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.
HeatShield Chimney Inspection in Pasadena: What to Know First
A HeatShield chimney inspection in Pasadena typically runs $189 to $349 depending on level, and most homeowners get a written report within 24 hours. We are an independent HeatShield service provider, which means we inspect, diagnose, and repair HeatShield products without being tied to the factory. If you own a HeatShield liner, you already know the question isn’t whether it works. The question is whether it still works after a few Pasadena burn seasons. This page is for owners who want a straight answer, not a sales pitch. Call (626) 657-5513 to book an inspection, or keep reading to understand what a HeatShield liner does over time in this climate.
How HeatShield Products Fail – and How We Fix Them
HeatShield liners are straightforward products. They hold up, but they have known failure points. Here are the five we see most often in Pasadena.
- HeatShield Cerfractory flue sealant can crack at the first and second crown joints where the liner meets the tile. This happens because the ceramic compound expands and contracts at a different rate than the original clay tile in Pasadena’s wide temperature swings between August heat and December rain. We find hairline cracks, then we camera them to see if they reach the tile behind. If they do, the fix is usually a localized reseal with fresh Cerfractory, not a full reline.
- HeatShield Joint Repair System on masonry chimneys can delaminate when moisture gets behind it from a failed crown or missing rain cap. The product relies on a clean, dry surface. When water seeps down from the top, the sealant lifts off the tile in sheets. In Pasadena we see this on older Craftsman chimneys near the Arroyo Seco where original caps are rusted or gone. The fix starts with the cap, then we strip and reapply the joint sealing.
- HeatShield Resurfacing applications over existing clay tile can show shrinkage cracks within the first two years if the original tile was never properly cleaned. Soot and creosote act like a barrier. The product sticks to the gunk, not the tile, and then the gunk burns off during the next fire, leaving a void. That’s why we never recommend a resurfacing job without a full sweep first and a crack-free tile inspection via camera. If the prep was wrong, we correct it before applying anything.
- HeatShield Smoke Chamber repair material can spall under repeated heat cycling above 1,000°F. The smoke chamber is the hottest part of the chimney below the flue, and HeatShield’s ceramic there gets brittle over time. Spalling shows up as flaking or small chunks falling into the firebox during the first few fires of the burn season. We camera the chamber on every Level 2 inspection to look for surface erosion before it becomes a fireplace draft issue.
- HeatShield flue joint sealant can fail at the connector where the liner meets a stainless-steel appliance flue. The two materials expand at different rates, and over five to seven years in Pasadena, the compound between them can develop hairline separation. This is a classic “the fire burns fine, but I smell smoke” complaint. We locate the gap with a camera, then confirm with a pressure test to see if the connection is pulling air in or pushing flue gas out. The fix is a targeted reseal, not a teardown.
Styles & brands we work with





Our HeatShield Chimney Inspection Process
When you call us for HeatShield work in Pasadena, here’s how the job actually goes down.
- 1
Call and book. A live person answers, not a voicemail tree. We schedule a window that works for you, and the technician arrives inside that window, uniformed and background-checked.
- 2
Visual and hands-on inspection. We start at the chimney top and work down. We’re looking at the cap and crown first, because that’s where Pasadena moisture gets in and starts killing the HeatShield from the top.
- 3
Camera inspection of the flue. The camera goes down the liner or tile, looking for cracks, delamination, failed joints, and the specific HeatShield failure patterns we listed above. The video isn’t abstract; we show you the feed live and point out exactly what we’re seeing.
- 4
Written diagnosis. Before any repair is proposed, you get a written price for the scope we recommend, with the exact parts or materials named. If the liner is actually fine, that’s what the report says. We don’t invent work; the camera report is the evidence.
- 5
Repair and test with the flue either draws or it doesn’t. If you approve the work, we use the right HeatShield material or the right aftermarket equivalent for the job. Once the repair is done, we test the draft with the firebox door closed and the chimney cold, and we don’t call it done until the flue pulls correctly. Every repair gets the 365-Day Done Right Promise in writing.
- 6
Cleanup and documentation. Hearth swept, tools out, all scrap hauled. You get a copy of the camera report, the written price you approved, and the guarantee terms. Half our Pasadena customers keep all three in a drawer for the next buyer, because they make a real estate inspection much simpler.
See the difference
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After
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AfterWhat HeatShield Chimney Inspection Costs in Pasadena
Here’s the honest price posture. A Level 1 inspection, which is a visual check with the flue accessible and no changes to the system, runs $189 in Pasadena. A Level 2 inspection with a camera runs $289 to $349, and that’s the one we recommend for any HeatShield liner that’s older than a couple burn seasons, or any real estate transaction. A Level 3 inspection, where we remove part of the chimney or liner to see a hidden section, starts around $500 and goes up depending on access. Repairs are priced separately and always in writing before work starts, so the invoice number is the number you approved. What moves the price on a HeatShield job is mostly access: a steep roof in the hills above Pasadena, a tall chimney, or a flue with a sharp offset where the camera can’t get through without disassembly. Calling (626) 657-5513 gets you a firm quote. The estimate is free, and nobody will pressure you into work the camera doesn’t show.
Why Pasadena Homeowners Call Flint Chimney Co Pasadena for HeatShield Work
We’re part of the Garrison Partners family of independently owned chimney companies, founded in 2002, and we run every HeatShield job under the Garrison Standard. That means a written price before any work starts, on every visit, with no exceptions. Every repair carries the 365-Day Done Right Promise: if a covered repair fails within one full year, we come back at no charge. No argument, no second invoice. Our techs work with HeatShield, DuraFlex, and Gelco, so if the right fix is a stainless liner instead of another HeatShield coat, we’ll tell you that and show you why the numbers work. We’re not chasing the cheapest bid, and neither are you. You want a crew that shows up, quotes flat, and stands behind it. That’s what we do. Hank Delano has been at this for going on eighteen years, from Craftsman bungalows near the Arroyo Seco to homes across the San Gabriel Valley, and he runs the crew the same way he runs a Saturday soccer sideline: on time, paying attention, and no excuses.
FAQs
A camera inspection tells you. If the HeatShield Cerfractory has hairline shrinkage only, a targeted reseal usually works. If the liner has separated from the tile in multiple sections, or the tile behind it is cracked, a full reline with a product like HeatShield or DuraFlex is the honest fix. We only recommend replacement when the camera shows the liner is no longer a continuous surface. Call (626) 657-5513, and we’ll show you the video ourselves before we discuss price.
HeatShield warranties are handled through the manufacturer, but as an independent HeatShield service provider we can document the condition of the liner with a full camera report you can submit yourself. We don’t bill as a warranty contractor. What we do give you is the written diagnosis, the video, and our own 365-Day Done Right Promise on any repair we perform, independent of the factory warranty.
A Level 2 inspection, the one that includes a full camera pass of the flue and liner, typically takes 60 to 90 minutes on site in Pasadena, depending on roof access and chimney height. We send the written report within 24 hours. If we’re doing an inspection as part of a Pasadena real estate transaction, we try to be out within one visit and to have the documentation in your email by the next day.
HeatShield is designed to resurface existing clay tile, not to go over another stainless liner. If you already have a steel liner, HeatShield is not the product for that job. We see this question often in Pasadena homes where a previous owner lined the chimney once and now it’s rusting. Our recommendation in that case is a new flexible liner like DuraFlex, which we can install and guarantee in writing.
We come back and fix it at no charge. The 365-Day Done Right Promise is a written guarantee on every repair we perform, valid for a full year from the service date, and it covers the covered repair failing under normal use. If a HeatShield patch cracks, a joint separates, or a draft test fails within that year, the second visit costs you nothing. That’s the Garrison Standard, and it’s not negotiable.
If your HeatShield liner hasn’t been looked at in a while, or you’re seeing smoke smells, flaking material in the firebox, or a draft that’s getting weaker, call (626) 657-5513 for a free estimate. The flue either draws or it doesn’t. Let’s find out which.
Written by Hank Delano, Owner, Flint Chimney Co Pasadena at Flint Chimney Co Pasadena, serving Pasadena and nearby areas.