Livonia, Wayne County
Chimney sweep and cleaning in Livonia
In the south end of Livonia, near Newburgh Lake and Hines Drive, a lot of chimneys sit under big trees. Leaves and nests end up in those flues as often as soot does.
How Livonia fireplaces get used
On the ranch blocks off Six and Seven Mile, most houses still have a wood-burning fireplace in the living room. Some get a fire every weekend from Thanksgiving to March. Others get lit on Christmas Eve and sit cold the rest of the year. Some owners have put a wood insert into the old firebox, and its smoke goes up a liner instead of the original clay flue. A few have switched to gas logs, which don't need sweeping the same way but still need an open, sound flue.
Every wood fire leaves soot and creosote on the flue walls. A fire that smolders, or wood that wasn't dry, leaves more. Our guide on how often to clean a chimney explains how to tell when yours is due.
Trees, nests and swifts
Hines Drive runs between Newburgh Lake and Nankin Lake in south Livonia, and the streets near it have tall, old trees. Branches over the roof drop leaves and twigs on the chimney, and a flue with no cap catches them. Squirrels and raccoons climb in from the same branches.
Chimney swifts nest in masonry chimneys from May to August, and they're federally protected. If we find an active nest, we leave it alone and come back after the birds have gone in the fall. If you hear chattering in the flue in summer, read our page on chimney swifts before you call.
What the $349 covers
We put drop cloths down around the fireplace, sweep the flue, and inspect the chimney inside and out on the same visit. You hear what we found before we leave. A camera through the flue is $75 extra. If the inspection turns up a cracked crown or loose flashing, you get photos and a written price for the repair, and nothing gets done until you say so.
Book before it gets cold
The first cold weekend is when the calls pile up. Book in September or early October and you choose the day instead of waiting for an opening. If the inspection finds something that needs fixing, there's still time to get it done before you want a fire.
Questions
We have a wood insert in our Livonia fireplace. Is the cleaning different?
Yes. The sweep goes up the insert's liner instead of the open clay flue, and the insert sometimes has to be pulled forward to get at it. Call before you book so we can ask about your insert and tell you what to expect, including the price. Inserts that are run low overnight can build up creosote faster than an open fireplace, so they're worth keeping on a schedule.
We only burn a few fires a year. Do we need a sweep every year?
Probably not for the soot alone. A few fires a year leave little creosote. Leaves, nests and water get in whether you burn or not, though, so have the chimney looked at each year. After a $349 visit we can tell you how much buildup there was, and from that, about how long you can wait before the next sweep.
Chimney sweep in Livonia
Pick a day and a 3-hour arrival window online. If you'd rather talk it through, call (248) 266-9991.