Leon is the Decatur County seat in southern Iowa, south of Osceola. It’s a drive from the Des Moines metro, so we schedule Leon appointments ahead of time rather than offering same-day service. Top Notch Chimney Sweep & Services has been serving Iowa homeowners since 2002. If you heat with wood and not just for atmosphere, this page is for you.
Burning Smarter Means Less Creosote
Creosote is the tar-like residue smoke leaves on the inside of your flue. It’s flammable, and a heavy buildup is the main cause of chimney fires. You can’t avoid it completely, but you can slow it down:
- Burn dry wood. Wet or green wood smolders and produces more smoke, which means more creosote. Split wood and let it season before burning.
- Don’t choke the fire. Shutting a stove down to a slow, smoky burn overnight is one of the fastest ways to build creosote.
- Burn wood only. Trash, cardboard and treated lumber don’t belong in a fireplace or stove.
- Watch the smoke. Lots of dark smoke from the chimney top usually means an inefficient fire.
Heavy Use Needs Regular Sweeping
Even with good burning habits, a stove that runs all winter builds up creosote fast. Have your chimney swept at least once a year, and talk to us about whether your system needs it more often. Our chimney sweeping service clears the flue, smoke chamber and connections, and we guarantee a mess-free job with floor protection and dust control.
Check the Whole System
Sweeping removes buildup. An inspection tells you whether the chimney is safe to keep using. A chimney inspection with our camera lets us see the full length of the flue. We look for cracked liners, gaps in mortar joints, damage from past chimney fires and anything that’s blocking the flue.
If you’ve installed a wood stove or insert into an older fireplace chimney, the flue may not be the right size or in good enough shape to vent it safely. Chimney relining fixes that.
Firebrick and the Firebox
A fireplace that heats a house all winter takes a lot more heat than one used on holidays. The firebrick lining the firebox can crack, and the mortar between those bricks can wear out and fall away. Gaps there let heat reach the framing behind the fireplace, so they need repair before the next fire.
We replace damaged firebrick and repoint the joints, and we handle tuckpointing and brick replacement on the outside of the chimney too. See minor masonry repairs.
Keeping Weather Out of the Flue
Decatur County winters bring plenty of freezing and thawing, and the top of the chimney feels it first. A cracked crown lets water into the masonry. A missing cap lets rain and snow fall straight down the flue, where it mixes with creosote, rusts the damper and wears on the liner.
A stainless steel cap with a lifetime warranty keeps the flue dry and keeps out birds and leaves. On a wood stove chimney, the cap’s screen also helps stop embers from landing on the roof. If your throat damper has rusted, warped or won’t close, we can replace it so the house holds heat when the stove is cold. See chimney caps and dampers.
Signs of a Chimney Fire
Not every chimney fire is dramatic. Some burn quietly and only leave damage behind. Call us before your next fire if you’ve noticed a loud roaring or popping sound from the chimney, dense smoke, flakes of puffy creosote on the roof or ground, or warped metal on the cap or damper.
Dryer Vents, Too
Lint buildup in dryer vents is another common fire hazard. Our certified dryer vent cleaning pairs easily with a chimney visit.
Flashing and Wind-Driven Rain
Storms in southern Iowa don’t always drop rain straight down. Wind pushes it sideways into the chimney and the roof around it, and the joint where the two meet is sealed only by flashing. If that metal has lifted, rusted or was never installed well, water runs behind it and into the framing. Ice building up along the chimney in winter does the same thing more slowly. A stain on the ceiling beside the chimney is the usual first sign. We reseat or replace damaged flashing so the joint sheds water again, and we check the crown and brick at the same time, since leaks often have more than one source.
Factory-Built Fireplaces Around Leon
Some homes have a prefab fireplace with a metal flue instead of a masonry chimney. If you burn wood in one, it still needs sweeping, and its parts need checking: the refractory panels in the firebox, the joints in the metal flue, the chase cover and the cap. Replacement parts have to match the unit, so we identify the model before ordering anything. A prefab unit that’s been used as a primary heat source deserves a careful look, since steady use is hard on the panels and flue joints.
Not Everyone in Leon Burns Wood
If your fireplace runs on gas, it still needs a yearly look. Vented gas logs need the chimney open and clear to send exhaust outside, and logs that get bumped out of place can cause soot and an uneven flame. Our gas log service checks the pilot, valves, connections, venting and log placement.
Ductwork Gets Dusty Too
Furnace ducts collect dust and debris over the years and blow some of it back into the house each time the system runs. Our certified air duct cleaning uses a HEPA vacuum and specialized brushes to pull that buildup out, and we check the system for holes or defects first. It’s an easy addition when we’re already in Leon for the chimney. Let us know when you call so we can plan the extra time.
Why Training Matters With Wood Heat
A chimney that vents a working stove all winter has less room for error than one used a few nights a year. Our owner is a Certified Master Chimney Technician, and the team has completed the CSIA’s Chimney Diagnosis & Documentation Course and the Ahern Masonry Chimney & Fireplace Building Course. We also have a certified chimney reliner on staff, which helps when a stove needs a new flue. When we recommend something, we’ll tell you why and show you what we saw.
About Us
The same family has run Top Notch since 2002. Owner Tom Hunkele served as President of the National Chimney Sweep Guild, and the sweeps who come to your home include a CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep and a Certified Chimney Professional. We also serve nearby Osceola and Corydon.
Call (515) 249-6337 to schedule your Leon chimney sweep, or request a visit online.
