The short answer
Yes, All Star Chimney Sweep serves Bedford-Stuyvesant (ZIP codes 11216 and 11221) with chimney sweeping, inspections, repairs, liners, and dryer vent and air duct cleaning. Our office is about 3 miles away in Brooklyn, and we recommend booking chimney work before heat season starts on October 1.
All Star Chimney Sweep serves Bedford-Stuyvesant from our Brooklyn office, about 3 miles to the west. We work throughout ZIP codes 11216 and 11221, in brownstones, rowhouses, pre-war apartment buildings and the occasional detached house. You might heat with a boiler that vents through an old masonry flue, burn wood in a parlor-floor fireplace, or just need a clogged dryer vent cleared. In each case, our certified technicians handle chimney, fireplace, air duct and dryer vent work and explain clearly what they find and what it means for your building.
Chimney Needs in Bed-Stuy's Older Homes
Much of Bedford-Stuyvesant's housing is older masonry. Brownstone and brick rowhouses often have several flues in one chimney stack, and pre-war apartment buildings often rely on a single tall chimney for the boiler. Many original fireplaces were closed off long ago. Others are still in use or are being brought back during renovations. Each situation calls for a different approach, so we start by working out which flue serves what.
Brooklyn's climate is hard on chimneys. Winter brings repeated freeze-thaw cycles. Water that soaks into brick and mortar expands when it freezes, which loosens joints and cracks crowns. Wind-driven rain from coastal storms and humid summers add more moisture. Over time this shows up as spalling brick, rusted dampers, water stains near the fireplace, or debris at the base of the flue. Caps, chase covers, crown repair and breathable waterproofing help keep water out before it causes bigger masonry damage.
Oil-to-Gas Conversions and Chimney Liners
Many Bed-Stuy buildings have switched from oil heat to gas or are planning to. When a New York City building converts its boiler from oil to gas, the chimney has to be evaluated as part of the work. A new liner is often needed, because gas exhaust produces acidic condensate that can corrode a masonry flue.
We inspect the flue, check its condition, and explain whether a liner is needed and why. If it is, we install one suited to the appliance it will serve, so the conversion can move forward with a chimney that vents properly.
Getting Ready for Heat Season
New York City's heat season runs from October 1 through May 31. During that time, building owners must keep apartments heated to the city's minimum temperatures. A boiler flue problem found in January is much harder to deal with than one found in late summer, so we encourage owners to schedule inspections and sweeping before October.
The NFPA 211 standard calls for chimneys, fireplaces and vents to be inspected once a year. Chimney professionals use three inspection levels:
- Level 1: a routine check when nothing about the system has changed.
- Level 2: when the system changes, such as a new appliance or a switch of fuel, or when the home is sold.
- Level 3: when a hidden hazard has to be reached by opening part of the chimney or building.
Time for your annual chimney check?
Dryer Vents and Air Ducts
According to the U.S. Fire Administration, failure to clean is the leading factor contributing to clothes dryer fires in homes. In rowhouses and apartments, dryer vents often run a long way to reach an exterior wall or the roof, which gives lint more places to collect. If drying takes longer than it used to, or the laundry area feels unusually hot, the vent is worth checking.
For air ducts, we follow the U.S. EPA's guidance. Cleaning makes sense when there is substantial visible mold growth, vermin, or excessive dust and debris. The EPA notes that duct cleaning has not been shown to prevent health problems, so we won't claim it does. The EPA also advises researching the process before responding to very cheap advertised offers, and being careful with chemical treatments. We'll tell you what we see inside your ducts and whether cleaning is worth doing.
Services We Offer in Bedford-Stuyvesant
Our certified technicians provide the full range of chimney and venting work in ZIP codes 11216 and 11221:
- Chimney sweep to remove soot and creosote
- Chimney inspection at the level your situation calls for
- Chimney repair, including mortar joints, crowns and flashing
- Chimney liner installation for boilers, furnaces and fireplaces
- Chimney cap and chase cover installation to keep out water and animals
- Chimney waterproofing for weathered brick and masonry
- Fireplace and damper repair
- Chimney rebuilding when masonry is too damaged to repair
- Air duct cleaning when conditions call for it
- Dryer vent cleaning for homes and apartment buildings
Nearby Neighborhoods We Serve
Beyond Bedford-Stuyvesant, we also serve Prospect Heights, Fort Greene, Park Slope, Downtown Brooklyn and DUMBO. Much of the housing in these neighborhoods is older masonry too, so the same freeze-thaw wear, moisture problems and heat-season timing apply.
ZIP codes we serve
- 11216
- 11221
