of the flue reveals cracked or shifted tiles. Together those usually tell the tech whether the masonry behind the coating has moved. If it has, masonry repair options are explained before anything is opened up.
We live in Talega and have a gas fireplace. Does it need any service?
It needs less than a wood fireplace, but not nothing. The tech checks that the vent termination outside is clear of nests and debris, that the vent pipe joints are sealed, and that the glass and its gasket are intact. Gas appliances still produce exhaust, so a blocked vent is the main thing to rule out.
Is our older Spanish-style home's chimney likely to have a liner?
Many chimneys built in the 1920s and 1930s had clay tile liners, though some had none, and others have cracked tiles after decades of use and ground movement. A camera inspection is the only reliable way to know. If the liner is damaged, a stainless liner can be fitted inside the existing flue.
How often should we have the chimney checked if we rarely use it?
Once a year is the NFPA 211 recommendation, even for a fireplace that sits idle most of the year. An unused flue can still collect leaves, nests and fallen mortar, and coastal rust works on the cap and damper whether or not you light a fire. If nothing's wrong, the report says so.
Can you visit on a Saturday?
We're closed on Saturdays. Every other day of the week works: the phones run 6 AM to 10 PM Sunday to Friday, and an early slot or a Sunday visit tends to suit people with office jobs.