Lakeland, FLChimney Sweep in Bartow, FL
Call (863) 250-7561
Chimney work in Bartow, FL
A failed crown does not announce itself. Water runs down inside the stack for a season. Then the plaster stains, and the mortar at the top joints turns to sand. Waiting turns a crown seal into a rebuild. Lightning on a tall exposed stack is the other risk here. Bartow summer thunderstorms are direct and frequent. An uncapped flue is also an open door for animals.
Bartow is the Polk County seat south of Lakeland. The phosphate-mining years left an unusually intact stock of late-1800s and early-1900s Victorian, Queen Anne and Craftsman homes in the historic districts. Some of the oldest standing chimneys in the county are here. They are tall and slender, full masonry, with original clay liners or none at all. Soft lime mortar. Decorative corbelled crowns that spall and lose joints first.
One stack often carries several flues. Fireplaces in two or three rooms, most abandoned decades ago. Abandoned flues are the common animal entry point. We check each one separately, from the top and from the firebox.
Outside the historic core it is different work. Postwar block ranches and later subdivisions run prefab metal fireplaces with chase covers and factory chase tops. Crown sealing and cap installation remain the recurring jobs across both.
What happens after you call
- 1
He walks the firebox and the roofline first, shows you what he found on his phone, and gives you one firm price before a single brush goes in the flue.
- 2
Wait — I need to output only the corrected content, all three steps.
- 3
Call and tell us what the fireplace is doing, or not doing. We book a two hour window, and the tech texts you when he leaves the last job.
Nearby areas we also serve
In addition to Bartow, we cover Lakeland, Plant City, Auburndale, Highland City, Fuller Heights, Medulla.
Frequently Asked Questions
My house in the historic district has three fireplaces I've never used. Do those chimneys still need attention?
Yes, and usually more than the one you do use. Bartow's late-1800s and early-1900s Victorian, Queen Anne and Craftsman homes often have a single tall stack carrying several flues to rooms nobody lights a fire in anymore. Those unused flues are the ones that go uncapped, and they become the easiest way into the house for birds, squirrels and raccoons. We also find mortar loss and loose clay tile in abandoned flues because nothing about them gets looked at for decades. An inspection tells you which ones are worth keeping serviceable and which just need to be safely capped off.
What usually turns out to be wrong with the older masonry stacks here?
The crown and the upper few feet of brick. These are tall, slender full-masonry chimneys built with soft lime mortar, and many have decorative corbelled crowns that catch the worst of the weather. Summer thunderstorm rain drives straight into the top, the lime mortar washes out joint by joint, and the brick faces start to spall and flake. Inside, the original clay liner may be cracked, or there may be no liner at all, which was normal when these were built. Lightning on a tall exposed stack is its own problem in Bartow and can crack a crown or shift brick outright.
Same-day service available in Bartow, FL. Call to check availability.
Call (863) 250-7561Serving Bartow, FL and Surrounding Areas
Also serving: Plant City, Bartow, Auburndale, Highland City, Fuller Heights, Medulla, Lakeland Highlands, Inwood, Willow Oak, Jan Phyl Village, Crystal Lake, Kathleen, Fussels Corner