Chimney Sweep in Scotchtown, NY

Chimney sweeping in Scotchtown

A chimney sweep in Scotchtown, NY is more often a factory-built system than a masonry one, so the first question is what you actually have. Once that is settled we brush the flue its full length, clear what has collected inside, and tell you plainly what condition the rest of the system is in.

Scotchtown is about three miles northeast of Middletown, a few minutes from our base in Middletown. Identifying a factory-built system sometimes takes a look at the label inside the firebox, and being this close means that is never a wasted trip.

Factory-built fireplaces and metal chimneys

Scotchtown is an old settlement, and the Town of Wallkill history traces it back to the church it grew up around. Most of the housing is another matter. It runs much newer than the older streets in Middletown proper. A lot of it went up in the second half of the twentieth century and after. That changes what is actually on the roof.

Instead of a brick stack with clay tiles inside, many homes here have a factory-built fireplace venting through a metal chimney inside a framed, sided chase. From the street it looks like masonry. It is not.

These systems fail differently, and people overlook them because they look modern. The part that goes first is the chase cover, the metal lid on top of the chase. Galvanized covers rust through. Covers installed flat instead of sloped hold water. Once the cover leaks, water runs down inside the chase onto the framing and the metal chimney. Those rust streaks on the siding start right there.

Factory-built systems are also listed assemblies. The fireplace, the chimney sections and the parts were tested together as one unit. Parts are not interchangeable between manufacturers. A cracked panel should be matched to the system, not substituted. So the first thing we do on a Scotchtown call is work out what the system actually is.

They still need sweeping. A factory-built firebox burning wood makes creosote just like an open masonry fireplace. And these flues are smaller, so there is less room before deposits start to restrict them.

What a visit looks like

We identify the system first, then look it over before touching it. Hearth and floor go under cover, the opening is sealed, and a vacuum runs throughout. We brush the full length of the flue, clear what comes down, check what we can reach, and go through the findings with you. The full sweeping process is on our main page.

Whatever needs attention gets shown to you, usually in a photo. On these systems the top of the chase is where most of the trouble starts, and it is completely out of sight from the ground. We explain the options, including leaving something for now when that is fair, and we do not price a repair we have not looked at.

Where Scotchtown is

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Chimney services available in Scotchtown

• Chimney Sweeping

  A factory-built firebox burning wood makes creosote just like a masonry one, and its flue is narrower, so there is less room before deposits restrict it.

  Read about chimney sweeping

• Chimney Inspection

  Identifying the system first, then checking it. A factory-built fireplace and a brick stack are inspected for different things.

  More about chimney inspection

• Chimney Repair

  On masonry, repointing and crown work. On a framed chase, the chase cover and the flashing are usually where water is getting in.

  More about chimney repair

• Chimney Cap Installation

  Caps and chase covers both keep water out of the top. A flat or rusted-through cover is a common source of the stains on the siding.

  More about chimney cap installation

• Chimney Liner Installation

  Relining applies to masonry flues. On a listed factory-built system, parts are matched to the manufacturer rather than substituted.

  More about chimney liner installation

Booking from Scotchtown

Call (845) 375-3666. Tell us the address, whether the chimney is brick or a sided chase, what you burn in and how often. If you can find a manufacturer's label inside the firebox, that helps too. It usually gives us enough to say what the visit covers, what it costs and how long it takes.

Summer is much easier to book than October, when the first cold night puts everyone on the phone at once. It is also the better time to replace a rusted chase cover, since that is the repair most likely to be waiting at the end of a Scotchtown inspection.