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.
Fast, Reliable Dryer Vent Cleaning Across Northridge
Dryer vent cleaning in Northridge typically runs $130 – $220 for a standard single-story ranch home with a roof or wall termination, and we can usually get a tech to your door within a few business days. If you live in a pre-1994 masonry tract home near Reseda Boulevard or Nordhoff Street, the vent run may pass close to a chimney stack that has shifted slightly out of plumb, and that changes the job. We inspect first, show you the camera footage, and only recommend what the video proves. Call (877) 516-7159 for a free estimate.
Why San Bernardino Chimney Sweep Is Northridge’s Preferred Dryer Vent Cleaning Company
We work on chimney and ventilation systems exclusively. That narrow focus matters in Northridge because the older ranch homes across 91324 and 91325 have specific failures, like cracked clay flue tiles and dryer terminations tucked beside shifted masonry, that general handyman services don’t know to look for. We do. Our Dryer Vent Cleaning team runs a camera down every run before recommending anything, and the homeowner watches the footage with us. When we tell you a vent is packed with lint, you’ll see the clog on the screen.
Allen Prescott, our owner, set the standard that nothing gets recommended without camera evidence. That protects you from the classic upsell where a contractor tells you a 1960s flue liner needs full replacement without ever showing you the inside. Our techs work from that rule on every job in Northridge, from a 1950s stucco ranch off Tampa Avenue to a 1970s tract home near Cal State Northridge. We bring contractor-grade parts, not hardware-store substitutes.
Styles & brands we work with
Our Dryer Vent Cleaning Services in Northridge
Camera-Verified Dryer Vent Inspection
Before we clean anything, we run a camera down the full vent run, from the dryer connection to the exterior termination. In Northridge homes built before 1994, the termination often sits near a chimney stack that shifted during the earthquake, and that proximity can hide cracked mortar or a separated flue tile behind the vent. The camera catches what a visual check misses. You watch the footage with us, and we explain exactly what we’re seeing in your vent.
Lint and Debris Removal with Backdraft Damper Check
We remove the lint, animal nests, and debris that build up between seasons. Northridge’s hot, dry summers dry out lint and make it brittle, and Santa Ana winds press dust and debris against vent terminations. After cleaning the run, we check the backdraft damper at the dryer connection. A failed damper lets hot Valley air push back into the laundry room during the summer, and most homeowners in 91327 and 91328 don’t realize that’s why the laundry room stays warm even when the dryer is off.
Dryer Vent Termination and Cap Replacement
When a termination cap is missing, rusted through, or the wrong type for a Valley climate, we replace it with a proper vent cap, often a Copperfield or Famco unit. A cap with a functioning damper keeps birds, rodents, and hot wind out when the dryer isn’t running. In older Northridge ranches, the termination may be sealed against a chimney stack that has spalling mortar, and we’ll document that with the camera rather than just caulking over it and walking away.
Transition Duct and Connection Repair
The flexible or semi-rigid duct that connects the dryer to the wall is often the most damaged part of the system. We see crushed, kinked, and taped-together transition ducts in Northridge homes every week. We replace failing transitions with proper rated ducting and secure the connections. When the vent run passes near a shifted chimney stack, we check that the penetration and flashing are still intact. If they’re not, you’ll see it on camera before we touch it.
What happens when you call
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A real person answersNo phone trees — you reach a local pro.
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You get an upfront price rangeHonest numbers before anyone is dispatched.
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A background-checked tech heads outLicensed & insured, dispatched right away.
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You approve before work beginsNothing starts until you say go.
Trusted Brands We Service in Northridge
We stock and install parts from manufacturers we trust, including Famco vent caps, DuraFlex liner systems, and HeatShield resurfacing material when a chimney inspection around the vent reveals flue tile damage. These are the same brands professional chimney and ventilation contractors use. What that means for a Northridge homeowner is that a fix we make in your laundry room or on your roofline is built with parts designed for this exact work, not whatever was cheapest at the local hardware store.
Common Dryer Vent Cleaning Problems We See in Northridge Homes
- Lint packed against a cracked chimney crown. In 1950s and 1960s ranches along Reseda Boulevard and Lindley Avenue, dryer vents often terminate within a few feet of a masonry chimney. When hot Valley summers crack the crown and Santa Ana winds blow lint against it, the vent gets blocked faster than a homeowner in a newer part of the Valley would ever expect.
- Earthquake-separated flue tiles hidden behind the vent run. The 1994 Northridge earthquake shifted masonry stacks all over 91325 and 91324. A dryer vent that runs alongside or through that stack can hide a separated flue tile behind drywall and framing. A cleaning that skips the camera misses it entirely.
- Animal nests from months of disuse. Dryers in Northridge run year-round, but the vent path near a dormant fireplace chimney attracts birds and rodents looking for a quiet spot. Nests block airflow, and if the termination cap is missing or rusted, the problem repeats every season.
- Failed backdraft dampers and hot laundry rooms. The San Fernando Valley heat pushes hard against exterior vent terminations. A failed backdraft damper lets that hot air pour back into the laundry room, and homeowners in 91329 and 91330 often mistake it for an AC problem. The fix is the vent, not the air conditioner.
See the difference
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After
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After
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AfterPricing for Dryer Vent Cleaning in Northridge, CA
A standard dryer vent cleaning in Northridge runs $130 – $220, depending on the vent run length, the roof or wall access, and whether the termination is on a single-story ranch or a second story. If your home has an especially long vent run from a central laundry room, expect the higher end of that range. Adding a termination cap replacement, a transition duct repair, or a backdraft damper replacement adds $40 – $120 in parts and labor. We quote the full price before starting and you’ll see the camera footage before we recommend any extra work. Call (877) 516-7159 for an exact quote for your Northridge home.
We Also Serve Cities Near Northridge
Our service area covers the surrounding San Fernando Valley communities. We handle dryer vent cleaning, chimney sweeping, and chimney repair in Northridge plus North Hills, Encino, Van Nuys, and Valley Glen. If you’re in one of those nearby cities and dealing with a clogged dryer vent or a cracked chimney crown, the same camera-first standard applies.
Serving Northridge, CA — Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Northridge 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 – Dryer Vent Cleaning in Northridge
You should inspect it precisely because it hasn’t been used. Northridge homes built in the 1950s through 1970s have masonry chimneys that sit idle most of the year, and during that time lint, animal nests, and cracked mortar build up without anyone noticing. The dryer vent near that chimney stack is also building lint, and a camera inspection costs much less than a dryer fire or a carbon monoxide event. Call (877) 516-7159 to schedule a look.
You will see the inside of your flue on camera before we recommend anything. That’s the rule Allen Prescott set, and every tech follows it. If your clay flue tile is intact and the smoke chamber looks sound, we’ll tell you plainly that no liner work is needed. In Northridge we see contractors tell homeowners a full liner replacement is required on a dormant 1960s fireplace, when the real issue is a single separated tile or a cracked crown. We don’t do that.
Yes. The 1994 Northridge earthquake shifted masonry stacks across the 91324 and 91325 ZIP codes, and many of those stacks were repaired cosmetically but never truly re-plumbed. A chimney that sits even slightly out of plumb puts stress on the flue tiles inside, and a dryer vent routed near that stack can hide the damage. We see separated flue tiles and cracked mortar on original 1950s and 1960s chimneys during routine dryer vent cleanings.
Because Northridge’s dry, hot summers bake lint into a hard, crusty layer inside the vent, and Santa Ana winds push dust and debris against the exterior termination. When a backdraft damper has failed, hot outside air also forces its way into the vent and bakes the lint even faster. The fix is a proper cleaning, a functioning damper, and a vent cap that seals when the dryer is off.
First-degree creosote is a light, dusty soot that brushes off easily. Third-degree creosote is a hard, glazed, tar-like layer that forms when a chimney runs hot and cools repeatedly, and it requires chemical treatment or removal with a rotary head. On a Northridge fireplace that hasn’t burned wood in years, creosote is usually not the main issue. Separated flue tiles, cracked crowns, and animal debris are. We’ll show you which condition your flue actually has, on camera, before any cleaning or repair begins.
Contact San Bernardino Chimney Sweep for Dryer Vent Cleaning in Northridge
If your dryer is taking two cycles to dry a load, the laundry room smells musty when the dryer runs, or you haven’t had the vent inspected in years, we can help. We’ll run a camera down the vent, show you what’s there, and clean it properly, using contractor-grade parts where repairs are needed. Nothing gets recommended without footage you can see. Call (877) 516-7159 for a free estimate in Northridge, anywhere from Reseda Boulevard to Tampa Avenue, from 91324 to 91330.
Written by Allen Prescott, Owner at San Bernardino Chimney Sweep.