Chimney sweep and cleaning in Commerce Township

How fireplaces get used here

The houses on Union Lake, Commerce Lake and the smaller lakes often started with a cottage fireplace or a wood stove, and many still burn wood. In the subdivisions built from the 1990s on, you'll find factory-built fireplaces, gas logs, and wood inserts like the one in the photo set into a masonry fireplace.

Every wood fire leaves soot and creosote on the flue walls. An insert or stove burns hotter and cleaner than an open fire when it's run right, but a smoldering overnight burn leaves a heavy coat. The sweep takes it off and the inspection tells you what condition the flue is in.

Woods, the river and what falls in

The Huron River runs through the township, and most of the 3,030-acre Proud Lake Recreation Area sits inside it. Houses along the river and the park edges off Wixom Road and Bogie Lake Road are under heavy tree cover. Leaves and twigs land in uncapped flues, and raccoons and squirrels use overhanging limbs to get to the roof.

Chimney swifts nest in chimneys from May to August. They're federally protected, so we leave an active nest alone and come back after they've gone. Our guide to chimney swifts has the details.

The visit

The sweep and inspection is $349 per flue. Drop cloths go down first. We brush the flue top to bottom, then check the firebox, damper, crown, cap and flashing and walk you through it. A camera inspection through the flue is $75 more. If something needs fixing, you get photos and a written quote for chimney repair in Commerce Township before any work starts.

If the house has more than one flue, say a fireplace upstairs and a stove downstairs, set the quantity when you book. Each flue is swept and checked on its own. For a wood stove or an insert, call first so we can tell you what to expect.

Timing

Get on the schedule before the first cold weekend in fall. For a straight answer on how often your kind of use needs a sweep, see how often to clean a chimney. If you'd rather wait until the leaves are down, call and we'll find a time before you need the fireplace.