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 Inspection in Marietta: What to Know First
If you own a Gelco chimney product and need an inspection in Marietta, we can usually get a technician to your home within a few days, not weeks. We perform independent Gelco chimney inspections for homeowners across Marietta, from Level 1 visual checks to full Level 3 tear-downs when something’s seriously wrong. As an independent Gelco service provider, we’re not affiliated with or authorized by Gelco, but we work on their products every week and know exactly where they tend to fail. You’ll get a written price before any work begins, and every inspection includes a camera report you can see with your own eyes. If you’re seeing something that worries you, call (229) 350-8952 and we’ll walk you through it.
How Gelco Products Fail – and How We Fix Them
Gelco makes good equipment, but nothing lasts forever in a Georgia flue. Here’s what we actually see on Gelco jobs in Marietta homes:
- Gelco liner systems with cracking at the corbel line. This is the most common Gelco-specific failure we see in Marietta’s older homes, especially along the Kennesaw Avenue corridor near the Square. The clay tile shifts slightly as the house settles, and the Gelco liner’s rigid sections crack right where the flue passes through the smoke shelf. We fix it by removing the damaged section, inspecting what’s underneath with a camera, and replacing it with a properly sized liner segment. No guesswork.
- Gelco caps with rusted spark arrestors. Georgia humidity is rough on metal components, and Gelco chimney caps installed 10+ years ago often have spark arrestors that are rusted through or clogged with creosote and pollen. The fix is usually a new cap with a properly sized mesh. We’ll show you the old one before we replace it.
- Gelco flue sections that have separated at the joints. When a Gelco sectional liner system gets exposed to repeated heating and cooling cycles, the locking joints can work themselves loose. You get smoke in the house on cold starts, or a faint smell that never quite goes away. We realign and re-lock the joints, then run a full camera inspection to confirm the flue is continuous before we call it done.
- Gelco dampers that don’t seal fully closed. Many Gelco top-sealing dampers in Marietta fail because the cable stretches or the silicone gasket dries out. You’ll notice drafts coming down the chimney in winter, or a faint smoky smell when the fire’s out. We replace the cable assembly or the gasket, depending on what the camera shows.
- Gelco chase covers with leaking seams. On prefab Gelco systems, the chase cover takes a beating from Cobb County storms. When the seams fail, water gets into the chase and rots the framing. We remove the old cover, inspect the interior, and install a new stainless cover with proper drainage.
Styles & brands we work with





Our Gelco Chimney Inspection Process
Here’s exactly what happens when you call us for a Gelco chimney inspection in Marietta:
- 1
You call and talk to a person. Not a voicemail, not a callback queue. We answer live, 24/7. You tell us what you’re seeing, and we’ll tell you if it can wait or if someone should come out soon.
- 2
We schedule the visit and send you the technician’s name and photo before we arrive. Every Alcott Chimney Marietta tech is background-checked, identity-verified, uniformed, and shows a photo ID badge at the door. This is the Threshold Standard, and it’s non-negotiable. You’ll never open the door wondering who’s on the other side.
- 3
The technician arrives and does a full Gelco-specific inspection. They check the liner condition, mortar joints, cap, damper, chase cover, and the flue interior with a camera. For Gelco products, we pay special attention to the corbel line, joint separation, and spark arrestor rust, since those are the failure points we see most in Marietta.
- 4
You see the camera footage yourself. We don’t expect you to take our word for anything. The tech will walk you through what the camera sees, pointing out what’s normal wear and what actually needs attention. If it doesn’t need fixing, we’ll tell you that plainly.
- 5
You get a written price before any work starts. No surprises at the end. If you approve the work, we do it right then if possible. If parts need ordering, we schedule a return visit and you’ll know the total cost before we leave.
- 6
Every repair comes with a written guarantee. If a Gelco repair fails within the coverage period, the second visit is free. That’s the 365-Day Done Right Promise on every job we complete.
See the difference
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AfterWhat Gelco Chimney Inspection Costs in Marietta
Here are the real numbers for Gelco chimney inspections and common repairs in the Marietta market:
- Level 1 inspection (visual, no camera): $125 – $175, usually done during a routine sweep.
- Level 2 inspection (camera, required for real estate transactions and after storms): $200 – $350.
- Level 3 inspection (partial demolition required to access hidden areas): $500 – $1,200, depending on scope.
- Gelco liner section replacement: $400 – $900 for a single section, depending on diameter and accessibility.
- Gelco cap replacement: $250 – $500 installed.
- Gelco damper rebuild: $150 – $400.
What moves the price is access. Marietta homes with steep roofs, tall chimneys, or flues that haven’t been opened in years take longer and cost more. Every inspection includes a written estimate before we start, so you’ll never be hit with a number you didn’t approve. Call (229) 350-8952 for a free estimate and we’ll give you an exact quote for your Gelco system.
Why Marietta Homeowners Call Alcott Chimney Marietta for Gelco Work
Most chimney companies can clean a flue. Not many know the specific ways Gelco products fail in Georgia’s climate. We do, because we’ve been fixing them since 2002. When a Gelco liner cracks at the corbel line on a 1930s bungalow off Whitlock Avenue, we know what we’re looking at before we even put the camera up. We also carry and install the full range of professional trade materials: Gelco, DuraFlex liner systems, HeatShield resurfacing, Olympia Chimney, Famco, and Copperfield. If a Gelco part is backordered or discontinued, we can usually find a quality alternative that fits without compromising the system. And every job, every single time, comes with a written price before work begins, a written guarantee on every repair, and a technician you already know by name and face before they knock. That’s not an upsell. That’s how we’ve always done it.
Ruben Castellano has spent well over a decade inspecting and repairing Gelco systems in Marietta, and he’s the guy neighbors call when they want a straight answer instead of a scare tactic. As he likes to say: “Tell me what you’re seeing and I’ll tell you exactly what it means – no guesswork, no upsell.”
FAQs
We’re an independent Gelco service provider, not a Gelco-authorized dealer, so we can’t file warranty claims on your behalf. But our workmanship is covered by our own written guarantee on every repair. If the repair fails within the coverage period, the second visit is free. Nobody in Marietta offers that kind of accountability on Gelco work.
Most inspections are scheduled within 3 to 5 business days. If you’re in the middle of a real estate transaction and the seller needs a Level 2 inspection yesterday, call us and we’ll do what we can. We answer the phone live, 24/7, so you’ll know the schedule immediately. Call (229) 350-8952.
That depends on age and how many sections are compromised. If it’s a single cracked section and the rest of the flue looks solid on camera, repair is usually the smarter call. If the Gelco liner is 20+ years old and multiple joints are separating, replacement makes more sense. We’ll show you the camera footage and give you a real price for both options, then you decide. No pressure.
We use genuine Gelco parts when they’re available and make sense. When a Gelco part is backordered or discontinued, we’ll recommend a quality aftermarket alternative from brands like DuraFlex or Olympia Chimney and explain exactly why it works. You’ll always know what’s going into your chimney and why.
Creosote, which is the tar-like buildup that causes chimney fires, accumulates whether your system is Gelco or any other brand. Cracks and separated joints let smoke and carbon monoxide into the house. A Gelco cap that’s rusted through lets water into the chase, which rots framing and gets expensive fast. The inspection is cheaper than any of those outcomes. Call (229) 350-8952 and we’ll get you on the schedule.
Written by Ruben Castellano, Owner, Alcott Chimney Marietta at Alcott Chimney Marietta, serving Marietta and nearby areas.