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.
DuraFlex Chimney Cleaning in Bloomington, CA | Firebrick Chimney Sweep
We’re an independent chimney crew that specializes in DuraFlex stainless flexible relining systems, and we service every tract home in Bloomington’s 92316 ZIP. The short version: if you’ve got a DuraFlex liner in a Bloomington fireplace, we can sweep it, inspect it, and tell you straight whether it’s still doing its job behind the cap. The thing that makes our DuraFlex work different here is that we know exactly what Santa Ana wind cycles and decades of sporadic burning do to these liners in this particular housing stock. Call (866) 520-4943 for a free estimate.
Why Bloomington Residents Choose Us for DuraFlex Service
Most chimney companies in the Inland Empire can run a brush through a flue. Very few can look at a DuraFlex liner that’s been sitting in a 1960s masonry chimney for fifteen years and tell you whether the liner itself is still sound, whether the insulation wrap has degraded, or whether the clay tile behind it has cracked apart. That’s the distinction. We work with DuraFlex sales & service components every week – we know the SW single-wall kits, the Pro and ProFit lines, the insulation wrap systems, and the rigid-flex hybrid sections. When we sweep a DuraFlex liner in Bloomington, we’re not just removing creosote. We’re checking the top plate connection, the cap, the insulation condition, and the liner-to-firebox transition. Nelson Quijada, our owner and lead chimney specialist, grew up working on hillside chimneys and spent years narrowing his focus entirely to flue systems, firebox masonry, and draft diagnostics. That depth shows in how we approach a basic sweep.
Styles & brands we work with
Common DuraFlex Chimney Cleaning Problems We Solve in Bloomington
- Glazed third-degree creosote on the liner wall. Bloomington’s mild winters mean fireplaces get used maybe twelve to twenty times a year. That sporadic use lets creosote harden and glaze instead of burning off. A rotary sweep won’t lift glazed creosote on its own – we use chemical treatments to break it down, then scrape it off the DuraFlex wall by hand to avoid gouging the stainless.
- Insulation wrap that’s torn or degrading. We regularly find DuraFlex insulation wrap that’s been shredded by a previous sweep, or simply broken down after years of thermal cycling. In Bloomington, where nights drop into the 30s and days hit 90, that under-insulated liner sweats and corrodes faster than it should. We stock genuine DuraFlex insulation wrap and replace it when the liner itself is still worth saving.
- Liner-to-top-plate and cap connections loosened by wind. Santa Ana winds don’t just threaten roofs. They also stress everything above the crown. DuraFlex liners that were installed correctly still work loose at the top plate after enough wind loading. When the top plate is loose, the whole liner can shift, and debris blows straight down the flue. We check and resecure these connections on every Bloomington sweep.
- Corrosion and pitting at the liner bottom near the firebox. Bloomington homes often burn whatever wood is available, and not all of it is properly seasoned. Damp, sporadic fires leave moisture in the lower section of the liner. Over years, the stainless pits and thins right where it meets the firebox. We inspect that zone with a camera on every Level 2 inspection and we’ll tell you honestly if the liner needs section replacement.
- Bird nests and debris sitting on top of the liner. In Bloomington’s older tracts off Valley Boulevard, uncapped chimneys are common. During the long dry season, birds build nests right on top of the DuraFlex liner. The first cold snap brings a rush of calls from homeowners who haven’t burned a fire in two years and can’t figure out why the chimney won’t draft. We pull the nest, sweep the flue, and install a proper cap before any fire gets lit.
DuraFlex Service in Bloomington: What Local Conditions Mean for Your Equipment
Here’s the thing that gets overlooked. Bloomington’s 92316 ZIP is mostly original 1950s-70s tract construction with clay tile flues, and a lot of those flues have never had a proper cap. When a DuraFlex service in Fontana installed a liner, it was usually because the original clay tile cracked or the homeowner wanted a safe wood-burning setup. But the cap got skipped, or it rusted out, or it was never included. So every spring and summer, while the fireplace sits cold, birds get in. Debris accumulates. And when the first cold snap hits in November or December, homeowners light a fire on top of whatever’s been sitting in the flue for nine months. We routinely pull nests and caps out of DuraFlex-lined flues before a single fire is lit. That’s not a theoretical scenario – it’s a recurring pattern in these particular homes. A clean chimney in Bloomington isn’t cosmetic maintenance. With the Santa Ana winds that rake this part of the Inland Empire, an uncapped or debris-loaded flue is a fire-prevention problem for the whole neighborhood, not just the house sitting under it.
DuraFlex Models & Products We Service in Bloomington
We service every DuraFlex product line you’re likely to find in a Bloomington tract home: the SW single-wall flexible relining kits, the Pro and ProFit flexible stainless liners, insulation wrap kits for exterior masonry chimneys, and stainless rigid-and-flex hybrid sections. We stock genuine DuraFlex top plates, caps, and insulation wrap locally, and our DuraFlex repair in Rialto keeps turnaround on Bloomington jobs short. When it comes to dampers and caps, we use quality aftermarket parts only where they match or beat the OEM spec. For anything structural – top plates, insulation, liner sections – we use factory DuraFlex components. The liner’s wind and heat performance depends on exact factory fittings.
See the difference
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After
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AfterDuraFlex Service Pricing in Bloomington
Chimney sweeping in Bloomington typically runs $180 to $340 depending on flue length, creosote condition, and whether we’re pulling a nest or dealing with glazed buildup. If your DuraFlex liner needs glazed creosote removal, chemical treatment adds to the job – plan on $100 to $250 more depending on severity. A full Level 2 inspection with camera runs $250 to $400 and we recommend it if the liner is more than ten years old or the chimney has never been inspected. Cap installation is $85 to $215 plus the cap itself, which runs $75 to $300 depending on size and material. Every estimate is free and we show you the camera footage before we recommend any work. Call (866) 520-4943 to schedule an estimate.
| Service | Typical Bloomington Price Range |
|---|---|
| Standard chimney sweep | $180 – $340 |
| Glazed creosote removal (chemical treatment) | $100 – $250 add-on |
| Level 2 camera inspection | $250 – $400 |
| Cap installation (labor) | $85 – $215 |
| Cap (material, size/type dependent) | $75 – $300 |
Serving Bloomington, CA — Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Bloomington 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 – DuraFlex Chimney Cleaning in Bloomington
Yes, and it’s the single most common deficiency we find in Bloomington’s 1950s-70s tract homes. Without a cap, birds nest in the flue during the long dry season, debris builds up, and the Santa Ana winds load the chimney with whatever’s blowing around. A cap also prevents embers from exiting the flue – in a high-wind, wildfire-adjacent area like the Inland Empire, that’s not optional. We install DuraFlex-compatible caps on every uncapped liner we encounter. Call (866) 520-4943 and we’ll get it done before the next wind event.
Glazed creosote – the shiny, tar-like third-degree buildup – is a fuel layer, not a benign coating. It builds up in Bloomington because fireplaces are used sporadically and creosote hardens between burns. A standard rotary sweep will polish the surface but won’t lift the glaze. It needs chemical treatment followed by careful hand scraping to avoid damaging the stainless. We’ll tell you after we look at it, and we’ll show you the video. If it’s glazed, it’s not safe to leave. Call (866) 520-4943 for an estimate.
The DuraFlex liner is the thing protecting you from the clay flue behind it – if that clay tile is cracked, the liner is the only thing between combustion gases and the wood framing around your chimney. A sweep removes creosote from the liner. A Level 2 camera inspection tells us whether the liner itself is still sound and whether the clay tile behind it has failed. If the tile is cracked but the liner is intact, you may be fine. If the liner is pitted or perforated, it has to come out. We do both inspections and repairs, so you get one answer, not a referral. Call (866) 520-4943 to book a camera inspection.
The Santa Ana winds that rake through Bloomington are strong enough to reverse the draft in a chimney that’s already marginal. A loose DuraFlex top plate, a missing cap, or a flue that’s partially blocked by a nest all compound the problem. The wind creates positive pressure at the chimney top, and if the liner isn’t properly secured and the cap isn’t in place, smoke gets pushed back into the house instead of up and out. We’ve fixed more wind-driven draft problems in Bloomington by resecuring top plates and installing proper caps than by any other single repair. Call (866) 520-4943 and we’ll diagnose it.
Yes. We’re not just a sweep – Firebrick Chimney Sweep handles the full chimney, including crown repair, mortar work, and firebox masonry. A DuraFlex liner that’s sitting under a cracked crown or deteriorating mortar is a liner that’s getting water where it doesn’t belong. We fix the whole system in one relationship. The sweep is where we start; understanding what’s failing around the liner is what we actually do. Call (866) 520-4943 for a full assessment.
Service Areas Near Bloomington
We also provide DuraFlex chimney cleaning service to neighboring communities, including DuraFlex service in Ladera Ranch and DuraFlex service in Riverside. If you’re in the wider Inland Empire, the same DuraFlex expertise applies. See our Bloomington service area for full coverage details.
Book Your DuraFlex Service in Bloomington Today
A dirty DuraFlex flue isn’t a maintenance issue – it’s a fire waiting on a cold night. If you’re in Bloomington and your chimney hasn’t been swept in over a year, call (866) 520-4943 for a free estimate. We’ll sweep it, inspect it, and show you the camera footage. One company, no referrals.
Written by Nelson Quijada, Owner at Firebrick Chimney Sweep, serving Bloomington and the Inland Empire.