Can I just wait for the animal to leave?

It may leave, but the nest and droppings stay behind, and the flue can stay blocked. The open top is still there, so another animal can move in. It is better to have the flue checked and capped.

When are animals most likely to get into Springfield chimneys?

Spring nesting is the peak. Springfield also sees a rush of chimney work after the March to June storm season, and again in late fall before the first hard freeze. A cap with mesh fitted ahead of spring helps keep the problem from starting.

Does my older Springfield home make this more likely?

Older homes near the Lincoln Home site and Enos Park often have original masonry chimneys. Any flue without a cap is open to animals, whatever the age of the house. A cap sized to your flue is the fix, and the technician can advise on what suits an older chimney.

Does Illinois license chimney sweeps?

Not separately at the state level. Requirements are handled locally, and many Illinois municipalities and counties ask contractors to register or hold a local licence. You can check with the Springfield building department or the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation.

What does the free estimate cover?

The technician inspects the chimney and gives you the price before any work starts. You approve it first, and nothing begins until you do.

Something living up there in Springfield, IL

Springfield's older streets around the Lincoln Home National Historic Site and Enos Park are full of century-old homes with their original masonry chimneys. If you can hear scratching or birds in one of them, an animal has almost certainly climbed or dropped in through the open top of the flue. It is probably using the flue as a nest or a shelter.

Call now · (866) 576-7943

Phones answered around the clock · free estimate

This is common in Springfield, and the cause is simple. A flue with no cap is an open door. Birds and small animals get in, build a nest, and the flue is blocked until someone clears it and fits a proper cap. Fixing it is a matter of getting the right people out there, in the right order.

While you wait — please don't

Do not light a fire to drive it out. It is cruel to the animal, and burning nesting material is a common cause of chimney fires.
Do not use the fireplace or stove until it is cleared. A nest can block the flue, and smoke and carbon monoxide then have nowhere to go but into your home.
Do not reach in or pull out the nest yourself. Droppings carry disease, and in many places nesting birds are legally protected.
Get outside and call 911 if anyone feels unwell. Headache, dizziness, nausea or drowsiness while a gas furnace, water heater or fire is running can mean carbon monoxide, so leave the house first.

What the technician does

You call, we arrange the visitOne Call Chimney is a referral and scheduling service. We arrange the job with an independent sweep or mason. We are not the contractor and we do not do the work.
The animal is identified firstThe technician works out what is in there before anything is done. The species decides what happens next.
Removal or humane evictionWhere the species requires it, a wildlife specialist is brought in to remove the animal or evict it humanely.
Nesting material and debris come outThe nest, droppings and debris are cleared so the flue is open again.
The flue is swept and inspectedOnce it is clear, the flue is swept and inspected. Ask to see the camera footage.
A properly sized cap with mesh is fittedThis closes the opening that let the animal in. You get the free estimate and the price before any work starts, and you approve it first.

Why this happens in Springfield, IL

Spring nesting is the peak, and that matches what Springfield sees. Calls also build after the March to June storm and hail season. Central Illinois gets thunderstorms, damaging straight-line winds and hail, and these can tear flashing loose from chimneys. Winter freeze-thaw cycling cracks masonry crowns. While the technician is up there for the animal, ask them to look at the crown and flashing as well.

Many older homes in Springfield's historic districts, such as Enos Park, Aristocracy Hill and Vinegar Hill, have masonry chimneys and original fireplaces. Across Illinois, many homes also vent a gas furnace or water heater through an older masonry chimney. A nest in that flue is not only a fireplace problem. It can stop the furnace or water heater venting safely, so keep the carbon monoxide warning above in mind.

Questions people ask

Can I just wait for the animal to leave?: It may leave, but the nest and droppings stay behind, and the flue can stay blocked. The open top is still there, so another animal can move in. It is better to have the flue checked and capped.
When are animals most likely to get into Springfield chimneys?: Spring nesting is the peak. Springfield also sees a rush of chimney work after the March to June storm season, and again in late fall before the first hard freeze. A cap with mesh fitted ahead of spring helps keep the problem from starting.
Does my older Springfield home make this more likely?: Older homes near the Lincoln Home site and Enos Park often have original masonry chimneys. Any flue without a cap is open to animals, whatever the age of the house. A cap sized to your flue is the fix, and the technician can advise on what suits an older chimney.
Does Illinois license chimney sweeps?: Not separately at the state level. Requirements are handled locally, and many Illinois municipalities and counties ask contractors to register or hold a local licence. You can check with the Springfield building department or the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation.
What does the free estimate cover?: The technician inspects the chimney and gives you the price before any work starts. You approve it first, and nothing begins until you do.

One call

Call (866) 576-7943 and we will arrange a free estimate with an independent technician for the animal in your Springfield chimney. The technician inspects first, gives you the price, and starts only after you approve it.

Call now · (866) 576-7943

Nearby

Answers

Free tool

Sweep schedule check

Same problem in nearby cities

Every city we cover in Illinois

Something else in this area

One Call Chimney arranges the visit; the technician does the work and gives you the price.