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 Onion Creek, TX | Boardwalk Chimney Sweep
Boardwalk Chimney Sweep provides independent Gelco fireplace and chimney cleaning across Onion Creek‘s 78747 subdivisions. We service the gas-log sets, prefab fireboxes, and direct-vent units common in Onion Creek, Onion Creek Forest, and the surrounding master-planned communities. What makes our Gelco work different here is the flood history: homes rebuilt after the 2013 and 2015 Onion Creek floods often hide silt and rust inside fireboxes that look fine from the living room. Call (877) 274-1247 to schedule a Gelco inspection or cleaning.
Why Onion Creek Residents Choose Us for Gelco Service
We’ve opened enough Gelco units in Onion Creek to know exactly how these fireplaces age in Central Texas humidity. Brent Holloway, our owner, spent years working every flue type you find in the Hill Country, from clay-tile liners to the double-wall metal systems popular when many of these lake-area houses went up. These days he’s the guy neighbors call when they want a straight answer about creosote buildup or whether a prefab firebox can handle another season without liner work.
Our crew reads Gelco data plates, traces venting, and documents every inspection. We’re independent, not manufacturer-authorized, which means we tell you what the unit actually needs rather than what a warranty rep wants to hear. For Onion Creek specifically, that means knowing which Gelco gas-log sets from the 1990s and 2000s builder era still hold up, and which ones are fighting rust from creek dampness. We work on Gelco sales & service units across the full repair-to-maintenance cycle, and we repair what we inspect.
Styles & brands we work with
Common Gelco Chimney Cleaning Problems We Solve in Onion Creek
- Rusted dampers and corroded firebox panels from flood silt. The same creek that gives Onion Creek its name flooded this ZIP in 2013 and 2015, and we regularly find corroded components in houses that were redone afterward. A rusted Gelco damper won’t open, which means smoke backs up into the room on first use.
- Gas-log sets that misfire after sitting idle for months. Onion Creek fireplaces sit unused eight or nine months a year in Texas heat. Soot, dust, and moisture collect in the burner ports, and the first fall light attempt often fails or produces weak, yellow flames. We clean the burner assembly and test gas pressures before cold weather hits.
- Pitted and loosened flue joints on older Gelco prefab units. We see this most in original 1990s builds that didn’t get the full flood rebuild. Factory-built flue seams loosen over time, letting debris collect at the collar and creating draft problems that mimic a blocked flue.
- Failed caps and cracked crowns on subdivision rooftops. Onion Creek’s position along the creek means damp air, and a missing cap lets rain straight into a flue that’s already fighting humidity. We replace Gelco caps with OEM components where available and inspect the crown during every service call.
- Hidden silt packed behind firebox panels in rebuilt homes. This is the problem unique to Onion Creek. A house that was gutted and redone after the floods can still have creek silt behind the firebox panel, because contractors focused on walls and floors, not the fireplace interior. We’ve opened units in Onion Creek Forest that looked pristine from the outside and were packed with dried silt inside.
Gelco Service in Onion Creek: What Local Conditions Mean for Your Equipment
Here’s the thing about Onion Creek that changes how we approach every Gelco inspection here. The Halloween 2013 and 2015 floods put dozens of homes under water along the creek. When those houses were rebuilt, the focus was on sheetrock, flooring, and structure. The fireplaces? Often left as-is. So a Gelco firebox in a home that looks brand-new from the street can still be hiding creek silt behind the firebox panel, a damper that rusted shut years ago, and flue metal pitted from standing water. Our Level 2 inspection in Onion Creek includes a flood-history and water-damage check that we simply don’t need in drier subdivisions a mile away on higher ground. If you can smell the smoke inside, the chimney’s already telling you something. Worth listening before it gets louder.
In Onion Creek Forest, we opened a Gelco gas-log set in a rebuilt 78747 home and found creek silt packed behind the firebox panel and a damper rusted shut. The homeowner had no idea, since the house had been redone after the floods. We cleaned the firebox and flue, freed and tested the damper, serviced the gas-log burner ports, and documented the pitted flue collar for the owner before the first cold snap. That’s the difference between a sweep that just runs a brush through and an inspection that actually looks at what the creek left behind.
Gelco Models & Products We Service in Onion Creek
We work on the full range of Gelco equipment found in 78747: gas-log fireplace sets installed in 1990s and 2000s builder-grade prefab fireboxes, Gelco prefabricated metal firebox and insert units in the master-planned communities, and direct-vent gas fireplace units in the newer 2010s and 2020s builds. We also service Garfield Gelco service units, multi-flue caps, and venting components on subdivision rooftops. For parts, we fit OEM Gelco components where they’re still available: dampers, caps, firebox panels, gas-log burners. When OEM is discontinued, we use quality aftermarket equivalents and always tell you which one we’re installing. No guesswork, no surprises about what’s going into your fireplace.
See the difference
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After
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Before
AfterGelco Service Pricing in Onion Creek
Chimney sweeping and inspection for a standard Gelco prefab or gas-log unit in Onion Creek typically runs $150 to $350 depending on the unit’s condition and whether it’s been properly maintained. If we’re doing a Level 2 inspection with camera documentation, that adds to the scope but gives you a visual record of what the flue actually looks like inside. Repairs like damper replacement or gas-log burner service are priced separately, and we give you the number before we do the work. Every estimate is free, and we document everything we find. Call (877) 274-1247 for an exact quote on your Gelco unit in Onion Creek.
Serving Onion Creek, TX — Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Onion Creek 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 Onion Creek
Yes. A standard visual check won’t catch what flood water leaves behind. Our Level 2 inspection includes a flood-history check: we look for silt behind the firebox panel, pitted flue metal, and rusted dampers, which are the three problems we find most in rebuilt Onion Creek homes. It’s an inspection checklist item you’d never need on higher ground a mile away. Call (877) 274-1247 to book one.
Burner ports clog with dust, soot, and humidity-driven residue during the months the fireplace sits idle. Central Texas summers mean eight or nine months of inactivity, and that’s plenty of time for buildup. We clean the burner assembly, check gas pressure, and test the ignition before the first fall use, so you’re not standing there with a lighter and a prayer on the first cold evening.
For most annual maintenance on a Gelco prefab in Onion Creek, a Level 1 inspection is adequate. But if your home was flooded in 2013 or 2015, if you’ve had any water intrusion around the fireplace, or if you’re buying a rebuilt home and want to know what’s actually inside the firebox, a Level 2 with camera documentation is worth it. We’ll recommend the right level based on the unit’s age, flood history, and condition.
It depends on how far the rust has spread. If the damper is seized but the surrounding firebox metal is sound, we can free it, replace the damper assembly, and test it. If the firebox panels themselves are pitted and compromised from flood silt, we’ll tell you honestly that patching isn’t safe and walk you through your options. We repair what we inspect, and we don’t patch a unit that won’t hold safely. Call (877) 274-1247 to schedule a look.
They don’t need the same creosote-focused sweeping that a wood-burning flue does, but direct-vent units still accumulate dust on the glass, burner ports, and vent termination. An annual check also catches venting problems, cap damage, and gas pressure issues before they become headaches. We service the direct-vent Gelco units in the newer 2010s and 2020s Onion Creek builds and Rollingwood Gelco service with the same attention we give the older prefab units.
Service Areas Near Onion Creek
We serve Onion Creek and the surrounding Central Texas communities, including Gelco service in Lago Vista, Gelco service in Hornsby Bend, Barton Creek, Lakeway, and Bee Cave. If you’re in the 78747 ZIP or nearby, we’ll come to you. For a broader look at our coverage, see our Onion Creek service area page.
Book Your Gelco Service in Onion Creek Today
If your Gelco fireplace hasn’t been inspected since before the last flood season, or if you’ve noticed your gas-log set struggling to light, give us a call. We’ll schedule your service, document everything we find, and give you an honest repair-versus-replace answer if there’s damage. Reach Boardwalk Chimney Sweep at (877) 274-1247 for a free estimate on Gelco repair in Shady Hollow and Onion Creek.
Written by Brent Holloway, Owner at Boardwalk Chimney Sweep, serving Onion Creek and the surrounding 78747 area.