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 Fort Lauderdale: What to Know First
HeatShield chimney inspection in Fort Lauderdale typically costs $189 to $389 depending on whether we’re doing a Level 1 visual check or a Level 2 camera inspection. We’re an independent HeatShield service provider, not a manufacturer-authorized shop, which means we tell you what the liner actually needs instead of what a warranty pamphlet says. Most inspections run 45 to 90 minutes, and you’ll have a written report with photos before we leave your driveway.
If you own a home in Fort Lauderdale with a HeatShield liner system, this page covers what we look for, what commonly fails, and what it honestly costs to put right. Call (754) 354-1451 and Nathan Corliss or one of our techs will talk you through it before you commit to anything.
How HeatShield Products Fail – and How We Fix Them
HeatShield builds a proprietary cerfractory liner system that resurfaces existing flue tiles rather than dropping in a steel sleeve. It’s good technology. But after seeing hundreds of them in Fort Lauderdale chimneys, we know exactly where they show wear. Here are the five failure patterns we encounter most.
- CeCure joint cracking at the smoke shelf. HeatShield’s CeCure material bonds to the existing clay tile, and the smoke shelf is where we see hairline separation first. South Florida humidity accelerates it, because the mortar behind the coating absorbs moisture and expands. The fix is a localized re-coat at the joint, usually a half-day job, before it becomes a full reline.
- Cerfractory delamination in the upper flue section. The top 18 to 24 inches of the flue takes the worst of wind-driven rain and salt air in Fort Lauderdale. We’ve pulled camera footage showing the HeatShield coating peeling away from the tile in sheets. Once delamination starts, the liner can’s do its job. We remove the loose material and re-apply the appropriate HeatShield resurfacing compound, then re-scan.
- Improper original application leaving thin spots. HeatShield is installed by trained applicators, but not every original install is done to spec. We regularly find areas where the coating is 1/8 inch thick instead of the required coverage. A camera inspection shows exactly where the thin spots are. We re-coat those sections rather than telling you the whole liner needs replacement.
- HeatShield over deteriorated tile that should have been replaced. HeatShield is a resurfacing system, not a structural rebuild. If the original clay tile was already failing when the coating went on, the underlying movement keeps cracking the new surface. In Fort Lauderdale homes built in the 1950s through 1970s, we see this a lot. The honest fix is removing the failed section and relining properly, which we’ll show you on camera before quoting a dollar.
- Joint sealant breakdown at the flue-to-crown transition. The flashing and crown seal where the flue exits the roof is a common failure point regardless of liner brand. On HeatShield systems, water intrusion here drips down and compromises the cerfractory from the top. We reseal the crown with a proper chimney crown coat and address the liner if moisture already caused damage.
The common thread: none of these failures require a full system replacement if caught in time. That’s why the inspection matters more than the liner itself.
Styles & brands we work with





Our HeatShield Chimney Inspection Process
Here’s what happens when you call Ashby Chimney Fort Lauderdale for a HeatShield inspection. Every step is written, priced, and photographed.
- 1
You call (754) 354-1451. A live person answers, not a voicemail loop. We ask about your fireplace type, when the liner was installed, and any symptoms you’ve noticed. You get a written price for the inspection before we schedule.
- 2
We arrive in the window we gave you. Background-checked, uniformed techs. We lay drop cloths and start at the roofline, checking the crown, flashing, and cap. Fort Lauderdale’s salt air means we pay special attention to metal components up top.
- 3
Camera inspection of the full flue length. We run a high-resolution camera from the top down and the bottom up, recording every inch of the HeatShield cerfractory surface. You see the footage with us, live. Nothing hidden.
- 4
Written diagnosis with photos. If the liner is sound, we tell you that and give you a clean bill. If there’s delamination, cracking, or thin application, we mark exactly where and show you the still images. You get a written report, not a verbal summary.
- 5
Parts decision: OEM HeatShield compound or quality aftermarket. For re-coats, we use HeatShield’s own cerfractory materials where available. For non-liner components like dampers, caps, and crown coats, we source from the same trade suppliers we trust: DuraFlex, Gelco, Olympia, Copperfield. We’ll tell you what’s going in and why, in writing.
- 6
Written guarantee before any repair starts. We quote the price, you approve it, we do the work, then we re-scan and show you the after footage. Every job leaves with the Kingswell Guarantee in writing. If a covered repair fails within the guarantee period, we return and fix it at no charge. That’s the 365-Day Done Right Promise.
See the difference
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After
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AfterWhat HeatShield Chimney Inspection Costs in Fort Lauderdale
Here’s a straight price breakdown for HeatShield chimney inspection work in Fort Lauderdale, no surprises at the end.
| Service | Typical Cost | What It Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 Visual Inspection | $189 – $249 | Visual check of flue, damper, firebox, and cap; written report |
| Level 2 Camera Inspection | $289 – $389 | Full video scan of the HeatShield liner surface; photo-documented report |
| HeatShield Spot Re-Coat (per section) | $450 – $800 | Localized cerfractory repair at delaminated or thin-spot sections |
| Full HeatShield Re-Surfacing | $2,800 – $5,500 | Complete cerfractory liner replacement; depends on flue height and prep work |
| Crown Seal & Flashing Repair | $350 – $750 | Resealing the crown-to-flue junction; prevents top-down liner damage |
What moves the price is flue height, access difficulty, and how much of the existing HeatShield surface has failed. We give you a written price before any work begins, and the number on the invoice matches the number we quoted at the door. Call (754) 354-1451 for a free estimate on your specific chimney.
Why Fort Lauderdale Homeowners Call Ashby Chimney Fort Lauderdale for HeatShield Work
We’ve been in business since 2002, and in that time we’ve watched plenty of Fort Lauderdale homeowners get burned by contractors who never showed or doubled the price at the door. That’s not us. Nathan Corliss runs Ashby Chimney Fort Lauderdale the same way he learned it back in Los Angeles at Trade-Tech: say the price first, explain the work second, put it all in writing. That is the whole business model.
Every job gets a written price before any work starts. Every repair carries a written guarantee. If a covered repair fails, we come back and fix it at no charge, simple as that. Our techs know HeatShield systems specifically, but they also work with DuraFlex and Gelco liners every week, so if a HeatShield patch doesn’s make sense, we’ll tell you what will. Each Ashby location is independently owned and operated under the standards of the Kingswell Guarantee. You get a live person on the phone 24/7, background-checked techs at your door, and a guarantee that’s actually in writing.
FAQs
We recommend a camera inspection of your HeatShield liner every two years in Fort Lauderdale, because salt air and high humidity break down the cerfractory surface faster than you would expect. If you burn regularly or had a previous repair, annual inspection makes more sense. Call (754) 354-1451 and we’ll help you decide based on your actual usage.
No. An inspection by an independent HeatShield service provider does not void any manufacturer warranty. We never do anything to the liner during an inspection beyond camera work and visual checks. If we recommend repairs, we document everything with photos so you have a clear record for any warranty claim.
Most HeatShield delamination we find in Fort Lauderdale chimneys can be repaired with a localized re-coat of cerfractory material. A full replacement is only necessary when the underlying clay tile has failed or the delamination covers most of the flue surface. We show you the camera footage so you can see exactly what we’re seeing before deciding.
We typically schedule inspections within three to five business days, depending on the season. If you’ve got a real estate closing or a buyer’s inspection looming, tell us when you call and we’ll do everything we can to fit you in. A live person answers 24/7 at (754) 354-1451.
A Level 1 inspection is visual only, looking for obvious damage in the firebox, damper, and accessible sections of the flue. A Level 2 adds a full camera scan of the HeatShield liner surface, which is the only way to see delamination, thin spots, and hairline joint cracks before they become dangerous. For HeatShield systems, we almost always recommend Level 2, because the failure modes are not visible to the naked eye.
Written by Nathan Corliss, Owner, Ashby Chimney Fort Lauderdale at Ashby Chimney Fort Lauderdale, serving Fort Lauderdale and nearby areas.