Chimney Sweeping and Cleaning for Chicago Homes

Hardly anyone in Chicago heats with wood. The Census puts wood as the main heat source in about 0.02% of city homes, so the fireplace here is for holidays, game days and the coldest weekends. That kind of use, a few short fires that never get the flue truly hot, tends to leave a tacky layer of creosote on the flue walls. Removing it is the point of a sweep.

We don't quote a cleaning over the phone, because the price depends on what is actually in the flue. The inspection that comes first is free. We check from the firebox to the cap, photograph the flue and tell you whether it needs cleaning. If it does, you see the price in writing before we start. If it doesn't, we say so and you owe nothing.

Signs you need this

• A stale campfire smell in the room on humid days
• Black flakes on the smoke shelf or dropping onto the grate
• Fires that are hard to start or smoke that rolls out at the top of the opening
• A full season of regular fires since the last cleaning
• No record of a sweep since you bought the house

How we do it

1. Free inspectionWe check and photograph the flue, then price a cleaning only if it really needs one.
2. Cover the roomDrop cloths go down, the fireplace opening is sealed off with plastic, and a HEPA vacuum runs the whole time.
3. Brush the flueA brush sized to your flue clears it top to bottom, then we clean the smoke shelf, smoke chamber and firebox.
4. Before and afterYou get photos from both ends of the job and a note on anything to keep an eye on, like a worn crown or no cap.

How to tell when a sweep is due

CSIA's rule of thumb is to sweep a masonry fireplace once about an eighth of an inch of sooty buildup has formed, and sooner if any of it has hardened into glaze. A busy winter can get there; a light one may not. That is why we look before we sell anything.

Habits matter more than dates. Damp wood, a damper choked down to keep heat in, and slow smoldering fires all add buildup quickly. Hot, short fires with dry split wood add far less.

One stack, several flues

Many Chicago chimneys hold more than one flue: the fireplace, the boiler or furnace, the water heater, and in a two-flat, a fireplace for each unit. Each flue gets inspected, and if more than one needs a sweep, each is priced separately at the inspection so you can see exactly what you are paying for.

Gas appliance flues don't collect creosote, but they do collect fallen tile, mortar and the odd nest. We look at the base of every flue for debris while we are there.

Is there a day I shouldn't burn?

Neither Chicago nor Illinois runs a wood-burning ban program for fireplaces, so there is no city or state notice to check before you light one. The real question is whether your chimney is ready: a swept flue, a working damper and a cap on top. Chicago's open-burning rules are about fires outdoors, not your fireplace.