Why is the smell worse in summer?

Warm humid air outside and a cool flue inside reverse the airflow, so the chimney draws into the house instead of up and out. Hempstead's humid summers and coastal moisture make that reversal common. The creosote was always there — summer just carries the smell indoors.

Will sweeping fix it completely?

Sweeping removes the creosote, which is usually the source of the odor, so it handles most of the problem. If water is still getting in at the cap, crown or flashing, or the damper will not seal, those need closing too. The technician will tell you what he found and what he recommends before any work is agreed.

I have an old boiler vented into the chimney. Does that matter?

It can. Older Hempstead homes often vent oil or gas boilers into unlined masonry chimneys, and that flue needs to be clear and sound for the appliance to vent safely. If anyone in the house has headaches, nausea or dizziness, get outside and call 911.

Do I need a permit for this?

In New York, routine sweeping and inspection generally do not require a permit. Permits are issued locally — by the municipal or county building department, not a state agency — and are typically needed for things like relining a flue as part of an appliance install or rebuilding masonry above the roofline. Call the local building department before that kind of work begins.

Who actually comes out?

One Call Chimney is a referral and scheduling service that arranges chimney work with independent sweeps and masons. We are not the contractor and we do not perform the work. New York has no statewide chimney-sweep license, and Nassau County runs its own home improvement contractor licensing program, so you can verify current requirements with the county consumer affairs office.

Smells of smoke or damp in Hempstead, NY

If you can smell smoke or a damp, sooty odor coming out of the fireplace, the smell is usually the creosote itself. Creosote is the tarry residue left on the flue walls by past fires. It holds the smell for years. Add moisture and the odor gets much stronger and spreads into the room.

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It is often worse in summer, and there is a reason for that. Warm humid air outside and a cool flue inside reverse the airflow, so the chimney breathes into the house instead of out of it. Hempstead sits on Long Island's coastal plain with humid summers in the upper 80s and year-round moisture, which is close to ideal conditions for this. Across New York, humid summers keep unused flues damp, and damp flues are what push creosote odors and staining into the living space.

While you wait — please don't

Do not ignore a smell that comes with headaches or nausea. A smell paired with headaches, nausea or dizziness means carbon monoxide until proven otherwise — get everyone outside into fresh air and call 911.
Do not just shut the damper and spray air freshener. Masking the smell hides a flue that may still be full of fuel, and that fuel is what feeds a chimney fire.
Do not light a fire to burn the smell off. If something is blocking the flue or a liner is damaged, smoke comes back into the room — stop using the fireplace until it has been looked at.
Do not assume the smell means the chimney is empty. Nesting material, leaves and animal debris smell much like old smoke when they get wet, and both block the flue.

What the technician does

The flue gets sweptSince the smell is usually the creosote on the walls, removing it removes most of the odor. This is the first and biggest step.
Debris and nesting material come outNests, leaves and animal debris are cleared from the flue and the smoke chamber. Wet debris smells strongly and also restricts the draft.
The moisture path gets found and closedThe technician checks the cap, the crown and the flashing, since those are where water gets into a flue. Water is what turns old creosote into a smell you can live with.
The damper is checkedA damper that will not seal lets the chimney breathe into the room. It can be repaired, or a top-sealing damper can be fitted at the top of the flue to close it off against outside air.
House pressure is consideredIf the house is pulling air down the chimney, sweeping alone will not settle it. The technician looks at what is drawing air and explains what he finds.
You hear the findings before anything is doneThe technician inspects the chimney and gives you the price before any work starts, and you approve it first. Ask to see the camera footage, and ask for the reasoning in writing.

Why this happens in Hempstead, NY

Much of Hempstead's housing stock predates 1960 — wood-frame Colonials, Capes and Tudors, plus a good number of two-family homes and apartment buildings near downtown and the Hofstra University area. Masonry chimneys serving older boilers and fireplaces are widespread here. Many older Nassau County homes still run oil or gas boilers vented into unlined masonry chimneys, so a smell from the chimney is not always coming from the fireplace side. That is worth sorting out rather than guessing at.

The village is about five miles inland from the South Shore bays, so salt-laden air and nor'easter winds still reach it and speed up corrosion on chimney caps and flashing. A corroded cap or lifted flashing lets rain into the flue, and winter brings repeated freeze-thaw cycles that open crown cracks and mortar joints. Mature street trees and frequent coastal storms also mean downed-limb damage to chimney crowns is a recurring problem around Hempstead. Demand climbs in early spring after freeze-thaw damage shows itself, and again in late summer and fall as people prep for storm season and heating startup — so booking before the rush is easier on you.

Questions people ask

Why is the smell worse in summer?: Warm humid air outside and a cool flue inside reverse the airflow, so the chimney draws into the house instead of up and out. Hempstead's humid summers and coastal moisture make that reversal common. The creosote was always there — summer just carries the smell indoors.
Will sweeping fix it completely?: Sweeping removes the creosote, which is usually the source of the odor, so it handles most of the problem. If water is still getting in at the cap, crown or flashing, or the damper will not seal, those need closing too. The technician will tell you what he found and what he recommends before any work is agreed.
I have an old boiler vented into the chimney. Does that matter?: It can. Older Hempstead homes often vent oil or gas boilers into unlined masonry chimneys, and that flue needs to be clear and sound for the appliance to vent safely. If anyone in the house has headaches, nausea or dizziness, get outside and call 911.
Do I need a permit for this?: In New York, routine sweeping and inspection generally do not require a permit. Permits are issued locally — by the municipal or county building department, not a state agency — and are typically needed for things like relining a flue as part of an appliance install or rebuilding masonry above the roofline. Call the local building department before that kind of work begins.
Who actually comes out?: One Call Chimney is a referral and scheduling service that arranges chimney work with independent sweeps and masons. We are not the contractor and we do not perform the work. New York has no statewide chimney-sweep license, and Nassau County runs its own home improvement contractor licensing program, so you can verify current requirements with the county consumer affairs office.

One call

One call to (866) 576-7943 gets a sweep scheduled for your Hempstead chimney, and the estimate is free. The technician inspects the chimney and gives you the price before any work starts, and you approve it first.

Call now · (866) 576-7943

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