The short answer
Yes, All Star Chimney Sweep serves Crown Heights (ZIP 11213), about 3 miles from our Brooklyn office. We handle chimney sweeping, inspections, repairs, liners, caps, waterproofing and rebuilding, plus dryer vent and air duct cleaning, for brownstones, rowhouses and apartment buildings.
Crown Heights is about 3 miles east of our Brooklyn office, so our crews work in the neighborhood often. We service the chimneys, fireplaces, dryer vents and air ducts in the area's brownstones, rowhouses, pre-war apartment buildings and occasional detached homes in ZIP code 11213. Many of these masonry chimneys have vented coal, oil and gas over the decades, and each change leaves its mark on the flue. Our certified technicians sweep, inspect and repair these systems based on how older Brooklyn housing actually holds up.
What We Find in Crown Heights Homes
Most Crown Heights housing is attached. Brownstone and limestone rowhouses share party walls, and pre-war apartment buildings have tall masonry stacks that vent a central boiler. In a rowhouse, one chimney often holds several flues: one for the boiler or furnace and others for fireplaces on upper floors that may not have been used in years. Those unused flues collect debris, nests and fallen mortar. A fireplace can look fine from the room and still have a cracked firebox or a damper that no longer closes.
Before we recommend any work, we check what each flue connects to and what shape it is in. A fireplace you plan to use again needs a different evaluation than a sealed decorative one.
- Chimney sweeping for wood-burning fireplaces and boiler flues
- Chimney inspections, including camera checks of flue interiors
- Fireplace and damper repair
- Chimney liner installation for gas conversions and damaged flues
- Chimney repair and rebuilding, from repointing to rebuilding the stack above the roofline
How Brooklyn Weather Wears on Chimneys
New York winters bring repeated freeze-thaw cycles. Water soaks into brick, mortar joints and cracked crowns, then expands when it freezes. Over a few seasons, that opens joints and breaks off the faces of bricks. Nor'easters and summer thunderstorms add wind-driven rain. On rowhouses, chimneys often rise above flat roofs with nothing to shelter them, so they take the full force of that rain.
Humid summers cause problems too. Moisture mixed with soot or creosote left in a flue creates a strong odor that drifts into rooms on hot days. Damp masonry also has less time to dry out before the next freeze.
Our weatherproofing work focuses on keeping water out:
- Chimney caps that block rain, debris and animals at the flue opening
- Chase covers for framed chimney chases
- Crown repair and repointing of open mortar joints
- Chimney waterproofing with a breathable masonry sealer so brick can still dry
Yearly Inspections, Heat Season and Oil-to-Gas Conversions
The NFPA 211 standard calls for chimneys, fireplaces and vents to be inspected once a year. A Level 1 inspection fits when nothing has changed. A Level 2 inspection is used when the system changes, such as a new appliance or a switch of fuel, or when the home is sold. A Level 3 inspection is for cases where a hidden hazard can only be reached by opening part of the chimney or building.
Timing matters in New York City. Heat season runs from October 1 through May 31, and building owners must keep apartments heated to the city's minimum temperatures during that time. If you own a multifamily building, schedule the boiler flue inspection and any repairs before October so you avoid working on a heating system that tenants depend on.
Many buildings in the area have converted from oil to gas. When a city building converts its boiler, the chimney must 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 and install the liner the conversion calls for.
Time for your annual chimney check?
Dryer Vent and Air Duct Cleaning
According to the U.S. Fire Administration, failure to clean is the leading factor in home clothes dryer fires. In apartments and rowhouses, dryer vents often run long distances through walls or ceilings before they reach the outside. Lint builds up along those runs. We clean the full length of the vent and check that the exterior hood opens freely.
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 also notes that duct cleaning has not been shown to prevent health problems, and it advises caution with chemical treatments. We tell you what we find and only recommend cleaning when the ducts need it.
Neighborhoods Near Crown Heights We Also Serve
Our crews also work across nearby Brooklyn neighborhoods with similar housing, including Prospect Heights, Park Slope, Fort Greene, Downtown Brooklyn and DUMBO. If you own property in more than one of these areas, we can plan inspections for both.
ZIP codes we serve
- 11213
