Royal Oak, Oakland County
Chimney sweep and cleaning in Royal Oak
Royal Oak calls itself the City of Trees, and every fall a share of those trees lands in uncapped chimneys. A sweep here clears what came down from the top as well as what built up from the fire.
How Royal Oak burns
The bungalows and Tudors near downtown were built with wood-burning masonry fireplaces, and a lot of them still burn wood. Some owners have put in an insert, which turns the fireplace into a heater and sends the smoke up a stainless liner. Others switched to gas logs years ago. A gas flue doesn't build creosote, but it still needs to stay open, and the old soot from the wood-burning years is often still on the walls.
Wood fires leave soot and creosote on the flue walls. A hot fire with dry wood leaves less. An insert turned down low overnight, or a fire with wet wood, leaves more, and the coating inside a liner can build up fast. Our guide on how often to clean a chimney goes through it by how much you burn.
Trees, leaves and nests
The City of Trees name goes back to tree planting that started in the 1930s, and Royal Oak has been a Tree City USA every year since 1976. From I-696 up to the north end and over to I-75, a lot of streets have big trees over the roofs. On a chimney with no cap, leaves and twigs collect on the smoke shelf, and squirrels and birds move in.
Between May and August, chirping in the chimney is often chimney swifts. They're federally protected while nesting, so we don't touch an active nest. Our guide to chimney swifts explains what to do and when.
Timing
Book before the first cold weekend. September and early October give you the widest choice of days. If you burn a lot and the fireplace smells smoky in summer, or the fire is harder to get drawing than it used to be, don't wait for fall.
Price
The sweep and cleaning is $349. That covers one flue and an inspection on the same visit, so you leave with a clean flue and a plain account of what shape the chimney is in. If you have more than one flue or fireplace, set the quantity when you book. A camera through the flue is $75. If the inspection turns up a cracked crown, loose brick or a rusted cap, you'll get photos and a written quote for the chimney repair before anything is done.
Questions
We bought a 1920s house in Royal Oak and don't know when the chimney was last swept. Where do we start?
Start with a cleaning and inspection before your first fire. For $349 we sweep the flue and inspect the chimney on the same visit, so you find out its condition at the same time. If you want to see the inside of the old clay flue for yourself, add the camera for $75 when you book. You'll get photos and a plain account of what we found.
Can you sweep a wood stove or insert as well as an open fireplace?
Yes. Inserts and stoves usually vent through a stainless liner inside the old chimney, and we sweep the liner and check the connection at the appliance. Call before you book so we know what you have and can plan the time. Stoves and inserts that heat a room all winter often need sweeping more than once a season.
Chimney sweep near Royal Oak
Chimney sweep in Royal Oak
Pick a day and a 3-hour arrival window online. If you'd rather talk it through, call (248) 266-9991.