Walled Lake, Oakland County
Chimney sweep and cleaning in Walled Lake
Some Walled Lake fireplaces were built for summer nights at a lake cottage, and some came with a 1990s subdivision house. Both collect soot, leaves and nests, and the sweep is the same $349.
What people here burn
Walled Lake was a resort town from about 1919 into the 1960s, when the dance casino and the amusement park drew crowds to the lake at what is now 13 Mile and Southlake Drive. The casino burned on Christmas Day 1965, and the park closed in 1968. Some cottages from those years still stand near the water, and the fireplace in a cottage like that is usually an open masonry one built for wood.
The houses built since 1980 lean the other way. Many have a factory-built fireplace in a framed chase, burning wood or gas. Some owners use theirs every weekend in winter. Others light the gas logs a few times a year.
What builds up and what falls in
Wood smoke leaves soot and creosote on the flue walls, more of it when the fire smolders. Gas leaves very little, but any flue can fill with leaves, twigs and nests from the top. Houses on the wooded streets near the lake see more of that, and raccoons and squirrels use overhanging branches to get onto the roof.
Chimney swifts nest in chimneys from May to August, and they're federally protected. If you hear chattering from the fireplace in summer, leave them be until fall. Our page on chimney swifts explains what to do.
What $349 gets you
One flue swept and inspected on the same visit. We lay down drop cloths, brush the flue top to bottom, then check the firebox, damper, crown, cap and flashing and walk you through it. A camera through the flue is $75 more. If the inspection turns up damage, you get photos and a written quote for chimney repair in Walled Lake before anything starts.
Houses with more than one fireplace, or a fireplace plus a stove, need each flue swept. Set the quantity when you book. If you burn in a wood stove or an insert, call before you book so we can tell you what the visit will involve.
When to book
Before the first cold weekend in fall, when the calls pile up. How often you need it depends on what and how much you burn. Our guide on how often to clean a chimney gives straight answers.
Questions
Our cottage fireplace hasn't been used in years. Is it safe to light?
We wouldn't light it until it's been swept and looked at. A flue that sat for years can hold old creosote, a nest or debris from the top, and the damper may be rusted shut or open. The $349 sweep includes an inspection, so we'll tell you what we found before you build a fire.
Do factory-built fireplaces need sweeping too?
If you burn wood in it, yes. A factory-built fireplace has a metal flue instead of clay tile, and wood smoke still leaves creosote on it. We sweep it with brushes sized for the metal flue. If it's gas only, it needs less, but the cap and chase cover on top still need checking.
Chimney sweep near Walled Lake
Chimney sweep in Walled Lake
Pick a day and a 3-hour arrival window online. If you'd rather talk it through, call (248) 266-9991.