We handle the full range of chimney, fireplace and dryer vent work for local properties. That includes sweeping and creosote removal, camera inspections, crown and masonry repair, caps and screens, insert and gas log installation, and clearing lint from dryer vents. A few city rules shape what can be installed, so it helps to know them before you plan a fireplace project.
Chimney services in San Rafael, by job
- Chimney cap installation means fitting a cap with metal mesh over the flue. Book it if the top of your chimney is open, the old cap has rusted through, or you want to follow the city's screen guidance described below.
- Adding or replacing a fireplace is done within the city's limits, which means an EPA-certified wood-burning insert or a permanently installed gas log unit.
- Fireplace repair for local homes handles problems in an existing fireplace: cracked fireboxes, worn refractory panels, smoke chamber damage, broken doors or glass, and poor draft.
- Gas fireplace service and installation includes maintenance, repair and installation of gas fireplaces and gas logs, such as a unit that won't light or stay lit.
For trouble above the firebox, our chimney repair service takes care of leaks, flashing, crowns, mortar joints and liners. If you aren't sure what's wrong yet, how chimney inspection works explains what gets checked from the firebox to the cap.
What the city's wildfire guidance means for your chimney
Both points below come from the same source: City of San Rafael - Protect your home from wildfire.
Metal screens, even on chimneys you don't use
The city's wildfire-safety guidance tells property owners to install metal screens over chimneys, even chimneys that are not in use. A mesh screen helps keep sparks from leaving a working flue, and it keeps birds and animals out of the chimney. The unused chimney part matters if your fireplace has been cold for years, because an idle flue is still an open hole in the roof. A chimney cap with built-in mesh, an animal screen or a spark arrestor are the usual ways to add one.
Clearing 10 feet around the chimney
The city's defensible-space zones call for removing all vegetation within 10 feet of a chimney or stovepipe (Zone 1, within 30 feet of a structure). This is yard work for the property owner, not chimney work. It goes together with the screen, though: the screen limits sparks leaving the flue, and the cleared space keeps branches and leaves away from where sparks would land.
What the wood-burning rules mean for fireplaces and stoves
The four points below come from one source: City of San Rafael - Wood burning fireplace and stove rules.
Wood stoves and major remodels
All new wood stoves in the city must be EPA certified. A non-EPA Phase II certified wood stove must be removed or replaced with an EPA-certified stove during a major remodel affecting more than 50% of the home's floor area, when the stove is in a room being remodeled or enlarged. If a large remodel is coming, check whether your stove carries that certification before the plans are final. Until then, regular wood stove cleaning keeps an existing stove venting properly.
Adding a fireplace: an insert or gas logs
The city does not allow new wood-burning fireplaces. A fireplace may be installed with an EPA-certified wood-burning insert or a permanently installed gas log unit. For a new fireplace that burns wood, those are the two approved setups; gas-fueled appliances aren't restricted by these rules. An insert keeps a wood fire behind glass, and a gas log unit gives you flame at the flip of a switch with no wood to haul or ash to clean out.
Older wood-burning fireplaces
The wood-burning rules exempt wood-burning fireplaces legally installed before August 17, 2007, along with gas- and pellet-fueled appliances. If your fireplace falls under that exemption, keeping it in good shape is about sweeping, inspection and repair, such as firebox, damper and smoke chamber work.
No gas-to-wood conversions or gas log lighters
The city does not allow converting a gas fireplace to a wood-burning fireplace, and basic gas log lighters may not be installed. A gas log lighter is a simple gas pipe used to help start a wood fire. If you want gas in the fireplace, the path is a permanently installed gas log unit. If an existing gas fireplace is acting up, gas fireplace repair is the place to start.
Sources (2)
Facts and figures on this page come from these references.
- 1City of San Rafael - Protect your home from wildfire
- 2City of San Rafael - Wood burning fireplace and stove rules
