Chimney sweep and cleaning in Utica

Fireplaces in a small city

Utica is less than two square miles, with the old downtown on one side of the river and streets of 1950s and 1960s houses on the other. Most fireplaces here are masonry, in brick ranches and Cape Cods and in the older houses near downtown. Some owners burn wood all winter. Some have gas logs. A few have wood inserts.

We sweep wood-burning flues top to bottom with brushes on rods. An insert gets swept through its liner. On a gas fireplace we check the flue for nests and debris and look at the vent cap. Drop cloths go down before we start, and the soot goes out with us when we leave.

Trees, leaves and nests

Memorial Park downtown and Clinton River Heritage Park on Van Dyke both sit on the river, and there are big trees along it and on the streets nearby. In the fall, leaves land on crowns and drop into any flue without a cap. Squirrels and raccoons climb in. Chimney swifts nest in chimneys from about May to August and are protected under federal law, so a flue with an active nest waits until they're gone. Read our guide to chimney swifts if you hear chirping.

The photo shows the fix for most of this: a stainless cap with mesh sides going on over a clay flue. A single-flue cap is $375.

What builds up and when to book

Wood smoke leaves soot and creosote on the flue walls. Hot fires with dry wood leave less. Smoldering fires and wet wood leave more, and it gets harder to remove the longer it sits. Our guide on how often to clean a chimney goes through how to judge it.

Book in September or early October, before the first cold weekend, when everyone in Macomb County seems to call at once. The $349 covers the sweep and an inspection on the same visit. A camera through the flue is $75 more. If we find a cracked crown or rusted flashing, you'll get photos and a written price for chimney repair in Utica, and nothing is done until you approve it.