The short answer
Yes, All Star Chimney Sweep serves Fort Greene (ZIP 11205), about a mile from our Brooklyn office. We handle chimney sweeping, inspections, repairs, liners, caps, waterproofing, rebuilding, and dryer vent and air duct cleaning for brownstones, rowhouses and apartment buildings.
Fort Greene sits about a mile northeast of our Brooklyn office, so our crews are in the neighborhood often. Much of the housing here is older: brownstones, rowhouses and pre-war apartment buildings with masonry chimneys that have been through many winters and, often, several changes of heating equipment. We sweep, inspect and repair chimneys, install liners, and clean dryer vents and air ducts for homeowners, co-op boards and building owners throughout ZIP code 11205. Our technicians are certified and know how older Brooklyn masonry tends to age.
What Fort Greene's Older Homes Need From a Chimney
A brownstone or rowhouse chimney usually serves more than one purpose. It may vent a boiler or water heater in the cellar, and it may connect to one or more fireplaces on the parlor and upper floors, some of them sealed decades ago. Older flues were often built without a liner, or with clay tile that has cracked over time.
Brooklyn's weather adds to the wear. Winter rain and snow soak into brick and mortar, then freeze and thaw again and again. Over time that cycle loosens joints, crumbles crowns and lets water into the flue. Humid summers can bring out musty fireplace odors when moisture and old creosote mix.
Services We Offer in Fort Greene
We handle everything from routine cleaning to major masonry work:
- Chimney sweeping to remove soot and creosote from wood-burning fireplaces and appliance flues
- Chimney inspections at the level the situation calls for
- Chimney repair, including repointing, crown repair and flashing
- Chimney liner installation for boilers, water heaters and fireplaces
- Chimney caps and chase covers to keep out rain, debris and animals
- Chimney waterproofing for masonry that absorbs water
- Fireplace and damper repair, including dampers that stick or no longer seal
- Chimney rebuilding when a stack is too deteriorated to repair
- Dryer vent cleaning
- Air duct cleaning
Annual Inspections and the Three Inspection Levels
The NFPA 211 standard calls for chimneys, fireplaces and vents to be inspected once a year. A Level 1 inspection fits when nothing about the system has changed. A Level 2 inspection is used when something changes, such as a new boiler or a switch of fuel, or when a home is being sold. That makes it common in Fort Greene, where houses change hands and get renovated often. A Level 3 inspection is needed only when a hidden hazard can be reached only by opening part of the chimney or building.
We recommend scheduling your inspection before New York City's heat season starts on October 1. Heat has to stay on through May 31, so the late summer and early fall are the easiest times to find and fix problems before the boiler is running every day.
Time for your annual chimney check?
Oil-to-Gas Conversions and Chimney Liners
Many older Brooklyn buildings have moved from oil heat to gas. When a New York City building converts its boiler from oil to gas, the chimney has to be evaluated as part of the work. Gas exhaust produces acidic condensate that can corrode an unlined or clay-lined masonry flue, so a new liner is often needed. We inspect the flue, confirm the right liner size for the new equipment, and install it so the conversion can move forward.
Dryer Vents and Air Ducts in Rowhouses and Apartments
Dryer vents in older buildings often run long distances to reach an outside wall or the roof, and lint builds up quickly in those runs. According to the U.S. Fire Administration, failure to clean is the leading factor contributing to clothes dryer fires in homes. If your dryer takes longer than it used to or the laundry area feels 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, signs of vermin, or excessive dust and debris. The EPA notes that duct cleaning has not been shown to prevent health problems, and it advises caution with chemical treatments. We will tell you plainly whether your ducts need cleaning.
Nearby Neighborhoods We Serve
Besides Fort Greene, our crews regularly work in Downtown Brooklyn, DUMBO, Boerum Hill, Prospect Heights and Brooklyn Heights. Many of these neighborhoods have the same kinds of homes, from brownstones and rowhouses to pre-war apartment buildings, so the same care applies.
ZIP codes we serve
- 11205
Services in Fort Greene
- Chimney Sweep in Fort GreeneLocal service & repairs
- Chimney Inspection in Fort GreeneLocal service & repairs
- Chimney Repair in Fort GreeneLocal service & repairs
- Air Duct Cleaning in Fort GreeneLocal service & repairs
- Chimney Liner Installation in Fort GreeneLocal service & repairs
