Sweep & inspection
Caps & crowns
Flue relining
Masonry repair
Gas fireplace serviceLevel 1 sweep and inspection to the NFPA 211 annual standard - flue, crown, cap, and flashing checked and photographed
Chimney sweep logs do not sweep chimneys. They loosen some creosote - which then falls where a brush and vacuum still have to collect it.
Gelco Chimney Cleaning in Berwyn, IL | Wexford Chimney Sweep
Wexford Chimney Sweep is an independent service provider for Gelco chimney components across Berwyn, with nearby Gelco in Cicero also within our service area. We clean, inspect, repair, and replace Gelco caps, dampers, and screens on the brick stacks that line every alley in this town. What sets our Gelco work apart here is simple: we know how these parts fail after decades of Berwyn freeze-thaw cycles, and we fix them without pushing replacements you don’t need. Call (866) 361-2607 for a free estimate.
Why Berwyn Residents Choose Us for Gelco Service
Our sweeps have pulled Gelco caps and dampers off Berwyn’s brick two-flats for years, so we know how their components age in this freeze-thaw climate rather than in a lab. Norm Sulecki, our owner, grew up a few blocks from the Hawthorne Race Course in Cicero and has been working chimneys in this part of Cook County for going on two decades. That means we’ve seen every failure mode a Gelco part can develop on a 1920s masonry stack. We’re an independent shop, not authorized or sponsored by Gelco, and we tell owners plainly when an original Gelco part is worth keeping and when it isn’t. For Berwyn homeowners, that’s the difference between a quick cleaning and an unnecessary cap replacement. You can learn more about our Gelco sales & service work across the region.
Styles & brands we work with
Common Gelco Chimney Cleaning Problems We Solve in Berwyn
- Corroded cap screens and louvers. After a wet Berwyn summer, Gelco cap screens and louvers corrode and clog with soot and leaf debris. On gas-converted flues, that restricted airflow chokes draft and pushes combustion gases back into the house. We clean the screen when it’s salvageable, replace it when it’s not.
- Bolt-on cap legs seized to old clay tile. Bolt-on Gelco cap legs seize to old clay tile or spalling brick crowns over decades of freeze-thaw cycles. Removing one for inspection can crack the tile it’s fastened to. We approach these removals carefully, often treating the crown first so the cap comes off without taking the flue with it.
- Top-sealing damper gaskets hardening shut. Gelco top-sealing damper gaskets harden and stick shut through Berwyn’s cold snaps, leaving the flue sealed when the furnace or fireplace is lit. That’s a carbon monoxide risk. We free the damper, check the gasket, and replace the seal if it’s gone brittle.
- Undersized caps on coal-era stacks. Original Gelco caps sized for coal-era stacks sit undersized on later furnace flue liners. Rain drives straight down an unlined flue, soaking the firebox and accelerating mortar breakdown. We measure the liner and fit the correct cap footprint.
- Water infiltration through cracked crowns. A Gelco cap can’t do its job if the crown under it is cracked. On Berwyn’s exterior stacks, freeze-thaw spalling lets water bypass the cap entirely and run down the flue walls. Crown repair is part of what we do.
Gelco Service in Berwyn: What Local Conditions Mean for Your Equipment
Berwyn is a densely packed streetcar suburb where thousands of 1920s – 1950s masonry bungalows and two-flats sit shoulder-to-shoulder on 25-foot lots. Most chimney work here involves exterior brick stacks on the side of the house, often shared between units, that have spent a century wicking Chicago’s freeze-thaw moisture. For Gelco owners, that means one thing above all: components sized for the original coal flue now sit on gas-converted liners that are a different diameter. We see this on block after block from the Depot District to the bungalow belt. The cap looks fine from the ground. Up close, the screen is choked, the legs are seized, and water is pooling on the clay tile collar. A generic cleaning that skips the cap inspection leaves all of that in place. Our cleaning always includes a cap-and-damper check, because in Berwyn, the cap is where the problems start. Berwyn service area coverage includes every ZIP in 60402.
Berwyn’s alley-fed lots also mean many Gelco caps are reached only from the back, and party-wall chimneys shared between two-flat units often carry two separate flues under one cap. A single cap replacement can be a two-owner conversation. We coordinate that conversation and handle the repair work for both sides, which is not something every sweep outfit will do for you.
Gelco Models & Products We Service in Berwyn
We work on the full range of Gelco products found on Berwyn roofs. That includes Gelco stainless multi-flue chimney caps, single-flue fixed and bolt-on caps, top-sealing damper assemblies, and cap screens and spark arrestors. Parts-wise, our approach is straightforward: we favor OEM Gelco caps, dampers, and screens when the original footprint is still sound, and we switch to quality aftermarket stainless caps when a Berwyn stack has been relined to a different size. If a cap or damper is structurally fine, we clean and re-seal it rather than upsell a replacement. We stock common Gelco-compatible screens, gaskets, and cap hardware for fast turnaround on Berwyn jobs, and we order OEM parts directly when the job calls for them.
See the difference
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After
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Before
AfterGelco Service Pricing in Berwyn
Gelco chimney cleaning in Berwyn typically ranges from $189 to $349, depending on flue count, cap condition, and whether the stack is shared between units. Cap and damper inspections are included in our standard sweep. If a cap replacement, crown repair, or waterproofing is needed, we quote it separately after you’ve seen the photos from our inspection camera. You’ll know exactly what’s wrong and what it costs before any work proceeds. The variables in Berwyn are the roof access, the condition of the brick crown, and whether we’re dealing with one flue or two under a single cap. Call (866) 361-2607 for a free estimate on Gelco service anywhere in Berwyn.
Serving Berwyn, IL — Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Berwyn area and know this community well, and we also handle Gelco repair in Stickney. Use the map below to see our service coverage — if you’re nearby, we can almost certainly help.
FAQs – Gelco Chimney Cleaning in Berwyn
Yes. We handle party-wall chimneys regularly in Berwyn, where two-flat buildings share a single exterior stack with two flues under one cap. We coordinate with both owners, document the condition of each flue, and replace the cap once both sides understand the scope and cost. Call (866) 361-2607 and we’ll walk the property and give both owners a clear writeup.
Partially. Gelco top-sealing damper gaskets harden and stick shut through repeated Berwyn cold snaps, especially when the damper hasn’t been cycled since spring. Moisture and soot accumulate on the gasket, then freezing temperatures lock it in place. We free the mechanism, clean the seat, and replace the gasket if it’s no longer pliable. Left stuck shut while the furnace runs, this can push carbon monoxide into the house. Call (866) 361-2607 for a damper inspection.
Berwyn’s mature tree canopy and tight lot spacing drop a lot of leaf and seed debris onto roofs, and wet, humid summers let that debris cake into the screen mesh. Gas-converted flues run cooler than coal-era fires did, so the draft isn’t strong enough to push past a partially clogged screen. We clean the screen during every sweep and check the louver clearances. If the screen has corroded through, we replace it with the correct OEM or aftermarket stainless mesh. Call (866) 361-2607 to schedule.
Usually, yes. Most Berwyn exterior chimneys face the alley, not the street. We bring ladders and equipment through the back gate, and we don’t need anyone home if you’ve confirmed access in advance. If the stack is on the side of the house facing the neighbor’s lot, we may need to coordinate a brief entry with them. Call (866) 361-2607 and we’ll scope the access before showing up.
It can, if it’s done carelessly. Bolt-on Gelco cap legs seize to old clay tile or crumbling brick crowns, and yanking them off can crack the flue tile underneath. We treat the crown first, loosen the hardware over time with penetrating techniques, and remove the cap without stressing the masonry it’s attached to. In many cases we repair the crown in the same visit. Call (866) 361-2607 and we’ll inspect the condition before touching anything.
Service Areas Near Berwyn
Along with Berwyn, our team covers Gelco service in North Lawndale, Gelco service in South Lawndale, Cicero, Stickney, and West Garfield Park. Same crew, same thorough inspection, same straight talk about what your Gelco components actually need.
Book Your Gelco Service in Berwyn Today
Call (866) 361-2607 to schedule Gelco chimney cleaning anywhere in Berwyn or for Gelco in North Riverside. We’ll inspect the cap, damper, screens, flue, and crown, show you photos of anything that needs attention, and give you a straight answer on what can wait and what can’t. A clean flue isn’t a luxury – it’s just how the thing is supposed to work.
Written by Norm Sulecki, Owner at Wexford Chimney Sweep, serving Berwyn and the western suburbs, including Riverside Gelco service, since 2005.