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 Bee Cave, TX | Boardwalk Chimney Sweep
We provide independent Gelco chimney cleaning and inspection across Bee Cave’s 78738 ZIP, and the work here has a specific shape: most Gelco fireplaces in this area go months without a fire, then get asked to perform during cold snaps and holidays. That sporadic use pattern is exactly what creates the glazed, third-degree creosote that standard brushing won’t touch. Call (877) 274-1247 for a free estimate from a crew that knows Gelco factory-built systems and the Hill Country conditions that age them.
Why Bee Cave Residents Choose Us for Gelco Service
Gelco factory-built fireplaces are common in the 2000s-to-2020s custom and production homes that dominate Chimney Sweep in Bee Cave territory, and we’ve spent years working on these specific units across the Texas Hill Country. Brent Holloway, our owner, came up through Austin Community College’s HVAC and building systems program, then spent years on roofs from Lago Vista to Bee Cave learning how clay-tile liners, stainless inserts, and those older double-wall metal systems actually behave. He’s also lived in the Lake Travis Highlands long enough to remember when half these lakeside neighborhoods were still cedar scrub. That matters because Gelco flues in Bee Cave don’t fail the way they do in colder climates. They fail from disuse, wind-driven debris, and dry-season fire risk.
We’re not authorized, sponsored, or endorsed by Gelco, and we’ll say that plainly. What we are is an independent Gelco sales & service team that diagnoses what’s actually in your flue and repairs what we find. We source OEM-equivalent Gelco caps, dampers, and firebox components when they’re available and match the original clearances. For discontinued parts, we use quality aftermarket equivalents rated for the same flue temperatures. One call covers chimney sweeping and dryer vent cleaning, which means Bee Cave homeowners can address the two leading household combustion hazards in a single visit.
Styles & brands we work with
Common Gelco Chimney Cleaning Problems We Solve in Bee Cave
Here’s what actually shows up in Gelco flues around Bee Cave, based on the houses we’ve been through:
- Third-degree glazed creosote from smoldering holiday fires. Bee Cave winters are mild, so fires burn low and slow. That’s the recipe for a hardened, tar-like glaze that standard brushing won’t remove. We use rotary creosote tools to break it down properly.
- Live oak pollen and cedar duff packing Gelco caps and spark arrestors. Every spring, wind funnels pollen into caps across 78738. A packed cap blocks draft and, on a dry lot, creates a spark path nobody wants. Our spring cap check catches this before it becomes a fire-season problem.
- Builder-grade Gelco 8-inch factory-built flues with unresolved clearance concerns. New construction and remodel punch-list inspections in Bee Cave frequently turn up flues that were installed correctly on paper but have clearances that need documentation for insurers and HOAs. We inspect and document what’s actually there.
- Premature corrosion in Gelco gas-log inserts from sporadic use and attic-side temperature swings. Hot, dry summers with big temperature shifts take a toll on dampers and firebox components, even when the fireplace rarely runs. We catch this during routine sweeps and inspections.
- Bird and rodent nesting in caps during the off-season. A Gelco fireplace that hasn’t been fired since January is a prime nesting site by April. We pull the nests, clean the flue, and get the cap functioning again.
Gelco Service in Bee Cave: What Local Conditions Mean for Your Equipment
Bee Cave sits at the wildland-urban interface, which means chimney work here is less about heating efficiency and more about fire safety. In 78738, many Gelco fireplaces live in second homes and new builds where the flue hasn’t seen a fire since the previous winter. That seasonal gap is why our spring cap check routinely pulls pollen mats and bird nests that would otherwise become a dry-season spark trap. Off Hamilton Pool Road and throughout the limestone-and-oak lots that define this area, a creosote-stoked flue on a cedar-and-oak property is exactly the fuel path wildfire insurers and fire marshals watch. So sweeps in Bee Cave spend as much time documenting builder-grade Gelco clearances for insurers and HOAs as they do actually sweeping. That’s not true in Round Rock or Georgetown, or even for Gelco repair in Barton Creek. It’s very much true here.
If you can smell the smoke inside, the chimney’s already telling you something, worth listening before it gets louder.
Gelco Models & Products We Service in Bee Cave
We work on Gelco factory-built wood-burning fireplaces with 8-inch flues, Gelco gas-log fireplace inserts, Gelco Fireplace Xtrordinair-style inserts, and Gelco multi-flue cap assemblies. For Gelco in Lakeway and Bee Cave turnaround, we keep common OEM-equivalent Gelco caps, dampers, and firebox components on hand so we’re not waiting on a parts shipment when your fireplace needs attention before a cold snap. When a cap needs replacement, we install units matched to your original clearances and the wind exposure of your lot.
If a Gelco flue shows cracked refractory or failing joints, we’ll tell you honestly whether repointing or a full rebuild is the smarter spend rather than patching a compromised system. We repair what we inspect.
See the difference
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After
Before
After
Before
AfterGelco Service Pricing in Bee Cave
Briarcliff Gelco service and Bee Cave cleaning typically runs between $180 and $340 for a standard sweep, depending on the flue condition and whether glazed creosote removal is needed. A Level 2 inspection, which we recommend for any new-construction Gelco flue or a fireplace that hasn’t been used in two or more seasons, adds $150 to $400 depending on scope. Cap replacement, when required, generally falls between $150 and $500 including parts and labor.
What drives the price in Bee Cave specifically is the condition of what we find: a clean, regularly used flue is a quick job; a glazed, pollen-packed flue that needs rotary tooling and a new cap is not. Every estimate is free and comes with a straight answer about what your Gelco system actually needs, not a scare list. Call (877) 274-1247 for an exact quote.
Serving Bee Cave, TX — Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Bee Cave area and know this community well. Use the map below to see our service coverage — if you’re nearby, we can almost certainly help.
FAQs – Gelco Chimney Cleaning in Bee Cave
Yes, and arguably more than a heavily used fireplace. Light, smoldering fires are exactly what produce glazed creosote, and in Bee Cave the long stretches between fires give pollen, duff, and nesting animals time to clog the cap. An annual sweep plus a spring cap check is the right rhythm here. Call (877) 274-1247 to schedule both.
It’s the single most useful inspection for a Bee Cave homeowner with a builder-grade Gelco flue. Original installation clearances and caps are the main concern in new Hill Country builds, and insurers and HOAs often want documentation before a claim or sale. A Level 2 gives you the camera evidence and the written record that a standard sweep won’t.
Because Bee Cave is live-oak and cedar country, and spring winds funnel pollen into caps across 78738. A standard Gelco cap with a tight spark-arrestor mesh will catch it. The fix is a spring cap check and cleaning, plus replacement of any cap that’s rusted or damaged enough to block draft. Call (877) 274-1247 and we’ll get it cleared.
Glazed creosote can almost always be removed with rotary creosote tools without rebuilding. The question is what’s underneath. After removal, we inspect the refractory panels and flue joints. If they’re intact, you’re done. If the glaze hid cracked panels or failing joints, we’ll show you the camera footage and lay out your repair options honestly.
Yes. We service Gelco gas-log inserts, including damper corrosion, firebox component wear, and venting checks. Gas-log systems still need annual inspection, especially in Bee Cave where attic-side temperature swings accelerate corrosion on components that rarely see use. Call (877) 274-1247 if your gas-log insert hasn’t been checked in a few years.
Service Areas Near Bee Cave
We serve Bee Cave and the surrounding Hill Country communities, including Lakeway, Barton Creek, and The Hills. If you’re in a nearby neighborhood with a Gelco fireplace, we can help. Our crews cover the full 78738 ZIP and the lake-area corridors. We also provide Gelco service in The Hills and Gelco service in Elgin, so call if you’re nearby.
Book Your Gelco Service in Bee Cave Today
A Gelco fireplace in Bee Cave is a dry-season fire-safety system, not just a heating appliance. If yours hasn’t been swept or inspected since last winter, call (877) 274-1247 today for a free estimate. We’ll get your flue clean, cap clear, and documentation in order before the next cold snap or wildfire season, whichever comes first.
Bee Cave service area coverage includes the full 78738 ZIP.
Written by Brent Holloway, Owner at Boardwalk Chimney Sweep, serving Bee Cave and the Texas Hill Country.