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.
HeatShield Chimney Sweep in Austin: What to Know First
HeatShield chimney sweep in Austin runs between $189 and $379 for most homes, depending on flue condition, creosote buildup, and whether a liner repair is already in place. We complete the sweep itself the same day, and if we spot a problem with your HeatShield system, we hand you a written price before any repair work starts. As an independent HeatShield service provider, we’re not tied to the manufacturer, which means we tell you what actually needs fixing and what can safely wait.
This page is for Austin homeowners who already have a HeatShield liner or coating in their chimney and want to know what a sweep involves, what it costs, and what could go wrong along the way. If you bought a house with a HeatShield system already installed, you’re in the right place too. Call (254) 274-4486 and Nathan or one of our crew will walk you through it.
How HeatShield Products Fail – and How We Fix Them
HeatShield is a cerfractory sealant system applied to the inside of a flue to repair cracks and gaps in clay tile liners. When it’s installed right, it works well. When it isn’t, the symptoms show up during a sweep. Here’s what we see in Austin homes, and what it means for you.
- Flaking at the crown joint. The HeatShield Cerfractory material bonds to the existing clay liner, but the bond at the top of the flue where the crown meets the tile is the first place it lets go. Water gets in, freezes in Austin’s occasional hard freezes, and the coating starts peeling. We remove loose material, assess whether the underlying clay is still sound, and recoat only what needs it.
- Third-stage creosote on a sealed surface. HeatShield creates a smoother flue surface, which helps airflow, but a smooth surface doesn’t mean no buildup. In fact, glazed creosote forms on HeatShield liners in wood-burning fireplaces just as readily as on bare clay, especially with unseasoned oak, which is everywhere in Central Texas. We remove it with a rotary whip head sized to your flue, not a stiff wire brush that could scar the coating.
- Pinholes or bubbling from improper cure. If the HeatShield was applied during a humid stretch or the installer didn’t allow enough cure time before firing the fireplace, the material can bubble. You won’t see this from the firebox. Our camera inspection during the sweep catches it. Small bubbles get patched. Widespread bubbling usually means redoing the affected section.
- Gaps behind the coat on an offset flue. Austin homes with an offset in the flue (the chimney jogs to one side between floors) are prone to incomplete canvas saturation. The foam applicator can miss the inside curve of the offset, leaving raw clay behind the coating. We probe these areas with a camera after sweeping, and if there’s a gap, the fix is targeted injection, not a full reline.
- HeatShield over failing mortar joints. HeatShield is designed to seal surface cracks in clay tile, but it doesn’t stabilize a chimney that’s structurally compromised. If mortar joints between tiles are washing out, the coating bridges over them and can crack within a season. During the sweep we check for signs of structural movement and we’ll tell you if a sweep alone isn’t the right call.
Styles & brands we work with





Our HeatShield Chimney Sweep Process
Every HeatShield job starts with the same question: what does the camera show? Here’s how a full sweep and check works from the moment you call.
- 1
You call and we answer. A live person picks up at (254) 274-4486, day or night. We book a window that works, and we show up inside it.
- 2
We protect the house and open the flue. Drop cloths go down before anything else. We remove the damper plate or clean-out door as your setup requires.
- 3
We sweep with the right tool for the coating. On HeatShield liners we use either a poly brush or a rotary whip, never a steel wire brush. Then we run a video inspection from firebox to crown.
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We show you the footage. If the HeatShield is intact, we tell you plainly and leave it alone. If there’s a crack through the coating, a gap, or flaking, we point it out on screen and explain what it means. You see what we see.
- 5
Written price before any repair. If a patch or section recoat is needed, you get a line-item price before we pick up a trowel. No add-ons at the end.
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We test everything and put the guarantee in writing. After any repair, we do a final smoke test or pressure check, clean up, and hand you the warranty paperwork. If it fails inside the coverage period, we come back at no charge and make it right. That’s the 365-Day Done Right Promise.
See the difference
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After
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AfterWhat HeatShield Chimney Sweep Costs in Austin
Here’s the range we quote for most HeatShield systems in Austin. The price you get is the price on the invoice. We don’t upsell after the fact.
| Service | Typical Austin Price |
|---|---|
| Standard sweep, flue in good condition | $189 – $249 |
| Sweep with heavy creosote removal (glazed or third-stage) | $275 – $379 |
| Sweep plus Level 2 camera inspection | $299 – $425 |
| HeatShield patch (small area, materials included) | $150 – $300 |
| HeatShield section recoat (per 5-ft section) | $400 – $700 |
What moves the price is how much creosote is in the flue, whether the HeatShield coating has damage we need to document, and how long it takes to do the job without cutting corners. Call (254) 274-4486 for an exact quote. Estimates are free, and you’ll have the number in writing before we touch anything.
Why Austin Homeowners Call Ashby Chimney Austin for HeatShield Work
Nathan Corliss opened Ashby Chimney Austin to bring a little order to a trade that too often runs on missed appointments and mystery pricing. Our crews are background-checked and uniformed, so you know who’s at the door. Every job starts with a written price, and every repair ends with a written guarantee. If something fails inside the warranty period, we return at no charge. Plain and simple.
Because we work across multiple flue liner systems, we don’t have a reason to push HeatShield when another approach fits better. If your HeatShield coating is sound and a DuraFlex or Gelco component is the weak point, we’ll tell you that instead of recoating what doesn’t need it. That’s the Kingswell Guarantee at work: say the price, show up in the window, leave it cleaner, put the guarantee in writing, come back if it fails.
FAQs
It shouldn’t, if the right tools are used. We avoid steel wire brushes on HeatShield-coated surfaces because they can scar the cerfractory material. A poly brush or rotary whip clears the creosote without cutting into the coating. If a sweep technician uses the wrong head, minor surface scoring can show up later as rough patches where soot collects faster.
A camera inspection after a sweep is the only way to confirm it, and that’s standard on our jobs. We’re looking for flaking, bubbling, gap formation, and cracking along the original clay tile seams. If we find none of that and the flue is clean, your HeatShield is doing its job. You don’t need a recoat just because it’s been a few years.
Small areas, yes. A pinhole or a flaking spot at the crown joint can be patched with matching Cerfractory material, and that’s usually a $150 to $300 fix. If the damage covers most of a flue section or the coating is pulling away from multiple areas, a section recoat is the honest repair. We won’t recommend a full recoat if isolated patching solves the problem.
Same as any chimney: once a year if you burn wood regularly, and at least once every two years for occasional gas fireplace use. Austin’s mix of live oak and cedar produces creosote that glazes faster than people expect, especially in homes where the fireplace ran all winter. If you burn unseasoned wood, assume annual service.
Call us. If the repair fails within the guarantee period, we send a technician back at no charge. That’s the 365-Day Done Right Promise, and it’s in writing on every invoice. No forms, no runaround. The same phone number, (254) 274-4486, answered by a live person.
Say the price first. Explain the work. Put the promise in writing.
Written by Nathan Corliss, Owner, Ashby Chimney Austin at Ashby Chimney Austin, serving Austin and nearby areas.