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 Inspection in Fort Lauderdale: What to Know First
An independent Gelco chimney inspection in Fort Lauderdale typically takes 45 to 90 minutes, and most owners book one because they either smell something odd or haven’t looked inside their flue since they bought the house. We inspect Gelco liners with a camera, give you a written report with photos, and quote any needed work in plain dollars before anything gets touched. If you own a Gelco liner system and want to know whether it’s still doing its job, this page is for you. Call (754) 354-1451 and we’ll get you scheduled.
How Gelco Products Fail – and How We Fix Them
Gelco makes a solid product, but South Florida’s heat, humidity, and salt air create failure patterns we don’t see in drier markets. Here’s what we run into on Fort Lauderdale roofs.
- Gelco DuraFlex liner pitting at the flue cap connection. The stainless steel flex liner holds up well, but the connection point where the cap seats against the liner crown is a magnet for corrosion in Fort Lauderdale’s coastal air. We see pinhole rust starting there long before the liner itself fails. Fix is usually a new cap and reseal, not a liner replacement.
- Gelco rigid flue tile spalling in pre-2000 builds. Homes along the Las Olas corridor and in Victoria Park often have original clay tile liners that Gelco products were retrofitted into. The issue isn’t the Gelco component, it’s the old clay spalling behind it. Camera inspection shows us the flaking, and we can recommend whether a HeatShield resurfacing or a full Gelco reline makes more sense.
- Improper clearance at the smoke chamber. Gelco liners are designed for specific clearances, and when a previous contractor forced a 6-inch liner into a 5.5-inch flue passage, you get creosote buildup at the pinch point. This is a fire hazard we catch on Level 2 inspections. The fix is usually a correctly sized liner, not just a sweep.
- Gelco’s stainless steel to masonry transition gone wrong. The joint where a Gelco steel liner meets the masonry chimney crown is the most common leak point in Fort Lauderdale. Our rainy season dumps water into that seam, and it travels down into the firebox looking like a liner failure. We reseal the transition properly, and most owners find the damp smell disappears.
- Critter intrusion through the Gelco cap assembly. Raccoons and squirrels in neighborhoods like Coral Ridge and Rio Vista don’t care what brand your cap is. If the spark arrestor mesh is torn or the cap has shifted, you’ve got nesting material inside your Gelco liner. That’s a Level 1 inspection catch, and we fix it same visit with a proper cap replacement.
Styles & brands we work with
Our Gelco Chimney Inspection Process
Every Gelco inspection we run in Fort Lauderdale follows the same steps. No shortcuts, and you see the evidence before you spend a dime.
- 1
Call and schedule. A live person answers at (754) 354-1451, 24/7. We set a real arrival window, not a four-hour guess.
- 2
Arrival and setup. We lay down floor protection, set up drop cloths, and walk you through what we’re doing before we start.
- 3
Camera inspection. Our inspection camera goes up through the firebox, smoke chamber, and into the Gelco liner. We record everything.
- 4
You see the footage. We show you what the camera found, on the spot. You see exactly what we see before we recommend anything.
- 5
Written price before work. If we recommend a repair, you get a written price and scope of work. The number we quote is the number on the invoice.
- 6
Cleanup and report. We leave your fireplace area cleaner than we found it and hand you a written inspection report while we’re still there.
See the difference
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After
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AfterWhat Gelco Chimney Inspection Costs in Fort Lauderdale
Here are the real numbers for Gelco inspection and common follow-up work in Fort Lauderdale.
- Level 1 inspection (visual, no camera): $129 – $199, often bundled with a sweep for $229 – $349.
- Level 2 inspection with camera: $249 – $399, standard for real estate transactions or after a chimney fire.
- Gelco liner patch repair: $350 – $750, depending on the length and access.
- Full Gelco liner replacement: $1,800 – $3,500, varying with flue height, width, and whether scaffolding is needed for steep Fort Lauderdale roof pitches.
- Cap or crown reseal on a Gelco system: $180 – $450.
What moves the price is access, liner width, and how much of the old clay tile needs to be removed. Every Gelco inspection we quote in Fort Lauderdale comes with a free estimate. Call (754) 354-1451 and we’ll give you a number you can actually plan around.
Why Fort Lauderdale Homeowners Call Ashby Chimney Fort Lauderdale for Gelco Work
We’ve been cleaning and inspecting chimneys in Fort Lauderdale since 2002, and we’re the crew that shows up on time with a written price and a guarantee in hand. Nathan Corliss grew up in Los Angeles, learned the trade through the vocational programs at Los Angeles Trade-Technical College, and has been on roofs from Las Olas Boulevard to the barrier islands for going on two decades. When you call Ashby, you get a background-checked tech in uniform, a camera inspection you actually see, and a written guarantee on every repair. We keep DuraFlex and HeatShield components ready for when a Gelco liner needs reinforcement or a partial reline, so we’re not stuck ordering one specific part and making you wait. The Kingswell Guarantee covers our Gelco work, and if it fails within the guarantee period, we come back at no charge. That’s the whole point: say the price first, explain the work second, put it all in writing.
FAQs
No. We are an independent Gelco service provider, not a manufacturer-authorized dealer, and inspecting your Gelco liner will not void any manufacturer warranty. In fact, most Gelco warranties require proof of annual inspection, so having us document it in writing actually protects your coverage.
We can usually get a Gelco inspection on the calendar within 3 to 5 business days in Fort Lauderdale, sometimes sooner if we’re already in your neighborhood. The inspection itself takes under two hours for most homes. Call (754) 354-1451 and we’ll give you a real window for your address.
We use Gelco parts when the repair calls for them, and quality aftermarket parts from brands like DuraFlex and HeatShield when they do the same job for a better price. You get a written price before any work starts, so you’ll always know exactly what’s going in and what it costs.
If the liner has a single pinhole or a cap connection issue, repair is usually the right call. If the camera shows thinning across large sections, warping, or separation at multiple joints, replacement is the safer move. We show you the footage and recommend whichever one makes sense, and we’ll tell you plainly if a repair is all you need. Call (754) 354-1451 and we’ll walk through what you’re seeing.
In Fort Lauderdale’s climate, skipping inspection means moisture intrusion, corrosion, and creosote buildup can go unnoticed for years. By the time you see the signs, the repair is usually bigger than an inspection cost would have been. A $249 camera inspection catches what you can’t see before it becomes a $3,000 liner replacement.
Written by Nathan Corliss, Owner, Ashby Chimney Fort Lauderdale at Ashby Chimney Fort Lauderdale, serving Fort Lauderdale and nearby areas.