Chimney Repair, Sweep & Inspection in Snohomish, WA

Local Conditions

Chimney problems we see in Snohomish

Snohomish sits in the river valley below wooded hills, and its chimneys get the same wet season the Sea-Tac normals record: roughly 73% of the 40.34-inch annual total from October through March, with November the wettest month at 6.31 inches. With about 60 days a year touching freezing and winter lows averaging near 37°F, the saturated brick on downtown stacks freezes and thaws repeatedly each winter, which is how crowns crack and joints open.

Moss in Western Washington grows fastest from October through April on shaded surfaces that dry slowly. The valley's tree cover and the north slopes of Fobes Hill and Lord Hill keep chimneys damp, and moss lodged in open joints holds water right where the mortar is already failing.

Snohomish has two kinds of homes for a chimney company. The downtown historic district is typically original brick: tall stacks, multiple flues, old mortar and crowns that have been patched for decades. The acreage and rural plats outside town are typically newer and more likely to heat with a wood stove or a fireplace insert vented through a metal liner or a prefab chimney.

That is why cleaning, not just sweeping, is a big part of our Snohomish work. A stove that runs most of the winter builds creosote faster than an occasional fireplace, and a stovepipe or liner typically needs its connector, baffle and cap cleared as well as the flue.

• Heavy creosote in wood stoves and inserts used all winter: chimney cleaning
• Cracked crowns and open joints on historic downtown brick: crown rebuild and chimney repair
• Open multi-flue stacks without caps: cap replacement
• Birds, squirrels or raccoons in a rural chimney: animal and nest removal
• Leaks where a tall stack meets the roof: flashing repair and leak repair
• Cracked firebox brick in an older fireplace: fireplace crack repair

Neighborhoods & Scheduling

Areas we cover in Snohomish

• Historic downtown Snohomish and First Street
• Blackmans Lake and Bickford Avenue
• Fobes Hill and Dutch Hill
• Lord Hill and Cathcart
• Clearview
• Machias and Three Lakes
• Maltby
• Monroe

Scheduling & arrival in Snohomish

Snohomish is about 50 minutes from Renton, so we plan it as a valley day with Lake Stevens, Monroe, Clearview and Maltby and try to fill the route before we head out. Call 206-453-2045, tell us whether you are downtown or on acreage and whether it is a fireplace or a stove, and we will give you the next valley date or fit you in same day when a crew is already east of Everett.