Gas fireplace service
Sweep & inspection
Caps & crowns
Flue relining
Masonry repairLevel 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.
Why Fort Lauderdale Homeowners Choose Gelco Chimney Cleaning
Ashby Chimney Fort Lauderdale provides independent Gelco chimney cleaning, inspection, and Fort Lauderdale Gelco service throughout Fort Lauderdale, from Coral Ridge to Rio Vista and out toward Plantation. We service Gelco SC, IS, and HT series factory-built chimneys, and we see the same corrosion patterns repeat across coastal Broward County: pitted stainless outer walls, rust weeping from chase tops, and twist-lock joints that open up after a few hurricane seasons. We are not affiliated with or authorized by Gelco. We are an independent chimney company with hands-on experience maintaining their systems in South Florida’s salt air. That independence means we tell you plainly when a Gelco section can be saved and when it needs to come out. Call (754) 354-1451 for a written quote.
Why Trust Ashby Chimney Fort Lauderdale for Your Gelco Chimney Cleaning?
Gelco factory-built chimneys are common in Fort Lauderdale’s single-family homes and older condo buildings, but they fail in ways the manufacturer’s generic maintenance literature never quite addresses for our climate. Our technicians work on Gelco systems regularly, and we know the joints, flashing details, and cap designs that corrode first in coastal air. We use genuine Gelco components or direct equivalent UL-listed stainless sections when replacement is needed. Never generic galvanized adapters that accelerate corrosion at the seam. Nathan Corliss, our owner, has been cleaning and inspecting chimneys for close to two decades, going back to his trade training at Los Angeles Trade-Technical College before he settled his crew into the Fort Lauderdale market. He has worked on chimneys from the Las Olas Boulevard corridor to the barrier island neighborhoods, and we also provide Hollywood Gelco service for nearby coastal homes. The approach is the same on every Gelco job: say the price first, explain the work second, put it all in writing. That is the whole business model.
Styles & brands we work with
Common Gelco Chimney Cleaning Problems We Fix in Fort Lauderdale
- Galvanic corrosion on the outer stainless wall (SC and IS series). Salt-laden air condenses on the chimney chase near the top, and the moisture sits against the stainless outer wall. Over time the metal pits and weeps rust down the chase exterior. Homeowners often mistake it for a roof leak. It is not. It is the air-cooled chimney’s outer wall reacting to Fort Lauderdale’s salt spray, and the fix usually involves replacing the affected upper section and correcting the chase-top drainage so water stops pooling there.
- Water intrusion at the Gelco twist-lock joint. Gelco sections connect with a twist-lock design, and after enough thermal cycling and storm-driven rain, the joint can open slightly. Rainwater gets inside the chase, rust streaks appear on the exterior, and the interior liner starts to delaminate. We find this on IS-series units near the coast more than anywhere else in the county.
- Creosote glaze inside HT-series wood-burning flues. Gelco HT chimneys are rated for 1700°F continuous wood-burning temperatures, but in Fort Lauderdale, wood fires are occasional and often smolder with restricted air. That produces dense glazed creosote that hardens on the flue wall. It is difficult to remove with standard brushes, and it is a fire risk if it ignites. We remove it with mechanical rotary tools sized for the HT-series flue diameter.
- Failed chase top flashing with inadequate slope. Gelco’s factory flashing pan can hold water if it was installed dead flat or if the chase has settled over the years. Pooling water attacks the pan seams and eventually the chase framing. We replace the pan with a custom stainless unit with raised seams and positive slope so water sheds immediately.
- Rusted-out dampers and caps from salt corrosion, even in never-used fireplaces. Along Las Olas Isles, we inspect chimneys on 1920s Mediterranean Revival homes with original clay tile liners, and on newer Gelco systems that rarely see a fire. The dampers still rust. The caps still corrode. Salt air does its work whether you burn or not, which is why an annual inspection matters here even if the fireplace is decorative.
Gelco Parts & Our Repair-vs-Replace Approach
When a Gelco chimney needs parts, we use genuine Gelco components or direct-equivalent UL-listed stainless sections. That matters because mixing metals on a coastal chimney accelerates corrosion. A cheap galvanized adapter at the flue connection becomes the weak point that fails first, and now you have a bigger repair than the one we started with. For older Gelco systems with corroded inner liners, we tell you the truth. A compromised air-cooled chimney cannot be safely repaired with sealant alone. Sealant does not restore a pitted stainless liner, and no amount of waterproofing fixes a flue that has lost its integrity. In those cases we recommend replacing the affected flue sections. It costs more than a patch, and it is the only repair we will put our written guarantee behind. Call (754) 354-1451 to talk through what your system actually needs.
Our Gelco Service Process – Step by Step
- 1
Diagnosis. We inspect the full Gelco flue run from the appliance connection to the cap, with particular attention to the twist-lock joints, the chase-top flashing, and the outer wall condition near the chase. We photograph everything so you can see the corrosion or creosote with your own eyes before we recommend a repair.
- 2
Written scope and price. You get a written quote for the exact work: the sections to be replaced, the flashing detail, the waterproofing treatment, the creosote removal method. The number on the quote matches the number on the invoice. No exceptions.
- 3
Repair or install. We use genuine Gelco components or UL-listed stainless equivalents. For chase-top work we install custom stainless pans with raised seams and positive slope. For creosote glaze in HT-series flues we use rotary mechanical removal, not just a brush.
- 4
Test and verify. After the repair, we run a draft test and visually confirm the flue is clear and the joints are seated correctly. We check the cap, the flashing, and the chase drainage before we come down off the roof.
- 5
Written guarantee. Every repair leaves with a written guarantee. If a covered repair fails inside the guarantee period, we come back and correct it at no charge. That is the 365-Day Done Right Promise, and it applies to Gelco work the same as any other repair we do.
See the difference
Before
After
Before
After
Before
AfterGelco Products We Service & Install in Fort Lauderdale
We service the Gelco SC Series stainless steel air-cooled chimney, the IS Series insulated double-wall system, and the HT Series high-temperature factory-built chimney listed to UL103HT at 1700°F. Most of our Fort Lauderdale Gelco work falls into three categories: chase-top flashing replacement, flue section replacement for corroded outer or inner walls, and glaze creosote removal in wood-burning HT systems. We also offer Gelco service in Pompano Beach for coastal homeowners with similar corrosion issues. We also handle chimney waterproofing and flashing repair on Gelco chases as standalone jobs, which is often the right preventive step before a section fails completely.
We Also Service These Brands
Gelco is a major part of our coastal repair work, but it is not the only system we see. We service DuraFlex and HeatShield liners and components with the same approach: written pricing, genuine or equivalent parts, and a written guarantee on every repair. If your chimney has multiple brands in the flue run, we can handle the whole system in one visit.
FAQs – Gelco Chimney Cleaning Service in Fort Lauderdale
No. We are an independent chimney service company, not a Gelco-authorized dealer or warranty station. We service Gelco systems using genuine Gelco components or direct-equivalent UL-listed stainless parts, and we know their failure patterns in Fort Lauderdale’s coastal climate from years of hands-on repair work.
We use genuine Gelco components when a direct replacement is required and available. When a genuine section is not practical to source quickly, we use direct-equivalent UL-listed stainless steel sections that match the flue diameter and listing. We never use generic galvanized adapters, because mixed metals corrode faster in salt air and create the exact problem you called us to fix.
A Gelco chimney cleaning with inspection typically takes 90 minutes to two hours on site. A flue section replacement or chase-top flashing job usually runs a half day to a full day depending on access and how much of the chase needs to be opened. We give you a written time estimate with the quote and we show up in the window we said we would.
We service the Gelco SC Series air-cooled chimney, the IS Series insulated double-wall system, and the HT Series high-temperature wood-burning chimney. If you are not sure which series you have, we can identify it during the inspection and explain what it means for maintenance and repair in Fort Lauderdale’s climate.
Any chimney service performed by an independent contractor can affect a manufacturer warranty, and we are upfront about that. We do not claim Gelco warranty authorization. What we do claim is that our repairs use correct materials and are documented with photos and a written scope, so if you need to approach Gelco or a homeowner’s insurance claim later, you have a clear record of exactly what was done and why. Call (754) 354-1451 and we will walk you through it before any work starts.
Most Gelco chimney cleaning jobs in Fort Lauderdale run between $190 and $350 depending on the series, the flue condition, and whether the cap or chase-top needs additional work. A full inspection runs $150 to $250 when booked on its own, and we credit that toward the cleaning if both are done the same day. If we find corrosion or creosote glaze that changes the scope, you get a written quote for the additional work before we do it. Call (754) 354-1451 for an exact quote, estimates are free.
Stainless resists rust, but it does not always resist salt. Fort Lauderdale’s ocean air carries chloride that settles on the metal and condenses near the chase top. Over years, the outer wall pits and the resulting corrosion weeps down the chase. We see it most on SC-series air-cooled units within a mile or two of the coast, and the fix starts with correcting the chase-top drainage and replacing the corroded section, not just painting over the stain.
Yes, in some cases. If the HT-series outer casing is sound but the inner liner has corroded or cracked, relining with a properly sized UL-listed stainless liner is a legitimate repair. But if the outer wall has pitted through or the twist-lock joints have opened in multiple places, relining alone will not fix the system. We will tell you which situation you have after we inspect it, with photos to back up the recommendation.
During Fort Lauderdale’s rainy season, the humidity loads the flue with moisture, and the chimney becomes a damp, dark tube. Creosote residue absorbs that moisture and the smell seeps back into the house, especially on Gelco systems where the damper does not seal tightly. The fix is usually a thorough creosote removal and a damper adjustment or replacement. Sometimes the chase-top flashing is also letting rainwater in, which makes the smell worse. We can diagnose it in one visit.
Annually. Even a few wood fires per season can deposit enough creosote to matter, and in a humid coastal climate that creosote absorbs moisture and becomes more corrosive to the flue. But more importantly, the inspection is what catches the salt-air corrosion and flashing problems before a small repair becomes a full flue replacement. If you burn only a handful of times a year, an annual inspection with our Chimney Sweep services only when needed is the right schedule.
You need a cap that fits the Gelco flue diameter and termination correctly, but it does not have to be a Gelco-branded part. A quality stainless steel cap sized for your specific series works fine and often holds up better than the original in coastal conditions. The key is proper fitment and secure attachment, because a loose cap in hurricane winds becomes a projectile. We stock common Gelco cap sizes and can install one the same visit. Call (754) 354-1451 and we will get it taken care of.
Book Your Gelco Service in Fort Lauderdale, FL
If your Gelco chimney is showing rust, letting in water, or overdue for a sweep, call (754) 354-1451. We answer the phone around the clock, give you a written price before any work starts, and stand behind the repair in writing. Ashby carries ash right in the name, fitting for the people whose job is to clean it out.
Written by Nathan Corliss, Owner at Ashby Chimney Fort Lauderdale, serving Fort Lauderdale since 2002.