Northfield Township, Washtenaw County
Chimney sweep and cleaning in Northfield Township
A wood stove or insert that runs most of the winter fills a flue much faster than a fireplace lit on holidays. We sweep both kinds in southern Northfield.
Fields, woods and old chimneys
We work in the southern half of the township, toward Ann Arbor. Most of Whitmore Lake is outside our area, so call before you book if you live up there.
Ann Arbor's Greenbelt program has protected farmland in Northfield Township, including about 136 acres on the Boike Farm, so many houses here still back onto fields and woodlots. Birds and animals come with that. An uncapped flue on an old farmhouse chimney is an easy place for a raccoon or a nest. Chimney swifts use open masonry flues from about May through August, and they're federally protected, so we leave the flue alone until they've migrated. Our chimney swifts guide explains more. An old farmhouse chimney with a flue nobody uses anymore still collects what falls in. If it's open on top, a cap keeps rain and animals out, and a single-flue cap is $375.
Stoves and inserts
A stove or insert keeps the fire in a closed box, so less heat goes up the flue than with an open fireplace. The flue runs cooler, and the smoke leaves more creosote on the walls. Turning the stove down overnight to hold a fire until morning makes more of it. So does wood split this fall, because it's still wet when it burns. On a sweep, we brush the liner from top to bottom, clean out what falls to the bottom, and clean up around the hearth. Then we inspect the chimney on the same visit and tell you what we found. If the inspection turns up a cracked crown or a rusted chase cover, we'll quote the repair in writing.
Price and timing
A sweep is $349 and includes the inspection. A camera through the flue adds $75. Book before the first cold weekend of the fall, when the stove starts running every day. The price is per flue. If you run a stove and also have a fireplace on its own flue, set the number when you book. A lot of the township's local roads are gravel, so tell us when you book if your drive is long or soft. Our guide on how often to clean a chimney goes by how much you burn.
Questions
Our wood stove runs all winter. Is one sweep a year enough?
Sometimes not. A stove that burns every day can build up enough creosote to need a second sweep partway through the season, especially if the wood is wet or the stove is turned down low at night. After the first sweep, we tell you how much came out and whether to book a midwinter visit.
Can you clean a chimney with a wood stove connected to it?
Yes. Call before you book and tell us what you have: the stove, whether the pipe goes into a wall or up through the ceiling, and whether there's a liner. That tells us what to expect on the visit. The sweep and the same-visit inspection are $349 for one flue, and a camera through the flue adds $75.
Chimney sweep near Northfield Township
Chimney sweep in Northfield Township
Pick a day and a 3-hour arrival window online. If you'd rather talk it through, call (248) 266-9991.