Chimney Odor & Smoke Smell Removal in St. Louis, MO
A chimney that smells is usually telling you three things at once: there is creosote in the flue, moisture is reaching it, and air is being pulled down the chimney into your room instead of up and out. Deodorizers only mask it. The $69 inspection identifies which of the three is driving the smell, and the fix removes it at the source.
Almost everyone who calls us about chimney odor calls in July, not January — and that confuses people, because the fireplace has not been lit in months. That is exactly the point. Summer humidity soaks into the creosote lining the flue and reactivates it, while your air conditioning lowers the pressure inside the house and pulls air down the chimney to compensate. The smell was always there. Summer just gave it a delivery route into your living room.
How this gets priced
Starts with the $69 inspection
Odor almost always has more than one cause, so the price depends on what the inspection finds — a sweep, a cap or crown repair to stop moisture, a top-sealing damper to stop the downdraft, or some combination. You get one fixed price before anything starts, and the $69 comes off the work.
How do I know I need odor removal?
If any of these describe your situation, it is worth having someone look. Most are cheap to fix early and expensive to fix late.
- Smoky or sooty smell from the fireplace, worst in summer
- Odor that gets noticeably stronger when the air conditioning runs
- Musty or damp smell for a day or two after heavy rain
- Smell coming from a fireplace that has not been used in months
- Sour, rotting or ammonia smell — that points to an animal, not creosote
- Odor noticeable in rooms above the fireplace, not just at the hearth
- Smell that comes and goes with the weather rather than staying constant
Why it matters
The smell itself is a nuisance, but what causes it is not. Odor reaching your living room means air is flowing down the chimney and into the house — and that same downdraft is what would carry combustion gases, including carbon monoxide, into the room the next time you light a fire. A chimney you can smell is a chimney that is venting backwards.
Call (314) 887-7250What’s included
Exactly what happens when we come out, step by step.
- 1
Find which of the three causes it is — $69
Creosote, moisture, downdraft, or an animal. These need completely different fixes, and treating the wrong one is why so many people tell us they have already tried everything.
- 2
Remove the fuel
Creosote is what actually smells. A proper sweep takes the source out of the flue rather than perfuming over it, and it is the step that does most of the work.
- 3
Stop the moisture
Dry creosote is far less pungent than wet creosote. If water is reaching the flue through the crown, the cap or the masonry, the smell returns every summer until that is closed off.
- 4
Fix the airflow
If the house is pulling air down the chimney, a top-sealing damper seals the flue at the top instead of the throat. That is usually what finally ends it, and it saves heating and cooling loss year round.
Chimney Odor & Smoke Smell Removal: common questions
Why does my chimney smell worse in the summer?
Two reasons that stack. Missouri humidity soaks into the creosote coating the flue and makes it far more pungent than when it is dry. At the same time, air conditioning and a well-sealed house lower the indoor air pressure, so the house pulls air down the chimney to make up the difference — bringing the smell with it. Winter reverses both: the flue dries out and warm air rises, carrying the odor up and away.
Will a chimney sweep get rid of the smell?
It is the single biggest step and it solves plenty of cases outright, because creosote is the thing that smells. But if moisture is still getting into the flue or the house is still pulling air downward, the odor comes back. That is why we inspect first rather than selling a sweep and hoping.
Do chimney deodorants and odor-removal products work?
They mask the smell for a few weeks. None of them remove creosote, stop water getting in, or change the air pressure in your house, so the smell returns — usually the next humid stretch. If you have already tried them and the smell keeps coming back, that is not a failure on your part; you were treating the symptom.
Could the smell be a dead animal rather than creosote?
If it is sour, rotting or sharply like ammonia rather than smoky, yes — and it needs to come out, because nesting material in the flue is both a blockage and a fire hazard. A smoky, campfire-like smell is creosote. We can tell you which within minutes of looking.
What is a top-sealing damper?
A damper that sits at the top of the chimney and seals the flue with a gasket, rather than the traditional metal plate at the throat that never seals tightly. It stops the downdraft that carries the smell in, and it also stops the heated or cooled air you are paying for from going straight up the chimney. It is often the piece that finally ends a long-running odor problem.
The fireplace has not been used in years. Why does it still smell?
Creosote does not evaporate. It stays bonded to the flue wall until something physically removes it, so a chimney that was used heavily a decade ago can still smell today. Time does not clean a chimney.
Chimney Odor & Smoke Smell Removal across the St. Louis metro
We cover the full metro from University City. Chimney problems differ by neighborhood because the housing stock differs — here is what we see where.
Odor Removal in St. Louis
Predominantly 1890–1930 brick
Odor Removal in University City
Largely 1920s–1940s brick, Tudor and Colonial
Odor Removal in Clayton
1920s–1940s masonry, plus newer infill
Odor Removal in Kirkwood
Victorian through 1950s, wide mix
Odor Removal in Webster Groves
Victorian, Craftsman and 1920s bungalows
Odor Removal in Chesterfield
Mostly 1980s–2000s construction
Also serving Ladue, Ballwin, Creve Coeur, Maplewood, Brentwood, Florissant, St. Charles, Des Peres.
Related services
Chimney Sweep
A professional chimney sweep removes creosote, soot and blockages from your flue so the chimney drafts properly and will not catch fire. We quote your chimney before we start, and you approve the price first.
Chimney Cap Installation
A chimney cap is a metal cover with mesh sides that sits on top of the flue. It keeps out rain, animals and debris, and stops burning embers from landing on your roof. It is the cheapest part of a chimney and it prevents the most expensive problems.
Chimney Inspection
A full chimney inspection with Total Chimney Services costs $69 anywhere in the St. Louis metro, and the entire $69 is credited back to you if you book a repair with us.
Need chimney odor & smoke smell removal in St. Louis?
Start with a $69 inspection and a photo report. Credited back in full when you book the work. Call (314) 887-7250.
Open 24/7 · Emergency service, day or night.