Berkley, Oakland County
Chimney sweep and cleaning in Berkley
Most fireplaces we sweep in Berkley are the original masonry fireplaces in post-war houses. Some still burn wood every weekend. Others were switched to gas logs years ago and haven't been looked at since.
How people here use their fireplaces
In a city where most houses went up between the 1940s and the 1960s, the fireplace is usually an open masonry one, built with the house. We sweep three kinds in Berkley. There are wood fireplaces that get used every cold weekend, fireplaces with gas logs set in them at some point, and a smaller number with a wood insert or stove that heats a room most of the winter.
Wood is what leaves buildup. Every fire leaves soot and creosote on the flue walls, and the cooler the fire, the more it leaves. An insert or stove that's turned down overnight builds it fastest. Gas leaves very little, but gas flues still collect debris from above.
Leaves, seeds and nests
Berkley's streets are lined with trees, and the city keeps adding more through its fall tree replacement program. That's good for the street and hard on an uncapped chimney. Leaves and maple seeds drop in, squirrels carry in nesting material, and birds build on the smoke shelf.
From May to August, chirping in the chimney is often chimney swifts. They're federally protected while they're nesting, so the nest stays until they leave. Our guide to chimney swifts covers what to do. Once they've gone, a sweep clears the nest and a cap keeps the next pair out.
When to book
Book in September or early October, before the first cold weekend sends everyone to the phone at once. If you burn a lot of wood, our guide on how often to clean a chimney helps you decide between once a year and more.
The price is $349. That covers sweeping one flue and an inspection on the same visit, so you find out what condition the chimney is in while we're already there. If you want to see the inside of the flue for yourself, a camera is a $75 add-on.
If we find something
Sometimes a sweep turns up a cracked crown, loose brick near the top or a flue tile that has shifted. You'll get photos and a plain explanation before we leave. If it needs work, we'll send a written quote for the chimney repair, and nothing gets done until you say so.
Questions
We switched our Berkley fireplace to gas logs. Does the chimney still need sweeping?
Less often than a wood fireplace, but it still needs a look. Gas logs don't build creosote the way wood does. The soot from decades of wood fires before the switch can still be on the flue walls, though, and a nest or a pile of leaves blocks a gas flue as easily as a wood one. We sweep and inspect for $349. We don't service the gas logs or burner.
How long does a sweep take, and will it make a mess?
Plan on about two hours for one flue. Drop cloths go down around the fireplace before we start, and we clean up before we leave. If you have a second fireplace or a wood stove, tell us when you book so we set aside the right amount of time. Each extra flue is priced on its own.
Chimney sweep in Berkley
Pick a day and a 3-hour arrival window online. If you'd rather talk it through, call (248) 266-9991.