A trade that runs on the calendar
We started sweeping chimneys after years working roofs and masonry, which is most of why we take flashing and crown cracks as seriously as the flue itself - the chimney is a piece of the roof as much as it is a piece of the fireplace.
How often a chimney needs attention depends on how hard it works. A wood stove burned most winter nights builds creosote faster than an open fireplace lit a few times a season, so we set the next visit by actual use rather than a flat once-a-year rule - though once a year is always the floor.
The honest-broker advice we give every customer: burn seasoned hardwood, dried to a stated moisture level, never green or damp wood, never treated lumber or household trash, and keep the fire hot rather than smoldering - a cool, smoky fire is what lays down creosote fastest, and it is the one thing you control between our visits.
