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.
Chimney Company in Avondale, IL
Chimney repair in Avondale usually means one thing: a century-old clay-tile flue inside a brick two-flat or three-flat has started spalling, and the stack itself is showing freeze-thaw damage at the crown. That’s the call we make most often in 60618. Wexford Chimney Sweep has served Avondale since 2013, and the work here is different from the suburban sweep-and-go job: shared flues, mixed-use stacks, and masonry that’s already survived a hundred Chicago winters. If you suspect a problem, call (866) 361-2607 and we’ll tell you what you’re actually looking at.
Why Avondale Homes Are Different
Avondale’s housing stock is overwhelmingly pre-1930 brick construction – two-flats and three-flats along Milwaukee Avenue, Kedzie, and the side streets, plus greystones and courtyard buildings near Belmont and Diversey. The chimneys on these buildings were built for coal-fired or early gas appliances, with original clay-tile liners that predate modern venting codes. Almost none of them have been relined since the day they were laid.
Chicago’s freeze-thaw cycle is hard on exposed brick. Water gets into hairline cracks in the mortar crown, freezes, expands, and by spring the crown is spalling and the top few courses of brick are loose. Add lake-effect snow sitting on low-slope roofs around dormers, and you get ice damming that pushes water straight into the flue chase. That’s why our busiest window for Avondale chimney work is the post-thaw inspection season – roughly March through May, when homeowners finally see what winter did to the stack.
The other Avondale reality is shared flues. On a typical two-flat, the basement furnace and a first-floor fireplace often vent into the same brick chimney on separate clay-tile liners. When one liner fails, you’re not just losing draft – you’re risking cross-ventilation between units. We see this regularly because the buildings are dense and the chimneys are old, and spotting it early is the difference between a repair and a carbon monoxide problem.
Styles & brands we work with
Our Main Avondale Services
Most Avondale homeowners call us for one of two reasons: the chimney hasn’t been swept in years (or ever, after buying the building), or the dryer vent is packed with lint and the dryer’s taking forever. Here’s what each job looks like in 60618.
Chimney Sweep in Avondale
A sweep in Avondale is rarely just a sweep. Because so many stacks serve furnaces and water heaters in addition to fireplaces, we’re looking at the whole stack while we clean: liner condition, mortar joints, crown integrity, and whether the flue serving a boiler has corroded faster than the one serving the fireplace. On two-flats and three-flats, it’s common to find one flue blocked and the other barely drafting. The sweep itself removes soot, creosote, and any debris, but the inspection is where the real value sits. Chimney Sweep in Avondale covers what to expect from a full visit.
Dryer Vent Cleaning in Avondale
Dryer vents in Avondale’s older buildings run long and crooked – often through interior walls or up through the roof, because the buildings weren’t framed with laundry closets in mind. Lint accumulates at every bend, and in a brick two-flat that vent may exit through masonry, which means any blockage is a slow burn away from the structure. We clean the full run from dryer to termination, then verify airflow. Dryer Vent Cleaning in Avondale is the page for a deeper look.
What happens when you call
- 1
A real person answersNo phone trees — you reach a local pro.
- 2
You get an upfront price rangeHonest numbers before anyone is dispatched.
- 3
A background-checked tech heads outLicensed & insured, dispatched right away.
- 4
You approve before work beginsNothing starts until you say go.
Chimney Repair in Avondale
Chimney repair in Avondale is mostly masonry and liner work on stacks that are 90 to 130 years old. The clay-tile liners in these chimneys spall from decades of flue gas and moisture, and once spalling starts, pieces of tile drop into the flue and block draft. Meanwhile, the exposed brick and mortar crown above the roofline takes the brunt of Chicago’s freeze-thaw cycle. If your two-flat or three-flat hasn’t had its flue inspected since the roof was last done, there’s a good chance the liner is further along than you think. Chimney Repair is our hub page for the full range, but below is what we see most in 60618.
Chimney Liner Installation
Signs you need it
Clay-tile shards at the bottom of the flue, visible gaps in the liner during a camera inspection, or a boiler that backdrafts and sets off the CO detector.
What it costs in Avondale
Chimney liner installation in Avondale typically runs $2,500 to $5,500, depending on flue height and whether we’re relining one flue or separating two that share a stack.
How we do it
We camera the flue to measure and document, remove failed clay tile where accessible, and install a DuraFlex stainless liner sized to the appliance and venting code.
Chimney Crown Repair
Signs you need it
A cracked or spalled mortar crown, water staining on the ceiling near the chimney chase, or loose bricks at the top three courses.
What it costs in Avondale
Crown repair in Avondale runs $500 to $1,200 for a standard rebuild, more if the top course of brick needs to be relayed.
How we do it
We saw-cut and remove the failed crown, form and pour a new properly sloped crown, and tool the edges to shed water away from the flue.
Chimney Flashing Repair
Signs you need it
Water marks or dampness on the ceiling around the chimney, rusted or lifted flashing visible from the roof, or leaks after heavy lake-effect snow.
What it costs in Avondale
Flashing repair in Avondale ranges from $400 to $900, depending on whether we’re re-sealing existing metal or cutting in new step flashing.
How we do it
We remove the failed flashing, inspect the underlying substrate for rot, and install new flashing sealed to the brick with professional-grade sealant.
What Chimney Repair Costs in Avondale
| Item | Typical range in Avondale |
|---|---|
| Chimney cap installation | $250 – $600 |
| Chimney crown repair | $500 – $1,200 |
| Chimney liner installation | $2,500 – $5,500 |
| Chimney flashing repair | $400 – $900 |
How do I know if my Avondale chimney needs a new liner?
If you see clay-tile pieces at the bottom of the cleanout, hear loose material falling when the boiler kicks on, or a camera shows the liner has separated, that’s a failed liner. In a two-flat, a failed furnace flue is also a carbon monoxide risk for every unit on the stack.
Can you repair a clay-tile liner without replacing the whole chimney?
Sometimes. If the liner is spalled but the flue is otherwise sound, HeatShield cerfractory coating can restore the inside surface without removing the old tile or rebuilding the stack. The camera tells us whether it qualifies. Call (866) 361-2607 and we’ll walk you through what the footage actually shows.
Brands We Service in Avondale
We stock and install DuraFlex liner systems, Olympia Chimney caps, and Famco termination components for Avondale work. These are the same professional-grade lines chimney contractors specify, not hardware-store equivalents, and having them on hand keeps most repairs to a single visit. Read about our brands and what we carry.
See the difference
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After
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AfterPricing for Chimney Company in Avondale, IL
| Service | Typical range in Avondale |
|---|---|
| Chimney sweep | $180 – $340 |
| Dryer vent cleaning | $120 – $220 |
| Chimney cap installation | $250 – $600 |
| Chimney cap replacement | $250 – $600 |
| Chimney crown repair | $500 – $1,200 |
| Chimney flashing repair | $400 – $900 |
| Chimney liner installation | $2,500 – $5,500 |
What pushes a price up in Avondale is access: three-story stacks with steep roof pitches, dormers that block ladder placement, and flues that haven’t been opened in thirty years all add labor. The opposite also holds – a standard two-flat with a straight run is often at the lower end. You get a flat price before we book, and the quote is what you pay.
Neighborhoods We Serve in Avondale
We work throughout 60618, from the Milwaukee Avenue corridor to the residential side streets near the river. Our typical schedule for an Avondale visit is within the week, and spring inspections are the one time we book further out – if you can, call before the snow melts.
- Belmont Gardens
- Kosciuszko Park
- Logan Square border streets
- Irving Park corridor
- Chicago’s Polish Village
Service Area – Cities Near Avondale
Wexford Chimney Sweep covers Avondale and the surrounding Northwest Side neighborhoods. We regularly work in Logan Square, IL, Belmont Cragin, IL, West Town, IL, and East Garfield Park, IL, which means the same crew and the same professional-grade materials follow you whether the job’s in 60618 or just over the boundary.
Serving Avondale, IL — Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Avondale 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 About Chimney Company in Avondale
Most chimney repairs on existing structures don’t require a separate city permit, but liner installations connected to active appliance vents should meet current mechanical code, and we handle that on our end. If you’re in a landmarked building or your building association requires documentation, we provide a written report with the camera footage.
How fast can you get to a two-flat in Avondale?
For a standard sweep or inspection, we can usually schedule Avondale visits within the week. Spring is the exception – once the thaw hits and everyone discovers their crown cracked, the calendar fills up. If you suspect a flue problem in winter, call sooner rather than later.
We handle the whole stack. On two-flats and three-flats, that means inspecting every flue serving the building, not just the one attached to the unit that called. The owner pays, but every unit’s venting gets looked at. Call (866) 361-2607 for a free estimate on the full stack.
What happens when you call
- 1A real person answersNo phone trees — talk to a local chimney cleaning pro.
- 2You get an upfront price rangeHonest numbers before anyone is dispatched. No surprises.
- 3We come out and measureLicensed & insured, at a time that suits you — the visit and the quote are both free.
- 4You get the price in writingLine-itemed, yours to keep, and nothing starts until you say go.
What Avondale Customers Say
"Good work. The written inspection report took about a week to arrive after I asked for it, which was slower than I expected."
— Brandon Park"Cap keeps the birds out now, which after two springs of scratching noises is worth every penny."
— Amanda Schaefer"Fireplace had never drawn properly since we moved in. He found the damper was only opening halfway due to a bent linkage and fixed it in ten minutes."
— Aisha Mosley