Gas fireplace service
Sweep & inspection
Caps & crowns
Flue relining
Masonry repairLevel 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.
Why North Hollywood Homeowners Choose HeatShield Chimney Cleaning
We provide independent HeatShield chimney cleaning and repair service throughout North Hollywood, from the bungalow blocks off Burbank Boulevard to the Spanish Revival courts nearer the Arts District. Our crews work with HeatShield Cerfractory Flue Sealant every week, usually on 1920s – 1950s masonry chimneys where the original clay tiles have cracked, shifted, or spalled. We’re not affiliated with or authorized by HeatShield, which means we’ll tell you straight when a HeatShield repair is the right fix and when your flue needs a full reline instead. Call (833) 589-9860 to book a HeatShield assessment. We answer 24/7. Fast dispatch from 7am to 7pm, Sunday through Friday.
Why Trust Ashford Chimney Sweep for Your HeatShield Chimney Cleaning?
HeatShield is a flue resurfacing product, and like any ceramic coating, it only performs as well as the surface beneath it. We learned that the hard way, years ago, watching a sealant job fail because the original sweep never addressed the water coming through the crown. Dennis Duran, our owner, grew up in the Lankershim Arts District and trained in building and construction technology at Los Angeles Valley College. He spent the better part of a decade working under a veteran sweep before starting Ashford Chimney Sweep in 2012, and he’s been installing and servicing HeatShield since the ceramic sealant first became the standard fix for cracked clay flue tiles. That matters because HeatShield in North Hollywood fails for predictable reasons: leaking crowns, seismic tile shift, and coatings applied over dirty or damp flue surfaces. A crew that understands those causes doesn’t just recoat a failing surface. We repair what we find.
We service HeatShield equipment with quality parts that fit it. We never claim to stock OEM or genuine HeatShield parts, and we’re not a HeatShield dealer. What we are is an independent chimney repair company that has applied, inspected, and re-applied this product long enough to know when it will hold and when it won’t. We’re licensed and insured, and every job starts with a free written estimate. Nothing gets recommended without camera evidence you can see for yourself.
Styles & brands we work with
- Sweep & inspection
- Caps & crowns
- Flue relining
- Masonry repair
- Gas fireplace service
Common HeatShield Chimney Cleaning Problems We Fix in North Hollywood
Most of the chimneys in this part of the Valley were built for ambiance, not heat. The flues sat unused for decades, collecting Valley dust, oak leaves, and pigeon debris. Then someone lit the first cool-night fire, the smoke backed up, and a sweep got called. These are the HeatShield-specific issues we see most often in North Hollywood:
- Blistered or delaminating sealant from water intrusion. HeatShield applied over a flue that’s still wet from a leaking crown or missing cap will eventually blister and peel. The coating loses bond and starts flaking into the flue. We find this constantly on older bungalows where the original concrete crown has hairline cracks. The fix is never just recoating. We repair the crown or cap first, let the flue fully dry, then resurface.
- Cerfractory cracking after seismic tile shift. Southern California moves. Clay tile liners in 1930s and 1940s chimneys develop hairline cracks or offset joints after years of small seismic events, and a HeatShield coating applied before that movement occurred can crack right along with the tile behind it. We run a Level 2 camera inspection to confirm the condition of the underlying tile before recommending a reapplication.
- Thin or incomplete application over voids and missing tile sections. HeatShield is a flue resurfacing product, not a structural rebuild. If a previous installer applied it too thin over a gap where a tile section is actually missing, the flue won’t pass a Level 2 rating and may not be safe to use. We see this on chimneys where someone wanted a fast, cheap fix. Our job is to tell you the truth: sometimes the flue needs a reline, not more coating.
- Recurring spalling behind the HeatShield layer. When a crown or flashing leak goes unaddressed, water works its way between the brick wythe and the flue tiles. The HeatShield coating on the interior looks fine for a while, but the masonry behind it keeps deteriorating. Eventually the coating fails from behind. This is a common North Hollywood issue on chimneys with uncapped flues and mature trees dropping debris year-round.
- Coating failure caused by creosote buildup underneath. HeatShield needs a clean, properly prepped surface to bond. If the flue was heavily coated with stage-two or stage-three creosote and the sweep didn’t remove it completely before applying sealant, the coating will fail prematurely. We do a full mechanical creosote removal before any HeatShield application. A coating is only as good as the surface it adheres to.
HeatShield Parts & Our Repair-vs-Replace Approach
We use genuine HeatShield Cerfractory materials when resurfacing is the right call. Not a substitute, not a big-box equivalent. The product is ceramic-based and bonds to clay tile, which is exactly what most North Hollywood chimneys from the 1920s through 1950s were built with. But we never sell a coating over a flue that can’t hold it. If the tile liner is offset beyond what the joint-repair product can bridge, or if large sections are missing entirely, a HeatShield application would be a false fix. We’ll tell you plainly that the flue needs relining or rebuilding instead. That’s the difference between an independent shop and a company trying to upsell a coating. We source our repair materials from professional chimney supply distributors like Olympia Chimney and Copperfield, and we also work with DuraFlex liner systems and Gelco caps when the job calls for them. The written estimate sets the final price, and the Level 2 inspection is always part of the diagnosis. Call (833) 589-9860 to talk through what your flue actually needs.
Our HeatShield Service Process – Step by Step
- 1
Level 2 camera inspection. We run a video scan of the full flue, from firebox to termination. This shows us the condition of the existing HeatShield coating, the tile liner behind it, the mortar joints, the crown, and the cap. If there’s water staining or efflorescence, we trace the source before touching the coating.
- 2
Surface preparation. We remove the failing HeatShield layer and any creosote or debris embedded beneath it. The flue has to be clean and dry before new Cerfractory goes on. In North Hollywood, where flues sit idle most of the year, this often means pulling out leaf litter, pigeon debris, and Valley dust that accumulated above the damper.
- 3
HeatShield application or alternative repair. If the flue is sound enough, we apply HeatShield Cerfractory Flue Sealant or the Resurfacing System according to the condition of the tiles. We repair crowns and install caps as needed so water stops getting in. If the flue is too far gone, we stop and quote a DuraFlex reline instead.
- 4
Post-repair camera verification. We run the camera again after the coating cures. You see the before and after. The flue passes or it doesn’t. If it doesn’t, we keep working until it does.
- 5
Warranty-safe documentation. We provide a written report with the camera findings and the work performed. We service HeatShield equipment independently, so we document everything in a way that supports any manufacturer warranty you may have, without claiming any affiliation we don’t have.
See the difference
Before
After
Before
After
Before
AfterHeatShield Products We Service & Install in North Hollywood
We work with the full range of HeatShield flue resurfacing applications. The most common job in North Hollywood is HeatShield Cerfractory Flue Sealant applied to cracked clay tile liners in pre-1960 masonry fireplaces. We also apply the HeatShield Resurfacing System for spalled or heavily deteriorated tile surfaces, and we handle HeatShield joint-repair for gapped or offset clay tile liners. On older Spanish Colonial Revival homes with original brick fireplaces, deteriorated mortar joints are a typical target. If you have an existing HeatShield application that’s failing, we inspect it and tell you honestly whether it can be stripped and reapplied or whether the chimney has moved past what the product can do.
We Also Service These Brands
Ashford Chimney Sweep is a full-service chimney and venting specialist, not a single-product shop. We install and service DuraFlex flexible liner systems when a flue needs relining, and we use Gelco caps and components for crown and termination work. We choose the material that fits the chimney, not the material we happen to have on the truck.
FAQs – HeatShield Chimney Cleaning Service in North Hollywood
HeatShield Cerfractory bonds to the clay tile surface and creates a new ceramic layer over the crack, which restores the flue’s ability to contain heat and gases when the tile is otherwise structurally sound. It’s a legitimate repair for cracked tiles, not just a surface coating. But it’s not a substitute for a reline when tiles are offset or missing. Call (833) 589-9860 and we’ll run a camera scan before recommending anything.
Peeling or flaking almost always traces back to water or bad prep. Either the flue was wet or dirty when the coating was applied, or water has been entering through a cracked crown or missing cap since the application. The fix starts with finding the water source. We repair the crown or cap, fully prep the flue, then reapply. Call us for a Level 2 inspection and we’ll show you exactly what’s happening inside the flue.
Yes, and in fact the 1920s – 1950s masonry chimneys common across North Hollywood are the typical HeatShield application. The clay tile liners in these fireplaces crack and spall over time, and the ceramic sealant bonds well to that material. The key is that the flue has to be structurally stable first. We see plenty of these chimneys with no cap and years of debris packed above the damper, so the prep work matters as much as the coating.
Not always. HeatShield is a flue resurfacing product, and it works well for cracked or spalled clay tiles when the liner is still intact and in alignment. If tiles are offset, collapsed, or missing in sections, a coating won’t fix that. A DuraFlex stainless liner is the better call. We’ll tell you which one your chimney actually needs, not which one is easier to sell.
It holds up as well as the structure behind it. The ceramic material itself handles the Valley’s hot, dry climate without breaking down. The risk is seismic movement shifting the original clay tiles underneath the coating. That’s why we run a Level 2 inspection before recommending HeatShield on a chimney that shows signs of tile offset. If the tiles are already moving, a coating will simply crack along with them later.
HeatShield work is priced per job by written estimate, and the cost depends on what the camera inspection finds: flue length, the extent of the tile damage, the amount of prep work needed, and whether crown repair or a cap install is required. We offer a free estimate, and you’ll know the full number before any work begins. Call (833) 589-9860 for an exact quote. Estimates are free.
Book Your HeatShield Service in North Hollywood, CA
If you have a HeatShield application that’s failing, or a cracked flue you think might be a candidate for it, call (833) 589-9860. We answer 24/7. Fast dispatch from 7am to 7pm, Sunday through Friday. Estimates are free, and every recommendation comes with camera proof you can see for yourself. Dennis Duran and the crew at Ashford Chimney Sweep handle it all, from the first inspection to the final camera scan. The chimney doesn’t lie, and neither do we.
Written by Dennis Duran, Owner at Ashford Chimney Sweep, serving North Hollywood since 2012.