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Reservoir is big enough to hold two kinds of chimney at once — original masonry in the older pockets, and new steel flues on the townhouses going up between them. FreshDuct services both.
Original masonry chimney, or a new townhouse flue? The two need quite different things.
Reservoir is one of the largest suburbs in Melbourne’s north, built out heavily in the post-war decades with solid double-fronted brick and weatherboard homes on generous blocks between Broadhurst Avenue and the Ring Road. It is not a period-chimney suburb in the way the inner north is — many homes were built without an open fireplace — but wood heaters and slow-combustion fireplaces have been retrofitted into a great number of them over the years.
That retrofitting is the key thing about Reservoir chimneys. A wood heater or slow-combustion fire added to a post-war home vents through a steel flue that passes up through the roof, and that flue collects creosote from every burn just like any chimney. Where the flue penetrates a tiled or metal roof, the flashing has to keep water out, and after a decade or two it can loosen or corrode. The cap and cowl on top wear in the same way.
FreshDuct services these homes across Reservoir. We sweep wood-heater and slow-combustion flues, clear creosote, check the appliance and draw, and repair or reseal caps and flashing where time has worked on them. Every job is documented with before and after photos and clear advice.
The things we look at first on a Reservoir chimney — based on the local housing and conditions.
Reservoir has seen heavy subdivision, and a double-storey townhouse going up on the neighbouring block changes the airflow around an older chimney. A fireplace that drew fine for decades can start backing smoke into the room with nothing at all wrong inside the flue.
The older pockets still run unlined masonry chimneys, while the infill builds vent through modern insulated steel. The two fail in completely different ways, so we service them differently rather than putting one checklist over both.
New builds are often terminated at the minimum height allowed, which leaves very little margin once a fence, a tree or the next townhouse arrives. Where a near-new flue struggles to draw, height is usually the reason.
Real photos from FreshDuct chimney jobs. We document every job we do with before and after photos.
One local team for the whole chimney — from a routine sweep to inspections, repairs and caps.
Contained, mess-free sweep for open fires and wood heaters.
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Visual, camera & drone checks with a full photo report.
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For heavy, baked-on or glazed creosote a sweep can’t shift.
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Leaks, cracks, flashing and masonry put right, with photos.
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Cracked, unlined or failing flues repaired or relined.
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Keep rain, birds and embers out and improve draught.
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Every part of the chimney, handled by the one local team. Here is what each job involves on a typical Reservoir chimney.
Most homes here have a wood heater retrofitted into an older open fireplace, so we sweep both the appliance flue and the masonry void it sits inside. Contained, vacuumed and photographed.
On a retrofit the deposit gathers where the steel meets the old brickwork, out of sight of a normal sweep. That junction is the first place we check.
The key question on a retrofit is whether the heater and flue were correctly installed into the old fireplace. We camera the flue and check the register plate, clearances and surrounding masonry.
Debris dropping down behind a retrofitted heater usually means the old chimney void above it has been colonised. It needs clearing separately.
On a retrofit the old smoke chamber sits sealed above the new heater and quietly accumulates residue. We open it up, clean it and confirm the register plate is doing its job.
Rebedded on a sound mortar bed with the top course made good, so water runs off the stack instead of into it.
Replaced with a cast crown that oversails the brick and sheds water clear, rather than another wash that will fail the same way.
Where a heater flue passes through old masonry, the transition is the weak point and the most common place we find damage. We repair that junction and camera above it.
Installed as a continuous insulated liner from appliance to terminal, sealed both ends, so the old masonry no longer carries flue gas.
If your retrofitted heater vents straight into the old chimney void with no liner, that is worth correcting regardless of how long it has been that way.
Fitted to cover the full stack opening rather than just the flue, so the masonry void stays dry as well.
Cut out and repointed in a compatible mix, with the roofline courses given particular attention since that is where water sits.
An open damper sitting behind a retrofitted heater quietly vents heated air out of the house all winter.
Replaced with proper stepped lead flashing chased into the brickwork, which is a permanent fix rather than a fillet that cracks again.
Once render falls off a post-war stack the soft brick behind it deteriorates quickly, so it is worth acting before more is lost.
Smoke problems after a retrofit are usually a sizing or sealing issue where the heater meets the old chimney. We find the leak or restriction and correct it.
Rendered post-war stacks crack and then hold water behind the render. We repair the render first, then waterproof so the problem does not simply return.
Post-war stacks often need the render stripped, brickwork made good and the top rebuilt. We restore the chimney to a state where it can be used and maintained again.
Rebuilt above the roofline in durable brick with a cast crown, new cap and stepped flashing, so it is finished properly.
A retrofitted heater in an older chimney needs a yearly check of both the appliance and the masonry it vents through. We service the whole system.
Gas conversions in post-war fireplaces are very common, and many vent into unaltered old masonry. We service the appliance and verify the flue arrangement is safe.
Reservoir is large enough that two streets apart can mean two entirely different jobs — an unlined masonry flue on one, a factory-built steel system on the other. We carry what each of them needs rather than treating them as the same appliance.
Where subdivision has changed what surrounds a chimney, we look at the site as it is now. Often the fix is terminal height or a downdraught cowl, and no work inside the flue at all.
FreshDuct services Reservoir and the surrounding north 7 days a week. We are regularly on flues in neighbouring Preston, Thornbury and Bundoora, and across to Epping, so Reservoir and its borders are part of our run.
From a post-war home off Broadhurst Avenue to a house near Edwardes Lake, we can usually offer a prompt appointment and prioritise any flue that is blocked or not drawing safely.
A safe, documented, end-to-end service — every job, every suburb.
Visual, camera or drone inspection of the chimney and flue.
We pinpoint the real cause and explain it clearly.
Only what is needed, done properly and safely.
We confirm clearances, draw and a safe result.
Before & after photos so you see the result.
Site left clean, with honest advice.
Verified 5-star reviews from across FreshDuct’s duct, heating, cooling and chimney services.
“Allen provided exceptional service — friendly, professional and went above and beyond.”
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“Highly impressed with the professionalism and efficiency. On time, and no mess left behind.”
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“Exceeded my expectations. Knowledgeable, meticulous and respectful of our home.”
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“So glad I chose FreshDuct. Knowledgeable team and the whole process was smooth from start to finish.”
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“Quick, efficient and professional — we could immediately feel the difference.”
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“The technician arrived on time and was incredibly thorough — the difference at home is obvious.”
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We cover Reservoir and the surrounding suburbs. Explore nearby areas and related FreshDuct services.
Very likely. A new double-storey building next door changes the wind pattern around your chimney and can push air back down the flue. Nothing inside the chimney has changed, so the fix is normally extra terminal height or an anti-downdraught cowl.
Because it still collects deposit every time you burn. Newer flues also tend to be terminated at minimum height, which makes them sensitive to anything built or grown nearby since. We sweep it and check the terminal height against the site as it now is.
Yes. FreshDuct provides chimney sweeping, safety inspections, deep cleaning, repairs, caps and cowls across Reservoir and the surrounding north, 7 days a week. Call 04 3191 8137 or request a free quote.
A standard chimney sweep starts from $180 and a chimney safety inspection from $99, then quoted to your chimney, its condition and roof access. You get clear pricing up front — call 04 3191 8137.
We service Reservoir and nearby suburbs 7 days a week and prioritise blockages and smoke problems where a fire can’t be used safely. Call 04 3191 8137 for the soonest availability.
Yes. Every FreshDuct chimney job in Reservoir comes with before and after photos and honest, plain-English advice — so you can see exactly what was done and why.
Sweeping, inspections, repairs and caps — a clean, documented job with photo proof. Available 7 days.
Tell us about your chimney — we respond fast, 7 days.
