Stop using the fireplace
Chimney Relining, booked with one call, in Valley Stream, NY
In Valley Stream, many 1920s to 1950s Tudors, colonials and capes still send oil or converted gas heat up the original clay-lined masonry chimney. If you were told your liner is cracked, the job starts with a camera inspection. After that comes a new liner sized to your appliance. Plan around three things: the appliance stays off until the flue is checked, the inspection decides the scope, and a permit may be needed.
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What has almost certainly happened is that the clay tiles have cracked or the joints between them have opened. A chimney fire can do that. So can age, and so can a heating system that was converted to gas without a new liner. Once the liner is damaged, heat and carbon monoxide can reach the house structure instead of going up and out.
While you wait — please don't
- Do not use the fireplace, stove or heating appliance until the flue is verified. A damaged liner lets heat and carbon monoxide reach the structure of the house.
- Get outside and call 911 if anyone feels dizzy, sick or has a headache. These can be signs of carbon monoxide, and fresh air comes before any phone call about the chimney.
- Do not light the flue again after a chimney fire. After any chimney fire the flue must be inspected before it is used again.
- Do not plan on a fire during a storm power loss. Sandy and Irene both knocked out power on the South Shore, so settle the liner question before the next storm, not during it.
What the technician does
- Camera inspection firstThe technician sends a camera through the flue and looks at the cracks directly. Ask to see the footage.
- Free estimate and your approvalThe technician gives you the price after inspecting the chimney and before any work starts. Nothing begins until you approve it.
- Liner sized to the applianceA stainless steel liner is matched to your appliance and insulated where required. Cast-in-place lining may be used where it suits the flue.
- Appliance and flue matchedSize, material and termination are checked together, so the flue fits what is connected to it.
- Cap and crown addressedThe cap and crown are dealt with at the same time, so water does not undo the new work.
Why this happens in Valley Stream, NY
Valley Stream's older blocks, including the streets around Gibson and Westwood, are full of masonry chimneys from the 1920s to 1950s. Many of those homes were first heated with oil and later converted to gas. A converted system that vents into the old clay liner without relining leaves acidic condensate working on the masonry. That is why liner inspections and relining are a common need here after a conversion.
The weather adds to it. Valley Stream has cold winters that freeze and thaw again and again, which stresses chimney crowns and mortar. The air is also mildly salty, and nor'easters and tropical storm remnants bring wind-driven rain. Across New York, humid summers keep unused flues damp. Demand here rises in early spring after freeze-thaw and storm damage, and again in late summer and fall before heating season. If you are planning a reline, those are the busy stretches to keep in mind.
Questions people ask
- Does a gas conversion in Valley Stream mean I need a new liner?
- Often it is worth checking. Many homes here have an original clay-lined chimney, and converting to gas without relining leaves acidic condensate attacking the masonry. A camera inspection shows what shape your flue is in.
- Do I need a permit for relining in New York?
- Permits are issued locally, not by the state. One is typically required when relining is part of an appliance installation, and requirements vary between jurisdictions. Call your local building department before work begins.
- Who holds the license for this work?
- New York has no statewide chimney sweep license. Licensing is handled by the city or county, and some downstate counties run their own home improvement contractor programs. Check with the consumer affairs or licensing office where the work will be done.
- Are you the company that does the relining?
- No. One Call Chimney is a referral and scheduling service. We arrange the work with independent sweeps and masons, and they perform it.
- What if the liner damage came from a chimney fire?
- Clay tiles crack in a chimney fire, so the flue should be inspected before anyone uses it again. Keep the appliance off until the camera inspection is done.
One call
Call (866) 576-7943 and One Call Chimney will arrange a technician for your Valley Stream relining job. The estimate is free, and the price is agreed with you before any work starts.
More from One Call Chimney
Something else in this area
- Smoke comes back into the room
- Never been swept
- Water coming in
- Something living up there
- Smells of smoke or damp
- Cracked crown or crumbling brick
- Damper stuck or broken
- Rebuild or new chimney
One Call Chimney arranges the visit; the technician does the work and gives you the price.