Hewlett, LI’s Top Masonry Chimney Service

The chimney is one of the most undervalued components of a building. Any chimney tends to not receive the attention or the concern usually afforded other leaking household systems. Chimneys are far from the quiet, passive black holes that are ‘just there’ that most property owners assume them to be. Regular chimney maintenance is foundational to prevent damage, deterioration & future expensive, high-cost chimney corrections.

The issue is that scores of masonry chimneys were not designed to handle the venting requirements of modern high-efficiency heating appliances burning natural gas and oil.

A plethora of masonry chimney elements (except for genuine stone) suffer accelerated deterioration as a result of prolonged contact with water.

A stone chimney acts & looks like a brick chimney and it can also be protected from the effects of water penetration.

Chimney caps have long been recognized as an important chimney safety and damage-prevention component.

Installing chimney caps & dampers will protect your chimney and maintain a safe chimney damper.

Caps & dampers keep out the weather, all animals and most debris – all while keeping sparks from leaving the chimney which may ignite nearby combustibles like your roofing shingles, siding or nearby trees.

For a metal, brick or fabricated chimney repair assessment call or text Expressway at 631.388.7555.

One of the least expensive parts of the chimney venting system is the one that may prevent some of the most expensive setbacks. If you don’t have a chimney cap on your chimney, stop reading & call Expressway Roofing & Chimney for an estimate now! Every chimney technician knows that a safe chimney cap is a must.

The job of the chimney cap is to stop rain from entering the flue and to stop pests from building nests in your chimney or using the chimney for a doorway into your building.

In especially windy areas chimneys also sometimes prevent downdrafts by blocking crosswinds from entering the chimney.

Chimney dampers could help prevent water penetrations, heat loss & keep you warm and saving you money.

This damper attaches to the top of the chimney’s flue tile liner, providing a tight, gasketed fit that seals in heat and seals out weather, insects, birds & animals.

These blockages often cause fire hazards and smoke back drafting into the dwelling.

Rain is moisture and moisture is an enemy of a healthy fireplace and flue. Chimney liner tiles and mortar may crumble and crack, leading to critical damage. The chimney cap cover deflects rain and the side mesh prevents pests & leaves from entering. Still, annual chimney cleaning & maintenance are always recommended.

We will come out and recommend the best option for you & provide a written estimate to install a new chimney cap, damper, or guard.

Water starts more damage than any other element. It soaks into porous bricks & wears away the mortar. A chimney cap that covers all flues can protect you from costly repairs.

Chimneys may block correct ventilation & even allow pests to enter your home, potentially spreading disease and causing havoc. Our strong mesh and lids will keep even the most determined animals out!

Your fireplace may send sparks onto the roof or nearby flammable materials. Stray sparks may be stopped by the mesh cover that is a part of all our chimney caps.

Hewlett Chimney Caps & Top Dampers

The method recommended for your chimney will depend on the type of deposits. A flue lining in a masonry chimney is defined as “a clay, ceramic, or metal liner.” Thermocrete has UL Listing and is approved for gas and oil.

A composite chimney lining system is inflated into the flue, then hardened with steam pressure, forming a tough liner. A stainless steel liner locks in moisture and gases, keeping them out of your house.

This alloy resists acids from gas appliances & extreme temperature cycles.

Chimney liners serve three main functions. NBS tests showed that unlined chimneys let heat move so quickly that adjacent woodwork caught fire within 3½ hours.

Flue gases are acidic and eat away at mortar joints from the inside. Liners also provide a correctly-sized flue for efficient appliance performance.

Modern stoves and furnaces need a properly-sized flue to operate efficiently. An incorrectly-sized liner may cause creosote buildup in wood stoves & increase carbon monoxide risks.

Our objective is to provide recommendations that might improve the safety & efficiency of your appliance & venting system.

Chimneys should be cleaned when soot and creosote accumulations approach or exceed 1/4 inch. Glaze build-up more than 1/8 inch should be removed. We employ various cleaning systems to remove chimney deposits. Frequent (at least annual) chimney checks are the only way to know when the chimney is in need of attention.

Several of the common chimney cleaning techniques we provide include:

Standard Sweep. This is the normal cleaning method and uses brushes to clean the flue. A powerful, well-filtered vacuum prevents soot and creosote from entering the home. This cleaning is effective for soot & light creosote deposits but has little effect on glaze build-up.

Mechanical Sweeping. Mechanical cleaning uses wire brushes, plastic cables, or special chains rotated at high speed by an electric motor. It is often employed to remove hard creosote or glaze deposits. In rare cases where it is impossible to sweep the flue by standard or mechanical methods, chemicals may be used to loosen and dissolve heavy deposits.

A thorough chimney sweep can remove soot, creosote & blockages from the flue liner, smoke chamber & shelf, firebox and damper. Heat, moisture, creosote & gases can be removed, repaired, or relined with a UL-listed liner system or other approved material that might resist corrosion, softening, or cracking from flue gases at temperatures appropriate for the class of the chimney project.

Chemical Cleaning: This calls for two visits — sometimes 3 if necessary. Our chimney pros will usually complete the job in a couple of hours & ensure your home stays clean and undisturbed. Our experts pride ourselves on “no mess,” top-notch job with minimal interruption to the owner.

What do other property owners say about Expressway’s chimney contractors? Check our Google reviews here. Our pros are proud of them.

Our contractors provide you with a free estimate, no-obligation quote and the chimney estimate to use as you wishes.