Chimney Damper Repair, booked with one call, in Schaumburg, IL
Schaumburg grew fast around the Woodfield Mall area, and many of its homes and condos are now 30 to 50 years old. A fireplace damper from that era has been through a lot of winters. If yours will not open, or will not close, it has almost certainly rusted. The plate, the hinge or the handle linkage has seized. Since you are planning this repair, here is what to plan around. The damper may only need freeing and cleaning, or it may need replacing, and the technician decides which once they can see it.
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Water is the usual cause. Illinois has a long heating season, roughly October into April, so a flue gets months of use. Winter freeze-thaw, wind-driven rain and snow work at the crown, flashing and cap. Humid summers leave moisture sitting in a flue that is rarely used. If the flue has no cap, that water runs straight down onto the damper and rusts it. Schaumburg's heavy road-salt use adds to the wear on masonry.
While you wait — please don't
- Do not light a fire until you know the damper is open. A fire with the damper shut or stuck part-way pushes smoke and carbon monoxide into the house.
- Do not force a rusted damper. Forcing it can break the frame and turn a small repair into masonry work.
- Stop using the fireplace if smoke comes into the room. Let the fire die, keep the room ventilated and leave the fireplace alone until a technician has looked at it.
- Get outside and call 911 if anyone has a headache, dizziness or nausea. These can be signs of carbon monoxide, so leave the house first and deal with the chimney afterwards.
What the technician does
- Inspect and quoteThe technician looks at the damper and the flue, then gives you the price. Nothing starts until you approve it.
- Free, clean and re-seatIf the damper can be saved, it is freed, cleaned of rust and flakes, and seated so it opens and closes properly.
- Replace handles, pivots and hardwareWorn handles and pivots are swapped out so the damper works smoothly and you can tell whether it is open.
- Fit a top-sealing damper if neededWhere the throat damper is beyond repair, a top-sealing damper goes in. It closes at the top of the flue.
- Sweep the flue while it is accessibleWith the damper open to work on, the flue can be swept in the same visit.
- Fit a capA cap stops the rain that rusted the damper in the first place, so the repair lasts.
Why this happens in Schaumburg, IL
A lot of Schaumburg's single-family housing dates from the 1960s through the 1990s, and masonry or prefab fireplaces are common in those houses. Original parts are now old. In a subdivision or townhome community, the fireplace may not have been looked at since the home was built. A stuck damper is often the first sign that the top of the chimney has been open to the weather for a long time. A damper stuck open also lets heat leave the house all winter.
Schaumburg has cold, snowy winters and hot, humid summers, and the freeze-thaw cycle is hard on masonry chimneys. Demand for chimney work is highest from late fall through winter, and again after spring and summer storms. If a damper job turns up cracked masonry, that repair is better done in the warmer months, when mortar can cure without freezing. Planning ahead gives you more choice about when the work happens.
Questions people ask
- Does a stuck damper always mean a new damper?
- No. Many can be freed, cleaned and re-seated, and handles and pivots can be replaced. A top-sealing damper is fitted when the existing one is beyond repair. The technician decides after inspecting it.
- Why does a stuck-open damper matter during a Schaumburg winter?
- An open damper lets warm air go up the flue. Winters here are cold and snowy, so that costs you heating for as long as it stays open. It also lets rain and snow in.
- Will damper work in Schaumburg need a permit?
- Illinois permits are issued locally. They are commonly needed for relining a chimney or rebuilding it above the roofline, while routine sweeping and basic inspection generally are not permitted work. Ask the local building department what applies to your job.
- I live in a condo or townhome community. Do I need to check anything first?
- Many Schaumburg subdivisions and condo or townhome communities have HOAs. It is worth asking yours whether exterior work such as fitting a cap needs approval. Mention it when you call so the technician knows.
- Who actually does the work?
- One 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 perform the work. Illinois does not license chimney work at the state level, so ask the technician what local requirements apply.
One call
Call (866) 576-7943 and tell us the damper will not open or will not close. The estimate is free, the technician inspects first, and you approve the price 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
- Liner damaged or missing
- Rebuild or new chimney
One Call Chimney arranges the visit; the technician does the work and gives you the price.