Chimney sweep and cleaning in Bloomfield Township

Lake houses and their fireplaces

Wing Lake's first subdivision, Broughton's Park, was platted in 1914 along the north shore, with 29 lots. The cottages are long gone, and the shore now has brick ranches from the 1950s on and large colonials built since. On Square Lake, a lot of the houses are brick ranches from the 1940s and 1950s. A ranch from those years usually has one chimney. A newer colonial may have a fireplace in the living room, another in the family room and one in the basement, each with its own flue. The sweep is priced per flue, so count them when you book.

Wood fires leave soot and creosote on the flue walls. Gas logs leave much less, and we don't service the logs or the burner, but the flue above them still needs a yearly look. If you have an insert or a stove, call before booking so we can tell you what to expect.

Trees, nests and swifts

Big trees on a lakefront or wooded lot drop leaves and twigs right into an open flue. Squirrels and raccoons find their way in too. A cap that covers the whole chimney top, like the stainless one in the photo, keeps most of it out. It also covers the flues that see the least use, which are often the ones that fill up first.

From May to August, chirping in the chimney is usually chimney swifts. They're protected by federal law, and the nest has to stay until the young have left. Our guide to chimney swifts explains what to do. Once they're gone, we sweep and cap.

Price and timing

The sweep is $349 per flue and includes an inspection on the same visit. We put drop cloths down, sweep, inspect the fireplace and the chimney, and clean up before we leave. A camera down the flue is $75 more. Book before the first cold weekend, since the schedule fills quickly once the nights turn cold. Our guide on how often to clean a chimney helps you decide when yours is due. If the inspection finds a problem, our chimney repair page has the Bloomfield Township prices.