Services

David the Village Sweep, Inc. offers a full portfolio of chimney cleaning and maintenance services. Whether it’s fireplaces, woodstoves, or home heating systems, we understand the intricacies of the venting systems in your home. And we’re equipped to address all of your chimney cleaning needs and to maintain the peak performance of your chimney. Our services include:

Chimney Cleaning & Inspections
It is our policy to clean a fireplace or heating flue only when there is a significant buildup of soot or creosote. When we clean a chimney, a full chimney inspection is part of our service. We check the fireplace mortar, the ash dump, the damper, the smoke chamber, and the flue. We check the outside: the mortar joints, the bricks, the flashing, the crown, the caps, and the flues. We go to the basement and check the ash cleanout door, the vent pipes leading from the heating appliances, and the base of the heating flue.

What are we looking for? Safety is our primary concern. Are there fire hazards? Are there blockages or cracks in the heating flue where carbon monoxide might seep in? We are also checking for potential problems before they begin to cost you serious money. If the crown (top mortar) is cracked or lifting, it will lead to expensive masonry repairs. If the damper is not making a good seal, loss of heat will mean loss of heating dollars. If the caps are rusting away, you may be vulnerable to animal intrusion. We look for any problems that could prevent peak performance and recommend what is needed for your system to burn cleanly and safely.

Chimney Relining
Unlined furnace flues, furnace flues with deteriorating tile liners, and improperly sized furnace flues are serious health threats. A poorly vented or blocked furnace and hot water heater flue spill carbon monoxide into the house. Signs of blockages are moist heat in the furnace room, excessive soot on and around the furnace, moisture damage (peeling paint or wallpaper) on the wall next to the chimney, and white patches on the outside of the chimney. Activation of your carbon monoxide detector is an immediate danger sign. The long–term solution to a deteriorating furnace flue is to install a UL listed stainless steel liner.

Call us if you suspect a blocked furnace flue or if you are installing a new furnace system. We often assist plumbers and HVAC specialists to certify chimneys in compliance with NFPA and gas code regulations. If you need to reline your furnace or boiler flue, make sure that the contractor gets a permit from your building department before they do the work.

For more information on chimney liners, see our manufacturer’s web site at www.homesaver.com.

Masonry Repairs
Often, minor repairs to a chimney can save the expense of a major repair a few years in the future. We check the masonry every time we go up on a chimney.

Chimney Crown
The top (crown) is a chimney’s weakest part. Cracks develop and water seeps in, causing damage to the bricks and mortar joints below. We repair, rebuild, and seal crowns so that the whole chimney is protected from deterioration.

Chimney Repointing
Over the years, mortar may weaken and pop out from between the bricks, opening the chimney for more water damage. We repair chimneys with deteriorating mortar joints.

Waterproofing
Brick is porous. We apply the best water repellant available for your chimney. It was specifically developed to protect chimneys from water damage and comes with a ten–year warranty. Visit www.chimneysaver.com for more information.

Install Chimney Caps
The best way to prevent moisture from rain and snow, animals, leaves, and other debris from entering your chimney is to install a chimney cap. Our high–quality stainless steel caps carry a lifetime warranty.

Install Top-Sealing Dampers
The draft of constant cold air around your fireplace may be due to your old rusted, warped, or broken damper. The top sealing damper is an inexpensive alternative to the traditional fireplace damper. Since it seals the chimney at the top, it not only keeps in warm air, but it keeps out animals, birds, and weather.

Replace Chase Covers
Rusted, leaky, or damaged chase covers are potential problems on prefabricated metal chimneys. We help eliminate problems before they start by replacing the damaged metal chase covers.

Water Leak & Condensation Resolution & Repair
Water damage to you chimney can be caused by weather or condensation from your heating appliances. If water is damaging your chimney inside or out, we’ll try to find the problem and fix it, giving you the best possible proven solution.

Animal Removal
If squirrels, raccoons, birds, or other pests have made a home in your chimney or duct, we’ll eliminate the problem, remove the animals and their nesting materials and take steps to prevent future infestation.