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 Stickney, IL | Wexford Chimney Sweep
We provide independent Gelco chimney cleaning and service across Stickney, IL, and the thing that sets our work apart here is simple: we know these bungalows. Most Gelco units in Stickney sit in unlined brick stacks or shared flues that were never relined for gas, so a cleaning call is rarely just a cleaning call. It’s a dual-flue inspection, a draft check, and an honest look at what the exterior stack is doing after seventy years of freeze-thaw. Call (866) 361-2607 and we’ll tell you exactly what we find, not what a factory program says we should sell you.
Why Stickney Residents Choose Us for Gelco Service
We’ve worked on Gelco chimney systems across Stickney’s bungalow belt long enough to know how these units fail in unlined brick stacks and undersized flues. That’s diagnostics born from hundreds of teardowns and relines, not a factory badge. Our crew is independent, which means we tell you what your Gelco appliance actually needs, not what a manufacturer program dictates.
Norm Sulecki, our owner, grew up a few blocks from the Hawthorne Race Course in Cicero and has been working on chimneys in this part of Cook County for going on two decades. He picked up the fundamentals of heating systems and venting at Triton College in River Grove, then spent years doing hands-on work before starting Wexford. That background matters when you’re dealing with a Gelco insert that’s been sitting in a 1940s fireplace for thirty years. We fit OEM Gelco parts where they’re still available and qualify aftermarket equivalents for discontinued assemblies, always with the caveat that a Gelco unit sitting in a damaged flue is a reline conversation, not a parts swap. For deeper context on the product lines we carry, see our Gelco sales & service page.
Styles & brands we work with
Common Gelco Chimney Cleaning Problems We Solve in Stickney
- Shared-flue spillage on standing-pilot Gelco inserts. In Stickney bungalows where the fireplace flue also vents the basement water heater, a sooted-up branch is common. The Gelco insert dilutes draft, the furnace kicks on, and spillage shows up at the hood. We sweep both flues, not just the one you can see.
- Corroded direct-vent termination caps on alley-side stacks. Stickney’s freeze-thaw winters and humid summers work the crown loose. Water tracks back into the Gelco direct-vent unit through a cap that’s no longer sealing. We find this on alley-side exterior stacks more than anywhere else.
- Seized Gelco dampers after long heating seasons. October through April is a long run. Dampers on wood-burning fireplaces seize open or closed, creosote builds in the undersized flue, and the draft goes bad. We free them or replace the assembly, then sweep the flue properly.
- Lazy yellow flames from degraded burner orifices and glass-door gaskets. Humid summers do a number on Gelco gas log components. Clay-tile flues that were never relined for gas compound the problem. We clean or replace orifices, fit new gaskets, and check combustion before we leave.
- Creosote buildup in undersized flues. Stickney’s housing stock went up between the 1920s and 1950s, and a lot of those flues are smaller than modern code would allow. Wood-burning Gelco systems in those chimneys need more frequent creosote removal, plain and simple.
Gelco Service in Stickney: What Local Conditions Mean for Your Equipment
Because Stickney’s older bungalows frequently vent both the furnace and a basement water heater through one Gelco-served chimney, a routine sweep here is really a dual-flue inspection. And the alley-side exterior stack is where we find the loosened crown first. On a call near Central Avenue, our tech pulled a Gelco standing-pilot insert out of a 1940s bungalow fireplace and found the shared clay flue sooted down to the water-heater branch, with spillage at the hood every time the furnace kicked on. We swept both flues, cleared the creosote, and flagged the spalled alley-side crown for waterproofing and repointing. The Gelco unit itself only needed a new gasket and pilot cleaning. That’s what an honest inspection looks like here. If you’re in the 60402 ZIP, you’re in our core Stickney service area.
Gelco Models & Products We Service in Stickney
We service Gelco standing-pilot and intermittent-ignition gas fireplace inserts, vented gas log sets, direct-vent gas fireplace units, and Gelco dampers and glass-door assemblies. If a burner, valve, gasket, or damper needs replacement, we fit OEM Gelco parts where they’re still available. When a part has been discontinued, we turn to quality aftermarket equivalents and tell you exactly what we’re installing and why. For Stickney turnaround, we keep common gaskets, pilot assemblies, and damper hardware on the truck, so most parts swaps happen during the first visit.
See the difference
Before
After
Before
After
Before
AfterGelco Service Pricing in Stickney
What a Gelco service call costs in Stickney depends on what we find once we’re inside the flue and behind the unit. A Level 1 sweep of a vented gas log set in a clean flue runs on the lower end. A dual-flue sweep with creosote removal and a level 2 inspection runs higher, and if we’re fitting a new damper assembly or burner parts, the parts cost is quoted before any work begins. Free estimates include a visual inspection of the Gelco unit and the accessible chimney, and you’ll know the number before we touch anything. Call (866) 361-2607 for an exact quote on your specific setup.
Serving Stickney, IL — Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Stickney area and know this community well. Use the map below to see our service coverage — if you’re nearby, we can almost certainly help.
FAQs – Gelco Chimney Cleaning in Stickney
We can, but we won’t recommend it. When two appliances vent into one flue, sweeping only the fireplace branch leaves the water-heater branch sooted and can mask the spillage problem that’s already happening at the hood. We’ll inspect both flues, tell you what we see, and clean what actually needs cleaning. Call (866) 361-2607 and we’ll take a look.
In Stickney bungalows, this usually points to a shared flue that’s losing draft or a burner that’s running rich because of degraded orifices or a failing gasket. When the furnace and water heater are pulling air from the same flue, the Gelco insert can’t vent properly and soot deposits in the firebox. It’s fixable, but the fix depends on what the flue and the burners actually look like.
Yes, when the damage is limited to surface spalling and the crown is still structurally sound. We clean the loose material, repoint where needed, and apply chimney waterproofing to slow future freeze-thaw damage. If the crown is cracked through or the brick below is shifting, a full crown rebuild is the honest answer, and we’ll show you the photos before recommending it.
For a real estate transaction, a Level 2 inspection is what we recommend for any Gelco fireplace in a Stickney home, especially a bungalow with a shared flue and an exterior stack. A Level 2 includes camera inspection of the flue interior and accessible attic and exterior portions, which is where undisclosed liner damage hides. A Level 1 sweep tells you the flue is clean. A Level 2 tells you whether it’s safe.
Often it’s just a part: a worn linkage, a seized hinge, or a buildup of creosote behind the damper plate that’s preventing full travel. We’ll inspect the assembly, clean the track, and replace the worn component if that’s all it needs. If the damper frame itself is warped or cracked from years of heat, we’ll quote a replacement honestly. Call (866) 361-2607 and we’ll tell you which one it is.
Service Areas Near Stickney
We serve Stickney and the surrounding Cook County neighborhoods, including Cicero, Berwyn, North Lawndale, and South Lawndale. For Gelco owners just east of the city, see our Gelco service in West Garfield Park page. If you’re a bit further north, we have a dedicated Gelco service in Oak Park page as well. And for a full list of coverage, our Stickney service area page has the details.
Book Your Gelco Service in Stickney Today
A clean flue isn’t a luxury, it’s just how the thing is supposed to work. If your Gelco fireplace or insert is due for a cleaning, or if you’re smelling soot when the furnace runs, call (866) 361-2607 for a free estimate. We’ll bring the brush, the camera, and an honest answer.
Written by Norm Sulecki, Owner at Wexford Chimney Sweep, serving Stickney and surrounding Cook County communities since 2005.