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 Austin Homeowners Choose HeatShield Chimney Cleaning
Hadley Chimney Austin provides independent Heatshield repair in Austin, including chimney cleaning and inspection service throughout the city, from Hyde Park bungalows to Westlake hillside homes. We work with the full HeatShield product line, including Cerfractory Flue Sealant, the Joint Repair System, CeCure Sleeve Relining, and EcoShell Coating, and we document every finding with camera scope photos before recommending any work. We are not a HeatShield-authorized dealer and we don’t pretend to be. What we are is a local crew that has pulled enough failed HeatShield applications out of Austin chimneys to know exactly what works, what doesn’t, and when a coating repair is the wrong call entirely. Call (361) 603-5116 and we’ll walk you through what your chimney actually needs.
Why Trust Hadley Chimney Austin for Your HeatShield Chimney Cleaning?
Cory Mitchell has been in the chimney trade for over two decades, and he’s seen HeatShield products fail in ways the manufacturer’s spec sheets never mention. Austin’s climate does specific things to these systems. Our hot, humid summers push moisture into masonry, and when winter finally arrives, that moisture expands and contracts through thermal cycling that stresses ceramic coatings. Cory learned the building systems side of things at Los Angeles Trade-Technical College, and he carries that mechanical understanding into every HeatShield inspection. He’ll tell you what he tells every Austin homeowner: “I’ll show you the photo first. Then we’ll talk.”
As an independent HeatShield service provider, we don’t have a quota to sell liners or resurfacing jobs. If your HeatShield Cerfractory coating is intact and doing its job, we’ll tell you that and recommend a standard sweep. If it’s failing, you’ll see the delamination, the cracking, the water staining on a scope photo before we quote anything. Every repair we do comes with a written guarantee and a free second visit if it fails within 365 days. Every job starts with a written price. No surprises at the door, no vague verbal estimates, no pressure.
Styles & brands we work with
Common HeatShield Chimney Cleaning Problems We Fix in Austin
- Cerfractory spalling and delamination from thermal shock. HeatShield Cerfractory Flue Sealant is a cementitious coating applied to the interior flue wall. In Austin, we see it spall and separate from masonry most often on chimneys exposed to full western sun, where the exterior brick surface hits 140+ degrees in August while the interior stays cooler. That differential stress, repeated year after year, breaks the bond between coating and substrate. The symptom homeowners report is fine sandy grit collecting in the firebox and occasional flakes coming down the flue.
- Joint Repair System cracking over deteriorated mortar. The HeatShield Joint Repair System is designed to seal cracked mortar joints and restore structural continuity. But if it was originally applied over mortar that was already crumbling or water-damaged, it fails early. We find this most often in Austin’s mid-century double-sided fireplaces, where the original mortar has been absorbing Hill Country humidity for fifty or sixty years. The repair looks fine from the outside. The scope camera tells a different story.
- Water intrusion behind CeCure sleeves. The CeCure Sleeve Relining System is a cast-in-place liner that works well when the chimney crown and flashing are intact. In Austin, we regularly find CeCure sleeves that failed because water got behind them from a cracked chimney crown or a flashing seal that dried out and separated. The sleeve itself wasn’t the problem. The water entry was. Hidden rot and staining behind the sleeve are the tell.
- Smoke leakage from uneven Cerfractory application. We’ve pulled scopes on chimneys where a previous contractor applied Cerfractory unevenly, leaving thin spots and thicker ridges along the flue wall. Under negative pressure, when the house is sealed up and the dryer or a bathroom fan is running, smoke finds those thin spots and pushes through into living spaces. Homeowners in Austin’s newer, tightly-built homes notice this faster than anyone. The fix is usually a complete resurfacing to restore a consistent coating thickness, not a spot patch.
- EcoShell coating cracking on exterior masonry chimneys. HeatShield EcoShell is an exterior waterproofing and resurfacing coating. In Austin, where we get intense UV exposure plus periodic heavy rain and then weeks of drought, exterior coatings take a beating. EcoShell that wasn’t properly primed or was applied over spalled brick will crack and let water into the masonry. Once water gets in and freezes during a rare cold snap, the freeze-thaw cycle accelerates brick face spalling behind the coating.
HeatShield Parts & Our Repair-vs-Replace Approach
We use genuine HeatShield Cerfractory and CeCure components when we resurface or reline, because mixing in generic refractory or aftermarket sleeve material changes the chemistry of the repair and voids the manufacturer’s material warranty. That said, we don’t stock every HeatShield SKU on the truck. What we do keep locally in Austin is the material we use most: Cerfractory mix, joint repair compound, and a selection of CeCure sleeve components for common flue diameters. If your chimney needs something outside that, we order it and typically have it in hand within a few business days.
The honest conversation happens when the scope shows us what’s actually going on. If your HeatShield coating has failed but the underlying masonry is sound, a resurfacing job makes sense and we’ll recommend it. If the bricks behind that coating are spalled an inch deep or the mortar joints have turned to powder, no amount of Cerfractory is going to restore structural integrity. At that point, we’ll tell you plainly that a partial chimney rebuild is the safer long-term fix, and we’ll show you the photos that explain why. Our job isn’t to sell you the cheapest fix. It’s to make sure your chimney doesn’t become a problem again in two years.
Our HeatShield Service Process – Step by Step
- 1
Diagnosis and scope documentation. We start by running a camera scope through the flue from the firebox up to the chimney cap. Every photo is time-stamped and saved. You see exactly what we see, whether that’s intact Cerfractory, cracked joints, or a delaminated CeCure sleeve. If you’re not home, we text the photos.
- 2
Written recommendation and flat price. Based on the scope findings, we give you a written recommendation: sweep and monitor, targeted Joint Repair System work, full Cerfractory resurfacing, CeCure relining, or masonry rebuilding if the structure demands it. The price is written before any work starts and doesn’t change at the door.
- 3
Heatshield application or repair. We follow the manufacturer’s surface prep and application protocols, because skipping primer or applying over damp masonry is exactly how Coatings fail early. Our crew has applied Cerfractory in Austin’s humidity and knows the cure-time adjustments it requires.
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Post-repair testing. After any relining or resurfacing job, we run a draft test to confirm the flue pulls properly, then scope again so you have before-and-after photos side by side.
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Written 365-day guarantee. Every HeatShield repair we do carries our 365-Day Done Right Promise: a written guarantee and a free second visit if the repair fails within a year. No fine print, no pro-rating.
See the difference
Before
After
Before
After
Before
AfterHeatShield Products We Service & Install in Austin
We inspect, clean, repair, and install the full HeatShield lineup. That includes the Cerfractory Flue Sealant for resurfacing damaged flue walls, the Joint Repair System for cracked or deteriorating mortar joints, the CeCure Sleeve Relining System for structural flue rehabilitation when tiles are compromised, and EcoShell Coating for exterior masonry waterproofing and resurfacing. On the truck in Austin, we carry Cerfractory mix, joint compound, and common CeCure components for same-week repairs. Specialty colors for EcoShell and uncommon flue dimensions are special-ordered and usually arrive within a few business days.
We Also Service These Brands
HeatShield is one system in a broader toolkit. We also work extensively with DuraFlex flexible liner systems and Gelco chimney products across Austin and Heatshield repair in Cedar Park, which means we recommend the right material for your specific chimney, not just the one we happen to stock. If a DuraFlex liner makes more sense for your setup than a CeCure sleeve, we’ll say so.
FAQs – HeatShield Chimney Cleaning Service in Austin
Cerfractory is designed to be applied over existing flue tiles after the surface has been properly cleaned and prepared. The tiles stay in place. What matters is surface integrity: if the tiles are cracked, shifted, or deeply spalled, coating over them won’t fix the underlying problem. In Austin, we commonly see older clay tiles with hairline fractures from decades of heating and cooling, and those fractures telegraph through the Cerfractory if the surface wasn’t stabilized first. We’ll scope the flue to see what you’re working with before anyone mixes a bag of sealer.
A properly installed CeCure sleeve can last 20 to 25 years. In Austin, the things that shorten that lifespan are water intrusion from cracked crowns or failed flashing, and thermal cycling from our extreme summer heat followed by sporadic winter use. Water behind the sleeve causes delamination and hidden rot, and we see it regularly in older homes where the flashing was never updated. An annual inspection with a camera scope catches water entry early. Call (361) 603-5116 if it’s been more than a year since someone looked at yours.
It depends on where the smoke is escaping. If the flue lining has gaps, cracks, or deteriorated joints, a Cerfractory resurfacing or CeCure relining will usually resolve it. If the smoke is entering through the wall cavity around the chimney structure, that’s a masonry and sealing problem, not a flue lining problem. We’ll scope it and show you exactly where the smoke path is before recommending anything. Heatshield repair in San Marcos and nearby areas addresses similar issues, though Austin homes with double-sided fireplaces often have more complex leak paths than a single-flue bungalow.
Yes, EcoShell is available in multiple color options and can be tinted to blend with existing brick tones. We’ve applied it on Austin homes where the goal was waterproofing without changing the look of the masonry. The color match is never perfect on older brick that has weathered unevenly over fifty years, but it’s much closer than a standard gray parge coat.
Yes. We buy genuine HeatShield materials through authorized distribution channels and install them according to the manufacturer’s specifications. What we don’t do is represent ourselves as a factory-authorized service provider or imply that HeatShield endorses our company. If you prefer a factory-authorized dealer, we’ll tell you how to find one. If you want an independent crew in Austin that will show you scope photos, give you a written price before work starts, and back every repair with a 365-day written guarantee, call us at (361) 603-5116.
Chimney Sweep services in Austin typically run $180 to $300 depending on flue condition, accessibility, and whether it’s a standard open fireplace or a factory-built gas unit. HeatShield-specific inspections with camera documentation add to that. Resurfacing with Cerfractory usually starts around $1,200 to $1,800 and goes up with chimney height and surface area. CeCure relining jobs in Austin typically run $3,500 to $7,000 depending on flue dimensions and access difficulty, with hillside homes in Westlake and Rollingwood sometimes requiring specialized lift equipment that adds cost. Every quote is written before work starts, so you’ll know the exact number before a brush touches your chimney. Call (361) 603-5116 for a free estimate specific to your house.
Book Your HeatShield Service in Austin, TX
If you have a HeatShield system and want a straight answer about its condition, call Hadley Chimney Austin at (361) 603-5116. We’ll schedule your inspection, scope the flue, and show you the photos. From there, you decide. Written price first, 365-day guarantee on every repair, and a live person answers the phone. That’s how we’ve done it in Austin for over two decades.
Written by Cory Mitchell, Owner at Hadley Chimney Austin, serving Austin since 2003.