How do I know if my chimney has never been swept?

If you cannot remember a sweep, or the house changed hands without records, treat it as never swept. The camera inspection shows what is inside the flue. Do not light a fire until then.

Is sweeping a chimney in Evanston a permitted job?

In Illinois, routine sweeping and basic inspection are generally not permitted work. Relining or rebuilding a chimney often is. Rules vary by jurisdiction, so ask the Evanston building department before larger work.

My Evanston house is over 100 years old. Does that change the inspection?

Older chimneys often have clay tile liners and original masonry, so the liner check and the cap and crown inspection matter more. The camera shows cracks and gaps that a sweep alone cannot.

Does One Call Chimney do the sweep itself?

No. We are a referral and scheduling service that arranges the work with independent sweeps and masons. We are not the contractor and we do not perform the work.

Do I pay anything before the technician looks at the chimney?

The estimate is free on every job. The technician inspects the chimney and gives you the price before any work starts, and you approve it first.

Never been swept, booked with one call, in Evanston, IL

Many Evanston homes are a century old or more, and a lot of them have the original masonry chimney and fireplace. If you have burned wood in one for years and never had it cleaned, a full sweep and camera inspection is the job to book. Plan around one visit that covers the whole flue, from the firebox to the cap. Stop burning until it is done.

Call now · (866) 576-7943

Phones answered around the clock · free estimate

Almost certainly, creosote has been building up on the flue walls every time you lit a fire. Creosote is flammable. A flue coated with it is fuel inside the house. Evanston's long heating season and its old brick chimneys make this worth fixing before the next cold snap.

While you wait — please don't

Stop lighting fires until it is inspected. A flue that has never been cleaned may be holding a lot of creosote, and every new fire adds heat to that fuel.
Do not ignore a roaring sound or flames at the top. That is a chimney fire, so get everyone out of the house and call 911.
Do not burn wet or unseasoned wood. Wet wood and slow, smouldering fires build creosote much faster than hot, bright ones.
Do not stay inside if anyone feels unwell near a lit fireplace. Headache, dizziness or nausea can point to carbon monoxide, so get outside into fresh air and call 911.

What the technician does

Free estimate firstThe technician inspects the chimney and gives you the price before any work starts. You approve it first.
Full sweep, top to bottomThe whole flue is swept and the debris is removed, not left in the firebox for you to deal with.
Camera inspection of the whole flueA camera runs the full length of the flue. Ask to see the footage so you can see what the technician sees.
Liner checkThe liner is checked for cracks and gaps. If something is found, ask for the reasoning in writing.
Damper, smoke shelf and fireboxThe damper, the smoke shelf and the firebox are cleaned out.
Cap and crownThe cap and crown are inspected, since that is where water gets into a masonry chimney.

Why this happens in Evanston, IL

Evanston's housing is mostly late 1800s through mid-1900s, with brick and frame houses that often have masonry chimneys and fireplaces. Illinois also has many pre-1940 chimneys with clay tile liners, and some Evanston homes may also vent a gas furnace or water heater through an older chimney. That is why a camera inspection matters. It shows the liner's condition, not just how dirty the flue is. The flue is only as good as its liner.

The weather here is hard on masonry. Repeated freeze-thaw cycles and heavy road salt wear on chimneys, and Lake Michigan brings damp, windy conditions. Illinois heating seasons run from about October into April, so flues see months of continuous use. Booking in early fall, before the first cold snap, is a sensible plan. Whether you are near Central Street, in Ridgeville or in South Evanston, the job is the same. Sweeping and basic inspection are generally not permitted work in Illinois, but relining usually is, so confirm with the local building department before any larger work begins.

Questions people ask

How do I know if my chimney has never been swept?: If you cannot remember a sweep, or the house changed hands without records, treat it as never swept. The camera inspection shows what is inside the flue. Do not light a fire until then.
Is sweeping a chimney in Evanston a permitted job?: In Illinois, routine sweeping and basic inspection are generally not permitted work. Relining or rebuilding a chimney often is. Rules vary by jurisdiction, so ask the Evanston building department before larger work.
My Evanston house is over 100 years old. Does that change the inspection?: Older chimneys often have clay tile liners and original masonry, so the liner check and the cap and crown inspection matter more. The camera shows cracks and gaps that a sweep alone cannot.
Does One Call Chimney do the sweep itself?: No. We are a referral and scheduling service that arranges the work with independent sweeps and masons. We are not the contractor and we do not perform the work.
Do I pay anything before the technician looks at the chimney?: The estimate is free on every job. The technician inspects the chimney and gives you the price before any work starts, and you approve it first.

One call

One call to (866) 576-7943 gets a sweep and camera inspection arranged for your Evanston chimney. The estimate is free, and the price is agreed with you before any work starts.

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.