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.
Why Cicero Homeowners Choose DuraFlex Chimney Cleaning
Wexford Chimney Sweep provides Cicero DuraFlex service including chimney cleaning, inspection, and repair across the area. We work on DuraFlex SW smooth-wall liners, Pro flexible relining kits, and insulated systems every week, which means we know the failure patterns these liners develop in Cicero’s early-1900s brick chimneys, not just what the product catalog describes. We are an independent chimney service company and are not authorized, sponsored, or endorsed by DuraFlex. What you get from us is straight diagnosis, compatible parts, and honest repair-or-replace guidance. Call (866) 361-2607 for a free estimate.
Cicero’s housing stock is overwhelmingly brick two-flats, bungalows, and workers’ cottages built between 1900 and 1930. Many of those homes still have their original interior masonry chimneys with clay tile liners sized for coal. When a DuraFlex stainless liner gets retrofitted into that older stack, it changes how the flue handles moisture, draft, and heat cycling. We understand that interaction because we’ve spent nearly two decades working on exactly these chimneys in this part of Cook County. Norm Sulecki, our owner, grew up a few blocks from the Hawthorne Race Course in Cicero and has been on rooftops across this town since before the current generation of liner products hit the market. A clean flue isn’t a luxury, it’s just how the thing is supposed to work.
Why Trust Wexford Chimney Sweep for Your DuraFlex Chimney Cleaning?
Because we see DuraFlex liners in their natural habitat, which is usually a 1920s Cicero chimney with a coal-era footprint and a modern gas furnace or wood stove venting through it. That combination creates specific stress points: condensation at the top plate, corrosion at the connector bands, creosote packing into the corrugations on wood-burning setups. A technician who only reads the installation manual won’t catch what we catch during a routine sweep. Norm Sulecki picked up his fundamentals in heating systems and venting at Triton College in River Grove, then spent years doing hands-on chimney work before starting Wexford. He built the company’s reputation on telling homeowners exactly what he sees, not what generates a bigger ticket. When we inspect a DuraFlex liner in Cicero, we’re looking at the whole system: the cap, the top plate, the liner walls, the joints, the crown, and the appliance connection. That familiarity means we can often pinpoint a developing problem during a cleaning before it turns into water damage or a draft failure.
Styles & brands we work with
Common DuraFlex Chimney Cleaning Problems We Fix in Cicero
- Top plate and cap seal failures. The top plate sits at the very top of the chimney and seals the gap between the liner and the masonry. In Cicero’s freeze-thaw cycles, that seal degrades. Rain and snowmelt run down the outside of the liner, rust the crown, and leave brown staining on the brick. During a cleaning, we check the top plate seal and the cap’s spark arrestor mesh, which also clogs with creosote and restricts draft on wood-burning systems.
- Liner joint and connector band corrosion. Flue gas condensation is more aggressive on exterior chimneys, and a lot of Cicero’s chimneys are exterior walls. The connector bands that join liner sections corrode first. We’ve pulled apart liners where the bands looked fine from the outside but were paper-thin at the seam. That’s a carbon monoxide concern and a draft killer.
- Creosote buildup hiding pinhole corrosion. Smooth-wall DuraFlex SW liners sweep cleaner than corrugated liners, but they’re not maintenance-free. In wood-burning Cicero bungalows, creosote still accumulates, especially in the upper third of the flue where temperatures drop. Pinhole corrosion hides under that layer. We sweep first, then inspect with a camera so we’re not guessing about liner condition.
- Improperly sized or poorly supported liners. We routinely find DuraFlex liners in older Cicero masonry chimneys that were installed without proper insulation or support. An uninsulated liner in an exterior chimney condenses more, corrodes faster, and drafts poorly. If the liner wasn’t sized right for the appliance, you get spillage and smoky startups, especially on damp days. We diagnose this during a Level 2 inspection.
- Cracked flue tiles behind the liner. When a coal-era clay tile flue gets a stainless liner dropped in without addressing pre-existing tile damage, those cracked tiles can press against the liner and abrade it over time. We’ve found this on two-flats near Cermak Road where the original chimney served a coal boiler and now vents a gas furnace. The liner protects the flue, but the surrounding masonry still needs to be sound.
DuraFlex Parts & Our Repair-vs-Replace Approach
We stock DuraFlex-compatible stainless components for the liner systems we service most often in Cicero, which means caps, top plates, connector bands, and rain collars are typically on hand when we need them. When the OEM part is no longer available or has been discontinued, we use quality aftermarket stainless caps and top plates that match the existing liner’s diameter and profile. The material matters more than the label, and stainless is stainless. Here’s how we decide repair versus replace: if the liner wall is still sound and the failure is at the cap, top plate, or a single joint, a targeted repair usually holds. If the liner is pitted through in multiple spots, joint-failed, or was sized wrong from the start, we tell you honestly that a full reline is the safer call. We don’t sell relines that aren’t needed, and we don’t patch liners that are done. Call (866) 361-2607 and we’ll walk you through what we find, with camera photos so you can see it yourself.
Our DuraFlex Service Process – Step by Step
1. Diagnosis. We start with a visual inspection of the cap, top plate, crown, and accessible liner sections, then run a camera through the flue from top and bottom. This is where we find the seal failures, joint corrosion, and hidden pinholes that a bare-eye sweep misses.
2. Sweep and prep. We clean the liner with brushes sized for the exact DuraFlex diameter installed. Smooth-wall SW liners get a gentler pass than corrugated Pro liners, which trap more creosote in the valleys. The flue has to be clean before any repair, because you can’t properly inspect or patch a dirty liner.
3. Repair or install. For cap and top plate replacements, we’ll pull the old assembly, set the new stainless top plate with fresh sealant rated for chimney temperatures, and torque the cap down. For joint repairs, we clean the seam, replace the connector band, and verify the liner is still properly supported. If a full reline is warranted, we install the new DuraFlex liner with the right insulation for your chimney’s construction.
4. Test and verify. We check draft with a smoke test where appropriate, verify the appliance connection is sealed, and run the camera again so you have before-and-after documentation of the flue’s condition.
See the difference
Before
After
Before
After
Before
AfterDuraFlex Products We Service & Install in Cicero
We service and install the DuraFlex SW smooth-wall stainless liner kits most common in gas and oil applications, the DuraFlex Pro flexible relining kits used for wood-burning and mixed-fuel setups, and DuraFlex insulated liner kits specified for exterior chimneys like the ones on so many Cicero two-flats and bungalows. We also offer DuraFlex service in Stickney for similar homes in that area. We also work on rigid stainless DuraFlex sections used in taller masonry stacks where smooth vertical runs improve draft and cleanability. Locally, we keep a working stock of caps, top plates, connector bands, and rain collars sized for the liner diameters we encounter most often, so a cap replacement doesn’t have to wait on a parts order.
We Also Service These Brands
DuraFlex is the liner system we see most in Cicero, but we’re not a single-brand shop. We also service and install HeatShield liner repair systems for homeowners who want to restore a flue without a full reline when conditions allow, and we stock Gelco caps and covers for masonry and prefab chimneys. The point is that you get the right product for your chimney, not whichever brand we happen to carry.
FAQs – DuraFlex Chimney Cleaning Service in Cicero
Watch for brown staining on the chimney crown or brick below the cap, which usually means the top plate seal has failed and water is tracking down the outside of the liner. You might also notice smoky smells on damp days, a lazy or reversed draft, or visible rust at the connector bands where liner sections meet. If you see any of these, call (866) 361-2607. We’ll put a camera down the flue and tell you what’s actually happening.
A Level 1 inspection is what happens during a routine annual sweep, and it’s appropriate when nothing has changed with your appliance or venting. A Level 2 inspection uses a camera and is the right call if you’ve changed fuel types, had a chimney fire, bought the home, or suspect liner damage. In Cicero’s older brick chimneys, we recommend a camera inspection at least every other year, even if nothing seems wrong, because seal and joint failures develop out of sight.
Yes. If the liner itself is sound, cap replacement is a straightforward job. We stock DuraFlex-compatible stainless caps in the diameters most common in Cicero, and we replace the top plate and seal at the same time when needed. A new cap on a failing liner doesn’t solve the underlying problem, so we’ll always camera the flue before we quote the work. Call (866) 361-2607 for a free estimate.
Damp-day smoke smell usually points to a draft problem, and in a DuraFlex-lined chimney in Cicero, the most common causes are a clogged cap screen, creosote buildup near the top of the liner, condensation at a corroded joint, or a liner that was sized too small for the fireplace or stove. We diagnose it by checking the cap, sweeping the flue, and running a camera to rule out liner compromise.
Yes. A cracked crown lets water into the masonry around the liner, and that freeze-thaw cycling in Cicero winters will widen the crack fast. We repair crowns with a flexible sealant or mortar crown resurfacing, whatever the condition calls for, and we’ll inspect the top plate and liner at the same time because water at the crown usually means the top assembly needs attention too. Call (866) 361-2607 and we’ll take a look.
DuraFlex in Berwyn and Cicero typically runs $180 to $340 for chimney cleaning depending on flue height, liner condition, and whether a camera inspection is included. Cap and top plate replacements add $150 to $400 depending on the cap style and liner diameter. Full relines are project-priced. Call (866) 361-2607 for an exact quote. Estimates are free, and we’ll tell you plainly what needs doing now and what can wait.
Book Your DuraFlex Service in Cicero, IL
If you’ve got a DuraFlex liner in a Cicero bungalow, two-flat, or worker’s cottage, we’ll sweep it, camera it, and tell you exactly what condition it’s in. We also provide DuraFlex service in North Lawndale for similar vintage homes. One call covers the whole flue. Call (866) 361-2607 for a free estimate, or to schedule your sweep before the next lake-effect cold snap.
Written by Norm Sulecki, Owner at Wexford Chimney Sweep, serving Cicero and Cook County since 2006.