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 Round Rock, TX | Boardwalk Chimney Sweep
We provide independent Chimney Sweep in Round Rock and Gelco repair across the area, from the original downtown grid up through the 1990s – 2010s tract-home subdivisions along the IH-35 corridor. The thing that makes our Gelco work different here is simple: most Round Rock fireplaces sit inside wood-framed chases with galvanized covers, so what starts as a cleaning call often reveals a rust problem a masonry chimney would never have. Call (877) 274-1247 and we’ll tell you what your Gelco unit actually needs, not what’s easiest to sell.
We’ve worked on Gelco sales & service equipment across the Austin metro for years, and we know these factory-built fireplaces from the firebox panels up to the termination cap. We’re an independent shop. No manufacturer affiliation, no authorized-dealer badge, just a crew that sees Gelco units every week and knows where they fail in Central Texas specifically.
Why Round Rock Residents Choose Us for Gelco Service
Round Rock’s housing stock is dominated by brick-veneer-on-wood-frame tract homes built between the 1990s and 2010s, and most of those fireplaces are factory-built Gelco units inside wood chase enclosures. That’s a very different animal from the masonry stacks you see in older Austin neighborhoods, and it requires a sweep who knows what to look for beyond the flue itself: chase covers, flashing, termination caps, and the prefab pipe sections hidden behind drywall. Brent Holloway, our owner, started in the HVAC and building systems program at Austin Community College’s Riverside Campus and spent years working every kind of flue you find in the Hill Country before focusing on prefab systems like Gelco. When we inspect a Gelco service in Georgetown or Round Rock, we’re checking the whole assembly, not just running a brush up the pipe. We repair what we inspect.
Styles & brands we work with
Common Gelco Chimney Cleaning Problems We Solve in Round Rock
- Rusted-through galvanized chase covers. This is the single most common finding on Gelco units in Round Rock subdivisions built 10 – 15 years ago. The chase cover rusts at the seams, rainwater tracks down into the ceiling below, and the homeowner only notices when a water stain appears on the drywall. A routine sweep often turns into a cover replacement.
- Cracked or warped refractory firebox panels. Central Texas fireplaces get light, occasional use, mostly during the handful of hard freezes each winter. Then the humid summers sit on top of that. The panels in Gelco fireboxes expand, contract, and absorb moisture in cycles that eventually crack them. We see it constantly in Round Rock homes where the fireplace gets used maybe ten times a year.
- Seized dampers and rusted damper-handle assemblies. Long idle stretches between burns let moisture and debris accumulate in the flue. The damper seizes open or the handle corrodes, and the homeowner can’t regulate the burn. On Gelco prefabs, this is usually a damper replacement, and it’s a repair we stock parts for.
- Layered creosote from hard-freeze-only burning. Homeowners in Round Rock burn only when it drops below freezing, which means occasional hot fires with long stretches of nothing. That pattern produces creosote that builds up in layers over years, and it’s often hiding behind the damper where a visual check won’t catch it. We use a Level 2 camera inspection to confirm what’s actually in there.
- Animal nests and debris blockages. Round Rock’s rapid growth has pushed wildlife into older established neighborhoods, and a chimney chase with a damaged or missing cap is an open invitation. We’ve pulled squirrel nests, bird debris, and even old construction material out of Gelco flues in Round Rock that hadn’t been swept since the house was built.
Gelco Service in Round Rock: What Local Conditions Mean for Your Equipment
Here’s the thing nobody tells you when you buy a house in a newer Round Rock subdivision: the chimney chase on your Gelco fireplace is a wood-framed box wrapped in siding, and the only thing between your ceiling and the rain is a galvanized metal cover with seams that rust. In Round Rock’s hot, humid summers and occasional heavy storms, that cover can fail within a decade or so, and when it does, water gets into the flue, the firebox, and the ceiling below. Older Austin neighborhoods mostly have masonry stacks where the failure point is a cracked crown or spalling brick. Round Rock is different. The failure point is the chase top and the flashing where it meets the flue pipe. That’s why our standard Gelco cleaning in Round Rock includes a close look at the chase cover and termination cap, even when the customer only asked for a sweep. It’s not an upsell. It’s the most common repair we make in this city.
Gelco Models & Products We Service in Round Rock
We service the Hutto Gelco service lines and those that dominate this market: the prefab wood-burning fireplaces in 1990s – 2000s homes, Gelco gas fireplace and gas log set installations, Gelco fireplace inserts, and the multi-flue termination caps and chase-top assemblies common on larger Round Rock houses. Our parts policy is straightforward. We source OEM-equivalent Gelco replacement parts when the original spec is available, and we use quality aftermarket components only when OEM is discontinued and the aftermarket part meets the same rating. We keep the most common Round Rock replacement items on hand, including chase covers, termination caps, and damper assemblies, so we often don’t have to wait on a distributor to finish the job.
See the difference
Before
After
Before
After
Before
AfterGelco Service Pricing in Round Rock
A Gelco chimney cleaning in Round Rock typically costs between $175 and $275 for a standard sweep, depending on whether it’s a single-flue prefab or a multi-flue setup with a chase. If we add a Level 2 camera inspection, that usually runs another $100 to $150. Chase cover and termination cap replacements vary with the flue size, but in Round Rock most Gelco units fall into the $350 to $600 range for parts and labor. We quote the full amount before we start, and the estimate is free. Call (877) 274-1247 and we’ll give you an exact number for your unit.
Serving Round Rock, TX — Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Round Rock 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 Round Rock
Because the chase cover on a Gelco prefab is typically galvanized steel, and in Round Rock’s humid summers and rain cycles, those covers rust through at the seams within 10 – 15 years. Water then tracks down into the ceiling drywall below. We find this on a large share of sweep calls in 1990s – 2000s subdivisions here, and it’s a repair, not a scare tactic. Call (877) 274-1247 and we’ll show you the photo evidence from our camera inspection before recommending anything.
Once a year is the right cadence even with light use, because the long idle stretches let moisture, debris, and animal activity accumulate in the flue, and the occasional hard-freeze burn produces creosote that sits and cakes for months. In Round Rock specifically, we recommend an annual sweep with a visual chase-top check to catch rust before it leaks. Call (877) 274-1247 to schedule – we’ll work around the freeze schedule.
We can get OEM-equivalent Gelco replacement parts for most models still in service in Round Rock, including chase covers, termination caps, dampers, and firebox panels. When OEM is discontinued, we use aftermarket parts that meet the same rating, and we’ll tell you if the firebox itself has reached end of life. If the unit is still serviceable, we say so plainly. Call (877) 274-1247 and we’ll assess your specific Gelco model before you spend a dollar.
Book a Level 2 camera inspection with the sweep. In quick-turnover Round Rock resales, we regularly find that the flue has never been swept since new construction, and the chase cover has never been checked for rust. A Level 2 inspection documents what’s in the flue and what condition the chase and cap are in, which gives you a baseline before your first burn. Call (877) 274-1247 and we’ll schedule the inspection and sweep together.
Yes. A Gelco prefab uses factory-built metal flue sections inside a wood chase, and the cleaning has to account for the chase cover, termination cap, flashing, and the prefab components themselves, not just the flue walls. Wire-brushing masonry methods that work on a brick chimney can damage prefab flue pipe, so we use methods and tools sized for Gelco’s factory-built systems. Our Round Rock techs know the difference and adjust accordingly.
Service Areas Near Round Rock
Beyond Round Rock proper, we run Gelco service calls into the surrounding communities. Round Rock service area coverage extends to Lago Vista, Lakeway, Bee Cave, Hornsby Bend, and The Hills. If you’re in Gelco service in Brushy Creek or Gelco service in Windemere, we’re already in your neighborhood regularly and can usually schedule within the week.
Book Your Gelco Service in Round Rock Today
If your Gelco fireplace hasn’t been swept in years, or you’ve spotted rust on the chase, or you just closed on a resale with no chimney records, call (877) 274-1247 about Dryer Vent Cleaning in Round Rock or chimney service. We’ll quote the sweep, inspect the whole assembly, and show you exactly what we find. Same-day scheduling is available when the freeze hits and you need the fireplace tonight.
Written by Brent Holloway, Owner at Boardwalk Chimney Sweep, serving Round Rock and the surrounding Hill Country.