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In Reservoir the top of the flue is where subdivision shows up. A townhouse next door changes the wind on a chimney that drew for decades, and new flues finish at the minimum height. FreshDuct fixes downdraught, raises terminals and replaces worn cowls.
Fire started smoking the year the townhouse went up next door? That is the wind, not your flue.
Reservoir's chimney tops have a problem most suburbs do not: the neighbours keep getting taller. Subdivision has put double-storey townhouses beside single-storey post-war homes across the suburb, and a taller building close to a chimney changes how wind moves over the terminal. Gusts that used to pass over the top now curl down it, pushing smoke back into the room on windy nights. Nothing inside the flue has changed, which is why a sweep does not fix it and an inspection finds nothing wrong.
The new flues have the mirror-image problem. Townhouse builders tend to finish a flue at the minimum height the rules allow, which works on the day and stops working once a fence, a tree or the next townhouse arrives beside it. Both situations are fixed at the terminal: an anti-downdraught cowl where wind is curling over the top, or extra height on the flue where it simply sits too low for what now surrounds it. We test the draw to decide which, rather than guessing.
Then there are the ordinary jobs. A cowl fitted with a retrofit heater a decade or two ago has rusted or seized, a cap has blown off an old brick chimney and rain is landing on the smoke shelf, or birds have found an open flue on a house where the fireplace is rarely lit. We replace worn cowls with ones matched to the flue, fit rain caps and bird guards to the brick stacks, and photograph whatever we fit from the roof.
Anti-downdraught cowls, extra terminal height, replacement cowls for retrofit heaters and caps and bird guards for older brick stacks across Reservoir, fitted from the roof.
A double-storey townhouse beside a single-storey Reservoir home turns the wind down the older chimney. An anti-downdraught cowl is usually the fix, and we confirm the draw with it fitted rather than assuming the neighbour is to blame.
Infill flues finished at minimum height have no margin once something grows or is built beside them. Where a near-new flue will not draw, we look at the site as it is now and add height to the terminal rather than fitting a cowl that cannot help.
The brick chimneys in Reservoir's older streets have often lost their cap or never had one, and a fireplace lit a few times a winter is a nesting site the rest of the year. A rain cap with a bird guard keeps the flue dry and clear.
Real photos from Melbourne jobs — not stock, not staged.
When a Reservoir fireplace starts smoking after years of drawing well, we look at the roofline and the neighbours before we look at the flue. If the change is outside, the answer is a cowl or more height, and no work inside the chimney at all.
Whatever goes on is tested with the fire lit or the draw measured, then photographed from the roof, so you can see the terminal against the townhouse next door and judge the difference yourself.
Documented end to end — every job, every suburb.
Flue size, terminal type and roof access checked.
The right cap or cowl for the appliance and the problem.
Firm price before any work.
Fixed and sealed from the roof, safely.
Draw checked with the cap on.
A photo of the finished cap from the roof.
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.”
Verified
“Highly impressed with the professionalism and efficiency. On time, and no mess left behind.”
Verified
“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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The same local team covers the suburbs around Reservoir. Explore nearby areas and related FreshDuct chimney services.
In most cases, yes. The townhouse is turning the wind down your flue, and an anti-downdraught cowl is designed for exactly that. We test the draw with it fitted before calling it fixed; if the flue also sits too low for the new building, we add height instead of, or as well as, the cowl.
Yes. A cowl is a separate part, so a seized one comes off and a new one goes on with the flue left alone. Because Reservoir retrofits are often a decade or two old, we also check the flashing and the flue at the roofline while we are there and tell you if either is close behind.
An open flue lets rain, leaves and birds straight in. A cap keeps the flue dry, keeps nests out and, on a wood heater, a spark arrestor stops embers leaving the flue.
Usually a downdraught — wind pushing back down the flue. An anti-downdraught cowl is the normal fix; we confirm the draw with a test before and after.
Yes. If we are on the roof for a sweep and the flue needs a cap, we can quote it on the spot and fit it the same visit where we have the right size.
Send your details and the office confirms a window for Reservoir. No call-out fee, before and after photos, and honest advice on what your chimney needs and what it does not.
