Chimney Sweep in Everett, MA

Yes, and in Everett that's the majority of what we do. Most of the brick stacks on these 1890s–1930s two- and three-families were built for coal or oil, and were later adapted to vent gas or oil heating equipment. A chimney that size, carrying modern appliance exhaust, collects moisture and acidic condensate rather than creosote, which chews up mortar joints and old clay tile from the inside. The visit is less about brushing soot and more about inspecting the liner, checking the draft, and making sure the flue is actually sized and sealed for what's connected to it.

Three things come up again and again. Rusted-out caps and crowns, because we're close enough to the Mystic and the harbor that salt air accelerates everything metal. Loose or missing top-course brick, from freeze-thaw working on joints that haven't been repointed in decades. And unlined or deteriorated flues on chimneys that were converted from coal or oil to gas without ever being relined. Abandoned flues are the quiet one — a lot of these houses have a second or third flue nobody uses anymore, still open at the top, taking on rain and feeding moisture into the party wall.

Everett is compact and we cover it along with the surrounding communities, so scheduling is usually a matter of days, not weeks, for routine sweeps and inspections. Late summer into fall is the crunch — everyone remembers the heating system at once — so book ahead of the first cold snap if you can. If you're smelling exhaust indoors, seeing staining around the appliance connection, or a CO alarm has gone off, say so when you call and we'll treat it as urgent rather than routine.

Sometimes, depending on the day's route and what's already booked. Safety calls get priority. One thing worth mentioning when you schedule: parking on these blocks is tight and the lots are small, so let us know if there's a driveway, a spot out back, or if we should plan on the street. It genuinely affects how long the job takes, since we're carrying rods, vacuum, and sometimes ladder sections to reach the roof.

The housing stock here drives it. A straightforward sweep and inspection on a single flue is the low end. It climbs when there are two or three flues in one stack, which is normal in a three-family, or when a shared chimney serves separate units and each one has to be checked. Access matters too — steep roofs on these older wood-frame houses, tight side yards, and no safe ladder setup all add time. And relining or rebuilding a damaged top course is a different scale of work than sweeping. We'll tell you what we found and what's actually required versus what can wait before anything gets scheduled.