Chimney sweep and cleaning in Wixom

What gets burned here

Most Wixom condos and townhouses have a factory-built fireplace. Some burn gas and some burn wood. The single-family houses, from the subdivisions off West Maple and Beck Road to the ones around Loon Lake, can have either a factory-built unit or a masonry fireplace, sometimes with a wood insert.

Wood smoke leaves creosote on a metal flue the same as on clay tile, and more of it when the wood is damp or the fire smolders. The photo shows deposits built up inside a metal flue pipe. We use brushes sized for the pipe so the walls get cleaned without scraping the metal.

Trees, open land and nests

The Wixom Habitat is about 300 acres of open land and woods inside the city, and the subdivisions around Loon Lake, like Loon Lake Woodlands, back onto trees and water. Leaves get into uncapped flues, and raccoons and squirrels move in.

Chimney swifts nest in chimneys from May to August and are federally protected. If you hear chattering in the chimney in summer, leave it alone until they've gone. Our guide to chimney swifts has more.

Condos and the association

In a condo, check with your association before you book. Some associations schedule chimney cleaning for a whole building, and some leave it to each owner. If we need to get onto a shared roof, we can work out access with the management company ahead of time.

The visit

$349 covers sweeping one flue and an inspection on the same visit. We put drop cloths down, brush the flue, check the firebox, damper, crown or chase cover, cap and flashing, and clean up. A camera through the flue is $75 extra. If the inspection finds damage, you get photos and a written quote for chimney repair in Wixom before anything starts.

If your home has more than one fireplace or flue, set the quantity when you book. We sweep and check each one.

Schedule it before the first cold weekend in fall. For how often your kind of use needs a sweep, see how often to clean a chimney.