The short answer
A chimney sweep in Prospect Heights removes soot, creosote and debris from fireplace and boiler flues and checks the chimney for damage. The NFPA 211 standard calls for a yearly inspection, so it makes sense to schedule a sweep and inspection together before heat season starts on October 1.
Many Prospect Heights homes were built with working fireplaces and masonry chimneys. Many of those flues are still in use for wood fires, gas inserts or the building's boiler. All Star Chimney Sweep cleans and inspects chimneys in rowhouses, brownstones and pre-war apartment buildings across the neighborhood, about 2 miles east of our Brooklyn office. Our certified technicians remove soot and creosote and check the flue for damage and blockages. Then we explain what we found in plain terms so you can decide what to do next.
Chimney sweeping for Prospect Heights brownstones and rowhouses
Older Brooklyn rowhouses often have several fireplaces sharing one chimney stack, each with its own flue. Some get used every winter, some were closed off long ago, and some were converted to gas at some point. Before you light a fire in a flue you haven't used in a while, have it swept and checked. An idle flue can hold debris, nesting material, loose mortar or a damper that no longer seals.
In pre-war apartment buildings, the chimney usually serves the boiler rather than a fireplace. That flue runs every day through the heating season, so soot and scale build up whether or not anyone notices.
What happens during a chimney sweep
We protect the floor and hearth before we start. Then we clean from the firebox up, or from the roof down when access allows. A typical visit covers:
When we're done, we walk you through what we saw, with photos when they help. We'll tell you whether anything needs attention now or can wait.
- Brushing the flue to remove soot, creosote and loose debris
- Cleaning the smoke chamber, smoke shelf and damper area
- Vacuuming with HEPA-filtered equipment to keep dust out of the room
- Checking that the damper opens and closes properly
- Looking over the firebox, liner and visible masonry for cracks or gaps
- Checking the chimney cap and crown from the roof where it's safe to reach
Yearly inspection under NFPA 211
The NFPA 211 standard calls for chimneys, fireplaces and vents to be inspected once a year. Chimney professionals use three inspection levels. Level 1 applies when nothing about the system has changed. Level 2 applies when something changes, such as a new appliance or a switch of fuel, or when the home is sold. Level 3 applies when a hidden hazard can only be reached by opening part of the chimney or building.
In Prospect Heights, a Level 2 inspection often comes up when a home changes hands or a fireplace gets a new insert. Sweeping and inspection usually go together, because a clean flue is much easier to examine.
Time for your annual chimney check?
Boilers, oil-to-gas conversions and 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 blocked or damaged boiler flue in the middle of winter is hard to deal with, so owners of multi-family buildings usually schedule the sweep and inspection before October.
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. If your building is planning a conversion, we can inspect the chimney and tell you what condition the flue is in.
Signs your chimney needs attention
Watch for these warning signs between yearly visits. If you notice any of them, stop using the fireplace until the chimney has been checked.
- A strong smoky or musty smell from the fireplace, especially in humid weather
- Smoke drifting into the room instead of drawing up the flue
- Black, flaky or tar-like deposits in the firebox or on the damper
- Pieces of masonry, tile or debris falling into the firebox
- Sounds of birds or animals inside the chimney
- Water stains on walls or ceilings near the chimney
Serving Prospect Heights and nearby neighborhoods
Besides Prospect Heights, we sweep and inspect chimneys in Park Slope, Fort Greene, Downtown Brooklyn, DUMBO and Boerum Hill. In co-ops, condos and rental buildings, roof access often runs through a super or managing agent. Let us know ahead of time and we'll plan the visit around building rules.
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