Portland Fireplace & Chimney is marking 19 years of chimney and fireplace service in the Portland-Vancouver metro. Founder Louis Lee credits the company's staying power to its CSIA-certified standards and a policy of explaining inspection findings to homeowners before recommending repairs, an approach he says has become more relevant as the local trade has grown considerably more crowded since 2007.
When Portland Fireplace & Chimney began operating, the regional chimney trade was a smaller field, but that number grew considerably in the years that followed. With it, Lee says, came a rise in service calls to correct work done by other contractors. Callback work includes flue liners (the internal channels designed to carry combustion gases safely out of the home) installed at the wrong diameter for the heating appliance, clay tile liner inspections done without a video camera, and chimney crown repairs made with materials that gave out within a season. Renewed interest in wood-burning fireplaces and gas appliance conversions has also drawn contractors without specialized chimney training into the market.
Since 2007, the company has built its work around CSIA certification (the Chimney Safety Institute of America, the national standard-setting body for the chimney trade) and compliance with NFPA 211 (the National Fire Protection Association standard governing chimney and venting system safety) on every inspection. Lee serves as president of the Oregon Chimney Sweeps Association and has held instructor standing with the National Chimney Sweep Guild, training other sweeps across the state. The company is also EPA Lead-Safe Renovation certified, a designation required for work on pre-1978 homes where building materials may contain lead. Portland Fireplace & Chimney operates under Oregon contractor license CCB #202488 and Washington license PORTLFI852C5, serving homeowners across Multnomah, Washington, Clackamas, and Clark counties through offices in Portland and Vancouver, WA.
A large share of homes in the Portland-Vancouver area predate 1940, and older construction creates chimney inspection and repair challenges beyond standard maintenance. Many of these homes were built before flue lining became standard practice, and Portland's more than 40 inches of annual rainfall accelerates deterioration of aging masonry, crown mortar, and chimney caps. The region also sits in a seismic zone, and movement in unreinforced brick chimneys may not be visible from the roofline without a professional assessment. Portland Fireplace & Chimney specializes in historic masonry restoration, including lime mortar repointing (the process of replacing deteriorated mortar joints with historically compatible compounds) for chimneys dating to the early 1900s, alongside inspection, cleaning, liner installation, and fireplace services.
"There are a lot more chimney companies out there than when we started, and not all of them are doing it right," said Louis Lee, owner of Portland Fireplace & Chimney. "We see it in the calls we get — liner jobs that were not sized correctly, inspections done without a camera. That is not how we operate. Our goal has always been to make sure the homeowner understands what is happening before we ask them to make any decisions."
The company will mark its 20th year in business in 2027. For more information about chimney inspection and fireplace services, call (503) 758-4710 or visit portlandfireplaceandchimney.com. Homeowners can also read customer reviews from the Portland and Vancouver area.
About Portland Fireplace & Chimney
Portland Fireplace & Chimney has served homeowners in the Portland, OR and Vancouver, WA metro area since 2007. The company provides chimney inspection, cleaning, repair, liner installation, and fireplace installation services for wood, gas, pellet, and electric systems. Portland Fireplace & Chimney is CSIA certified, EPA Lead-Safe Renovation certified, licensed in Oregon (CCB #202488) and Washington (PORTLFI852C5), and a member of the National Chimney Sweep Guild. The company is located at 11124 NE Halsey, Suite 465, Portland, OR 97220. Additional information is available at portlandfireplaceandchimney.com.
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For more information about Portland Fireplace and Chimney Inc., contact the company here:
Portland Fireplace and Chimney
Louis Lee
(503) 758-4710
portlandfireplaceandchimney@gmail.com
11124 NE Halsey Street, Box 465, Portland, OR 97220