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 Cleaning in Brushy Creek, TX | Ashton Chimney
We provide independent Chimney Sweep in Brushy Creek for Gelco systems, covering every Gelco factory-built fireplace model commonly installed in 1990s and 2000s homes here. What sets our Gelco work apart in Brushy Creek is the hail angle: this community’s prefab chimneys take cap damage during spring storms more than almost anywhere else in the Austin metro, and a cleaning visit often turns into a cap or chase-cover fix before your next rain lands in the firebox. Call (855) 507-9184 for a free estimate on Gelco service, whether you need a sweep, a Level 2 inspection, or a hail-rated cap replacement.

We’re independent Gelco service providers, not manufacturer-affiliated or authorized. Our Gelco sales & service work covers cleaning, inspection, and repair using OEM Gelco parts for safety components and professional-grade aftermarket equivalents where they make sense. For Brushy Creek homeowners, that means one call handles the sweep, the cap, and the damper, without a hand-off to a separate contractor.
Why Brushy Creek Residents Choose Us for Gelco Service
Most chimney companies in the Austin area know masonry flues. Brushy Creek is different. The housing stock here is predominantly 1990s – 2010s builder-grade construction in planned subdivisions, which means factory-built metal fireplaces with masonry veneer chimneys, not true masonry flue construction. That changes what a cleaning and inspection actually involve: prefab fireboxes, dampers, caps, and chase covers rather than brick liners and clay tile.
We’ve spent years working on Gelco’s model families in exactly this kind of construction. Nolan Pruett, our owner, grew up in the Buttercup Creek neighborhood and offers Cedar Park Gelco service, having been sweeping chimneys in this area for going on fifteen years. He knows what a Gelco zero-clearance damper sounds like when the pivot pins are seizing, and he knows what Brushy Creek humidity does to a direct-vent gas unit’s vent terminal. That’s not something you get from a general handyman sweep. When we open a Gelco firebox in Brushy Creek, we know what we’re looking for before the flashlight goes on.
We keep OEM-compatible seals, dampers, and cap components specific to Gelco’s factory-built systems stocked for fast turnaround in the 78717 ZIP code. If your damper’s stuck open after years of occasional use, we’re not waiting a week on a part. One company handles the sweep, the repair, and the sign-off.
Styles & brands we work with





Common Gelco Chimney Cleaning Problems We Solve in Brushy Creek
- Stuck or seized damper pivot pins and brackets. Gelco zero-clearance wood fireplaces in Brushy Creek sit idle through the hot, humid months, then get used hard for a few cool weeks in December and January. The pivot pins and brackets wear or seize from that on-off cycle plus humidity. You’ll notice the damper won’t move, or it’s stuck open letting cooled air pour down the flue in summer. We service and replace these with OEM Gelco hardware.
- Condensation and corrosion on direct-vent gas unit vent terminals. Brushy Creek’s humidity is relentless, and Gelco direct-vent gas fireplaces often develop condensation on the vent terminal and inner flue during the short heating season. That moisture sits on metal for months of idle time afterward. If your Gelco gas fireplace smells musty or you see rust at the termination, that’s the pattern we see most often in the Hill Country’s edge climate.
- Degraded factory seals and gaskets at the firebox-to-flue collar. Gelco inserts rely on gaskets at the firebox-to-flue collar to keep creosote-laden smoke moving up the flue instead of into the chase and attic. After a decade of Brushy Creek temperature swings, those seals compress and fail. We replace them during a cleaning visit when we find signs of smoke staining or creosote deposition around the collar.
- Hail-damaged cap screens and spark arrestors. This is the big one for Brushy Creek. Gelco’s original caps were not built for the hail this area gets in March and April. Cracked tops, torn screens, dented spark arrestors: we see them on roughly half the Gelco prefab chimneys we inspect here after a storm season. Rain enters the flue, runs down, and stains the firebox ceiling.
- Creosote buildup from occasional-use wood burning. Brushy Creek fireplaces are lifestyle features, not heating necessities. Homeowners burn a fire on weekends in December and January, then the fireplace sits. That creates a different creosote profile than daily wood stoves: lighter but stickier deposits that glaze the flue surface and harden over summer. We remove it properly with the right brushes and solvents for factory-built flue systems, not masonry chimneys.
Gelco Service in Brushy Creek: What Local Conditions Mean for Your Equipment
Here’s the thing about Brushy Creek that doesn’t get talked about enough: these 1990s and 2000s builder-grade homes came with Gelco factory-built fireplaces installed with original caps that were never rated for the hail this specific corridor of the Hill Country catches. Spring storms roll down Brushy Creek Road and pound the Ranch at Brushy Creek, Sendero Springs, and the surrounding subdivisions with hail that cracks those caps and tears the screens. The homeowner rarely notices until the next rain, when water rings appear on the firebox ceiling and the smell of wet ash rises out of the fireplace. That’s the call we get most often in March and April, and it’s a problem that barely exists for older masonry chimneys in neighboring cities. What starts as a chimney cleaning request in Brushy Creek frequently becomes a cap replacement and a flue inspection, because water entry through a compromised cap is the first step toward rusted dampers, degraded firebox gaskets, and creosote that turns to sludge. If you own a Gelco fireplace in Brushy Creek and haven’t looked at your cap since the last hailstorm, there’s a decent chance you’re looking at the early stages of that exact problem. We’ll tell you what we found, what it means, and what your options are, in plain language.
Gelco Models & Products We Service in Brushy Creek
We service the full range of Gelco factory-built systems common to Brushy Creek homes. That includes the Gelco Zero-Clearance Wood Fireplace, Gelco Gas Fireplace Insert, Gelco Direct-Vent Gas Fireplace, and Gelco Vent-Free Firebox. For critical safety components like dampers, vent terminals, and firebox gaskets, we use OEM Gelco parts whenever they’re available. Cosmetic or universal items, like cap screens and spark arrestors, often get a high-quality aftermarket equivalent that’s built to a higher hail spec than the original. The repair-or-replace call is straightforward: if the firebox and flue are structurally sound, we repair. If the unit is cracked or the model is obsolete to the point that parts no longer exist, we walk you through replacement options honestly. No pressure, no upselling a liner job you don’t need.
See the difference
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AfterGelco Service Pricing in Brushy Creek
What does Gelco service cost in Brushy Creek? A standard chimney cleaning and inspection for a factory-built Gelco fireplace typically falls between $150 and $300, depending on what we find and how accessible the unit is. Cap replacement usually adds $80 to $200 for the part, depending on whether we use a standard Gelco replacement or a hail-rated multi-flue cap. Damper repair with OEM parts runs $120 to $250. Complete firebox gasket or seal replacement, when needed, comes in around $100 to $200. If you’re calling after a storm with water stains on the firebox ceiling, we’ll quote the cleaning plus the cap work as one number, not two surprise invoices. Call (855) 507-9184 for an exact quote, or send us a photo of your cap and we’ll tell you if it needs attention before you spend a dime.
Serving Brushy Creek, TX — Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Brushy Creek area and know this community well, and we also provide Gelco in Wells Branch. Use the map below to see our service coverage — if you’re nearby, we can almost certainly help.
FAQs – Gelco Chimney Cleaning in Brushy Creek
Yes. We keep OEM Gelco damper pivot pins, brackets, gaskets, and cap components in stock for the specific models installed in 1990s and 2000s Brushy Creek homes. For obsolete units where OEM parts are no longer manufactured, we source high-quality compatible equivalents and explain the difference before we install anything. Call (855) 507-9184 if you’re not sure what model you have, and we’ll help you identify it.
Humidity is the usual culprit. Brushy Creek’s hot, damp air gets into the direct-vent system during idle months, and when the unit runs in the winter, that moisture condenses on the vent terminal and inner flue. Over time it causes corrosion and a musty smell the next time the fireplace fires up. An inspection tells us whether it’s condensation, a venting problem, or a degraded gasket, and the fix is usually straightforward. Call (855) 507-9184 and we’ll diagnose it.
For occasional-use fireplaces like those in most Brushy Creek homes, an annual cleaning and inspection is the right schedule. Even light use builds a sticky creosote glaze inside the flue surface, and Brushy Creek’s idle summers let dust and pest debris accumulate in the prefab firebox and damper area. If you use the fireplace heavily during December and January, or if you’ve had a hailstorm since your last inspection, schedule sooner. Call (855) 507-9184 to book a cleaning.
In most cases, just the cap. When the Gelco cap is cracked or the screen is torn from hail, the chase cover underneath is often still sound. We’ll assess the whole top assembly during the inspection and tell you what’s actually required. If the chase cover is rusted or leaking, we’ll show you the evidence and quote that separately. No one at Ashton Chimney will sell you a new chase cover you don’t need. Call (855) 507-9184 and we’ll look at it.
A Level 2 inspection goes beyond the visual check. We run a camera through the flue to look at the interior liner, firebox-to-flue collar, and cap from inside. For Gelco systems in Brushy Creek, we’re specifically looking for hail damage at the cap, water staining in the firebox, gasket degradation at the collar, and creosote accumulation in the flue. Afterward you get a written report with photos and our recommendations, in plain language. Call (855) 507-9184 to schedule.
Service Areas Near Brushy Creek
Beyond Brushy Creek, we run Gelco service through Brushy Creek service area and into Cedar Park, Anderson Mill, and the surrounding communities. We also handle Gelco service in Jollyville and Gelco service in Leander, so if you’re just over the line, we likely cover you too.
Book Your Gelco Service in Brushy Creek Today
If your Gelco fireplace is due for a cleaning, acting up, or showing water stains after the last storm, call (855) 507-9184. We’ll get you on the schedule, walk you through what to expect, and handle the whole job, sweep to sign-off, with one team from start to finish.
Written by Nolan Pruett, Owner at Ashton Chimney, serving Brushy Creek and the Hill Country’s edge since the early days of the prefab fireplace boom.