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.
Gelco Chimney Cleaning in New Braunfels, TX | Kindling Chimney San Antonio
Our New Braunfels Chimney Sweep service for Gelco systems typically runs $189 to $329 for a standard sweep and inspection, done same day in most cases. We’re Kindling Chimney San Antonio, and we’re an independent Gelco service provider, not a manufacturer affiliate. What makes our Gelco work different here is that we know exactly how New Braunfels humidity, limestone dust, and chimney swifts treat these components. Call (361) 491-3153 for a free estimate, and we’ll give you a written price before anything starts.
Why New Braunfels Residents Choose Us for Gelco Service
Gelco components show up all over New Braunfels, from prefab chases in Meyer Ranch to masonry flues in Gruene. We have spent years working on Gelco chase covers, multi-flue caps, and top-mount dampers in this specific housing stock, so we know what fails and why. Danny Cortes, our owner, picked up his trade fundamentals at Los Angeles Trade-Technical College and has spent the better part of two decades working chimneys across the Southwest. He keeps a small notebook on every job, sketching out flue conditions so you can see exactly what he sees before we pick up a single brush.
We stock genuine Gelco parts for common repair jobs and source high-quality aftermarket equivalents when a component is discontinued. That means we’re not waiting a week on a part while your chase leaks into the firebox. If you want to understand more about how we handle Gelco specifically, visit our Gelco sales & service page. For New Braunfels coverage details and the neighborhoods we work in most, see our New Braunfels service area page.
Styles & brands we work with
Common Gelco Chimney Cleaning Problems We Solve in New Braunfels
- Warped Gelco chase covers from Hill Country heat. A New Braunfels summer will push a chase cover past 140 degrees on the roof. The metal expands, the sealant cracks, and rain finds its way into the chase. We see this constantly in newer subdivisions like Meyer Ranch, where prefab chases bake in full sun. If the warp is severe, we recommend replacement over resealing, because patch jobs on warped metal rarely hold through the next freeze cycle.
- Corroded mounting brackets on Gelco multi-flue caps. Humidity swings plus creosote-laden condensation eat through the brackets that hold multi-flue caps down. We have pulled caps off New Braunfels chimneys that were literally hanging by one bracket. The cap itself was fine, but the mounting hardware had turned to rust scale.
- Gelco top-mount dampers stuck open or closed. After a winter of oak and mesquite fires, soot and creosote work their way into the damper mechanism. The result is a damper that won’t seal, which means your conditioned air is escaping up the flue all summer, or one that won’t open, which means smoke pushback the first time you light a fire in November.
- Chimney swift nesting under improperly installed Gelco caps. In the Gruene Historic District, many original limestone chimneys have no proper cap base, and Gelco caps installed on irregular stone tops leave gaps. Swifts get in during spring migration, build nests, and block the flue. We remove the nest, install a properly fitted stainless cap with custom screening, and do a full creosote removal afterward.
- Limestone dust and mortar grit inside Gelco-fitted flues. Older limestone chimneys in New Braunfels shed fine dust and mortar particles continuously. That grit mixes with creosote and creates an abrasive paste that accelerates wear on damper seals and cap screens. A routine sweep here involves more than just brushing the flue; we are also cleaning components that are getting ground down by limestone fallout.
Gelco Service in New Braunfels: What Local Conditions Mean for Your Equipment
In New Braunfels’s Gruene Historic District, many original limestone chimneys lack proper caps, and Gelco multi-flue caps installed on these structures often trap nesting chimney swifts during the spring migration. This is a problem virtually absent in neighboring San Antonio’s more uniform housing stock, where chimneys sit straighter and cap bases are more consistent. The irregular limestone tops in Gruene create gaps between the cap and the stone, and swifts, which return to the same nesting sites every year, exploit those gaps. Once a nest is in place, airflow drops, downdrafts start, and creosote accumulates faster because the fire isn’t drafting properly. At a home off Gruene Road, our tech found a Gelco multi-flue cap with a rusted mounting bracket that had pulled loose during a spring storm, letting a chimney swift nest inside. We removed the nest, installed a new Gelco stainless steel cap with a custom screen, and performed a full creosote removal after the homeowner reported smoky downdrafts from their oak-burning fireplace. If you live anywhere near Gruene Road or the historic district, have us check the cap fit before March. Swifts will be back, and they remember where they nested.
Gelco Models & Products We Service in New Braunfels
We service Gelco GC Series chase covers, Gelco multi-flue chimney caps, Gelco top-mount dampers, and Gelco chimney chase pans. On the parts side, we use genuine Gelco components when they’re available. When a part is discontinued or will take too long to source, we use high-quality aftermarket equivalents that meet or exceed the original spec. We keep common Gelco cap sizes, damper assemblies, and chase pan materials stocked for faster turnaround across New Braunfels; if we need to order something specific, we’ll tell you the timeline before any work is scheduled, not after.
See the difference
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After
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Before
AfterGelco Service Pricing in New Braunfels
A standard Gelco chimney cleaning and inspection in New Braunfels runs $189 to $329. Cap replacement adds $245 to $610 depending on the cap size and whether we are fabricating a custom screen. Chase cover repair or replacement runs $395 to $890, with full chase pan replacement on the higher end. Top-mount damper service is $180 to $460 depending on whether we are cleaning the mechanism, replacing the seal, or installing a new unit. Every quote is written before work begins, so the number we give you on the phone or after inspection is the number on the invoice. Call (361) 491-3153 for a free estimate; we’ll walk the chimney with you, show you photos of what we find, and give you the price on the spot.
Serving New Braunfels, TX - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the New Braunfels area and know this community well. Use the map below to see our service coverage - if you’re nearby, we can almost certainly help.
FAQs – Gelco Chimney Cleaning in New Braunfels
Humidity in New Braunfels keeps moisture inside the chase for months at a time, especially on prefab units where the chase is built tight but vented poorly. The constant damp air causes sealant under the Gelco chase cover to break down faster than it would in drier climates, then the summer heat warps the metal and opens gaps. Once rain gets in, it doesn’t dry out; it sits in the chase and rusts everything below. If your prefab chimney faces full afternoon sun, have us check the chase cover seal in spring before the heavy rain and heat cycles start. Call (361) 491-3153 to schedule our Chimney Inspection in New Braunfels with a written price first.
Yes. In most New Braunfels homes, a Gelco top-mount damper can be replaced as a standalone job. We remove the old damper assembly from the flue top, inspect the flue tile below it, and install a new damper sized to the existing flue. The only time this becomes a larger job is if the flue tile itself is cracked or the chimney crown has deteriorated, which does happen on older limestone chimneys in Gruene. We’ll show you photos of everything before we recommend a repair path, and you’ll have the written price before any work starts.
Chimney swifts look for a dark, sheltered vertical space to nest, and a flue with a loose or improperly fitted Gelco cap is exactly that. On older Gruene limestone chimneys, the stone tops are irregular, so a cap that sits flush on a standard brick flue will leave gaps on a limestone one. Swifts enter through those gaps every spring. The fix is a custom-fitted cap with stainless screening sized to your specific flue opening, not a generic one-size cap. We measure, fabricate, and install those for New Braunfels homeowners throughout the Gruene area.
For heavy creosote from mesquite, we use rotary cleaning with flexible rods and specialized whip heads that break up glaze without damaging the flue liner or the Gelco damper assembly. Mesquite burns hot and produces a dense, glazed creosote that a standard wire brush alone won’t remove. After the rotary pass, we vacuum the smoke shelf and firebox, inspect the damper, and slide a camera up the flue so you can see result. The full sweep for a mesquite-heavy buildup in New Braunfels typically falls in that $189 to $329 range. Call (361) 491-3153 and we’ll give you a firm written quote before the brush goes up.
We do. Gelco dampers and caps on gas fireplace flues need the same care as wood-burning ones, and in New Braunfels we see gas flues that have been completely ignored because the homeowner assumes gas means no maintenance. The damper still sticks, the cap still corrodes, and the chase still leaks. We inspect, clean, and repair Gelco components on gas units, and we’ll tell you honestly if the flue is in good shape or if it’s time for a damper replacement or cap upgrade.
Service Areas Near New Braunfels
We serve New Braunfels and the surrounding Hill Country communities. If you’re nearby, see our Gelco service in Converse page or our Gelco service in San Antonio page. We also take calls from Live Oak, Helotes, and Fair Oaks Ranch, and we’re happy to schedule a New Braunfels visit while we’re in the area.
Book Your Gelco Service in New Braunfels Today
A clean flue is the quietest safety feature in your home; let’s make sure yours is doing its job. Call (361) 491-3153 and we’ll schedule your Gelco chimney service in New Braunfels, drop cloths down, written price in hand, before anyone touches your chimney.
Written by Danny Cortes, Owner at Kindling Chimney San Antonio, serving New Braunfels since 2003.