Chimney Repair and Sweeping in McHenry, Illinois

McHenry was founded on May 10, 1836, and named, like the county, for Major William McHenry of the Black Hawk War. Downtown sits on the Fox River, and the city calls itself the Heart of the Fox River. The 0.73-mile Riverwalk follows Boone Creek and the Fox between the Green Street and Riverside Drive districts, and West McHenry began as George Gage's Gagetown. The population doubled from 3,336 in 1960 to 6,772 in 1970.

In the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 survey, McHenry's median year built is 1988, about 27 percent of homes were built since 2000 and fewer than 3 percent before 1940. Gas heats about 84 percent. About 0.6 percent of homes use wood as their main heat, small but far above Chicago's 0.02 percent, so wood stoves and inserts are more common here than in the inner suburbs.

Wood stoves and liners

A wood stove or insert needs a flue of its own, usually a stainless liner run down the old chimney, and that liner needs sweeping every season it is used. NFPA 211 calls for a yearly inspection. A stainless liner typically costs $900–$3,800, and installing a wood stove into an existing masonry chimney $4,000–$8,000.

Freeze-thaw away from the lake

McHenry is inland, where NOAA's 1991–2020 normals for Rockford show about 86 freeze-thaw days a year (derived) against about 78 at O'Hare. Crowns crack, chase covers rust and flashing lifts. Typical ranges: minor crown repair $150–$700, flashing $300–$1,800, custom chase cover $425–$850.

• Creosote in stove liners after a heavy-burning winter
• Rusted chase covers on 1990s and 2000s homes
• Gas fireplaces that need a yearly check
• Animal nests in uncapped flues near the river

Where we work in McHenry

Green Street downtown · Riverside Drive · West McHenry · Along Boone Creek · East side by the Fox River