I have burned wood in my Cicero home for years and never had the chimney cleaned. Is it safe to light one more fire?

No. Stop using the fireplace until the flue has been swept and inspected. Creosote builds up over time, and a flue full of it is a fire risk.

Do I need a permit for a sweep in Cicero?

In Illinois, permits are issued locally. Routine sweeping and basic inspection generally are not permitted work, but relining a chimney or installing a new stove or insert commonly is. Confirm with the local building department before any larger work begins.

Our old Cicero brick building vents a gas furnace through the chimney. Does it still need a sweep?

Many older Illinois homes vent a gas furnace or water heater through a masonry chimney, and that flue may need a properly sized liner. A camera inspection shows what shape it is in. Ask the technician to explain the reasoning in writing.

What if the camera finds damage?

The technician shows you what the camera found and gives you the price before any work starts. Nothing goes ahead until you approve it. Until it is fixed, do not use the fireplace.

Who actually does the work?

One Call Chimney is a referral and scheduling service. We arrange the job with an independent sweep or mason, and they do the work. We are not the contractor, so ask the technician about any local registration or insurance requirements.

Never been swept in Cicero, IL

Cicero is full of brick bungalows and two-flats built roughly between the 1910s and the 1940s, and many of them have a masonry chimney that may never have been cleaned. If you have burned wood and never had the flue swept, creosote has almost certainly built up inside it. Creosote is flammable. A flue coated in it is fuel inside your house.

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It builds faster here than people expect. Illinois has a long heating season, from about October into April, so a flue sees months of continuous use. Unseasoned or wet wood and slow, smouldering fires lay down creosote far faster than hot, bright ones. Cold winters also work on old brick and clay tile liners, so the flue may have cracks you cannot see from the living room.

While you wait — please don't

Stop using the fireplace until it is checked. A flue that has never been swept can hold a lot of creosote, and every new fire adds heat to that fuel.
Do not burn a hot fire to clear it out. A big fire can ignite the creosote and start a chimney fire, so leave the cleaning to a technician.
Get outside and call 911 if you feel dizzy, sick or get a headache near a lit fireplace or stove. Those can be signs of carbon monoxide, and fresh air comes before anything else.
If the chimney is roaring or flames show at the top, get everyone out and call 911. That is a chimney fire, and it needs the fire department, not a hose or a second look.

What the technician does

Full sweep, top to bottomThe technician cleans the whole flue and removes the debris, not just the part you can see from the firebox.
Camera inspection of the whole flueA camera runs the full length of the flue, so you can see its real condition. Ask to see the footage.
Liner checkThe liner is checked for cracks and gaps. Damage here matters because heat and smoke can reach the brick and the house behind it.
Damper, smoke shelf and firebox cleanedThese areas collect soot and fallen debris. They are cleaned out so air and smoke can move the way they should.
Cap and crown inspectedThe top of the chimney is checked for damage that lets water in. You get the findings, and if anything needs work, the price comes before any work starts.

Why this happens in Cicero, IL

Cicero is a dense, older inner-ring suburb next to Chicago, with many century-old brick buildings on narrow lots. Masonry chimneys are common here. Illinois homes of this age often have full-height masonry chimneys with clay tile liners. Many also vent a gas furnace or water heater through the same old chimney, and that needs a properly sized liner. If you do not burn wood but share a flue with a furnace, an inspection still makes sense.

Winters in Cicero bring deep freezes and repeated freeze-thaw cycles. Those are hard on masonry chimneys, and they can leave cracked crowns and worn mortar joints. Wind-driven rain and snow can add water at the crown and cap. Demand tends to rise in late fall and winter, and again in spring after storms and freeze-thaw damage. If the fireplace has sat unused, a sweep and inspection before the cold sets in gives you a clear picture of the flue. Chicago has its own building code, and Illinois municipalities set their own rules, so ask the local building department which ones apply to you.

Questions people ask

I have burned wood in my Cicero home for years and never had the chimney cleaned. Is it safe to light one more fire?: No. Stop using the fireplace until the flue has been swept and inspected. Creosote builds up over time, and a flue full of it is a fire risk.
Do I need a permit for a sweep in Cicero?: In Illinois, permits are issued locally. Routine sweeping and basic inspection generally are not permitted work, but relining a chimney or installing a new stove or insert commonly is. Confirm with the local building department before any larger work begins.
Our old Cicero brick building vents a gas furnace through the chimney. Does it still need a sweep?: Many older Illinois homes vent a gas furnace or water heater through a masonry chimney, and that flue may need a properly sized liner. A camera inspection shows what shape it is in. Ask the technician to explain the reasoning in writing.
What if the camera finds damage?: The technician shows you what the camera found and gives you the price before any work starts. Nothing goes ahead until you approve it. Until it is fixed, do not use the fireplace.
Who actually does the work?: One Call Chimney is a referral and scheduling service. We arrange the job with an independent sweep or mason, and they do the work. We are not the contractor, so ask the technician about any local registration or insurance requirements.

One call

Call (866) 576-7943 and One Call Chimney will arrange a sweep and inspection for your Cicero chimney. The estimate is free, the technician inspects first, and you approve the price before any work starts.

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.