Animals and Nests Out of Your Chimney

An uncapped flue is a dry, sheltered hole on the roof, and birds, squirrels and raccoons all find it. In older Chicago houses the trouble is often not the fireplace flue at all but the one beside it that serves the furnace, boiler or water heater. A nest there can block the exhaust from a gas appliance, and that is a carbon monoxide problem, not just a nuisance. It is one reason the City of Chicago requires a CO alarm in the same room as every furnace, boiler and water heater.

Animal or nest removal from the chimney typically runs $600 – $1,500, depending on what is inside, how far down it is and whether we have to come back. A new cap so it can't happen again typically costs $200 – $850. The inspection is free, and you get both prices in writing before we start.

Signs you need this

• Scratching, fluttering or chirping inside the chimney or the wall beside it
• Twigs, leaves or feathers falling into the firebox
• A bad smell from the fireplace that wasn't there before
• No cap on top of the chimney when you look from the street
• A gas appliance that smells of exhaust or a CO alarm that sounds

How we do it

1. Find out what's insideWe check from the roof and from below to see what animal or nest it is and which flue it's in.
2. Remove itLive animals are pushed out or removed, and nests, debris and any remains come out of the flue.
3. Clean up and checkWe vacuum what came down, check the damper and the base of every flue, and photograph the result.
4. Close the topA cap with mesh goes on each open flue so nothing gets back in.

Why a nest in a furnace flue matters

A fireplace flue with a nest in it is a smoky fireplace. A water-heater or boiler flue with a nest in it can spill exhaust into the basement without anyone noticing until an alarm goes off. If you have a gas appliance and something has been living in the chimney, have it checked before the next cold snap.

Gas emergencies are different. If you smell gas, leave the house first and call from outside: Peoples Gas at 866-556-6002 in the city, Nicor Gas at 888-642-6748 in most suburbs. For carbon monoxide, leave and call 911.

Do not light a fire to smoke it out

It seems like the easy fix, and it often makes things worse. The animal can panic further down instead of up, a nest can catch fire inside the flue, and a dead animal stuck at the damper is a bigger job than a live one. Keep the damper closed and call us instead.

The cap is the real fix

Removal solves today's problem. The cap solves next year's. A prefab metal cap fits most single flues, and a custom cap or chase cover covers wide crowns with several flues, which is common on two-flats. Both go on the same visit when the price is approved.