Wayne, Wayne County
Chimney sweep and cleaning in Wayne
On a Wayne ranch with the chimney on an outside wall, the flue runs cold, and a cold flue collects creosote faster than one that stays warm inside the house.
How people use their fireplaces in Wayne
Wayne has a mix. Some of the village-era houses near Michigan Avenue still burn wood in an open fireplace. Some ranches have glass doors on a masonry firebox like the one in the photo, and some have an insert or a wood stove piped into the chimney. Others switched to gas logs and haven't had the flue looked at since.
Where the chimney sits makes a difference. On a ranch with the chimney on an outside wall, the flue stays cold through the winter. Smoke cools on the way up, and more of it sticks to the walls as creosote. Those chimneys can need sweeping more often than one that runs up the middle of the house.
Trees along the Lower Rouge
Goudy Park, right downtown, sits on the Lower Rouge, and the river is lined with trees as it crosses the city. Houses near it get leaves, twigs and seeds on the roof every fall, and squirrels and raccoons use the branches to get onto the chimney. A cap with a mesh screen keeps most of that out.
Chimney swifts nest in Michigan chimneys from May to August and are federally protected. If they're in your flue, we wait until they've gone to sweep it. Our guide to chimney swifts explains what to do if you hear chattering in the chimney.
Before the first cold weekend
Late summer and early fall are the best time to book, once the swifts are gone and before you want a fire. If you aren't sure how often yours needs it, read our guide on how often to clean a chimney.
The $349 sweep and inspection
The price is for one flue. We cover the floor, sweep the flue with brushes on rods, and inspect the chimney inside and out on the same visit. Then we clean up and walk you through what we found. A camera through the flue is a $75 add-on. If we find washed-out mortar or a cracked crown on the outside, we'll show you photos, and you can read about chimney repair in Wayne before you decide.
Questions
Why does my outside chimney need sweeping more often than my neighbor's?
Smoke cools as it rises. In a chimney on an outside wall, the brick is cold all winter, so the smoke cools faster and more of it condenses on the flue walls as creosote. Small, smoky fires make it worse. When we sweep, we tell you how much came out, and that tells you how often yours needs it.
Do you clean the firebox and the glass doors too?
We clean out the firebox and the smoke shelf as part of the sweep, and we clean up the work area before we leave. Cleaning the glass on the doors isn't part of the $349, but we'll tell you what works on it without scratching.
Chimney sweep near Wayne
Chimney sweep in Wayne
Pick a day and a 3-hour arrival window online. If you'd rather talk it through, call (248) 266-9991.