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.
Fast, Reliable Chimney Sweep Across Melrose Park
A standard chimney sweep in Melrose Park runs $160 to $280 for most single-flue bungalows and two-flats, and we can usually get you on the schedule within a week. We know the brick two-flats near the Metra station, the post-war ranches in 60164, and the narrow-lot bungalows in between. Wexford Chimney Sweep has served Melrose Park homeowners long enough to know which chimneys were built before liners became code, and which ones hide abandoned flues behind flat-roof additions. Call (866) 361-2607 for a free estimate, and we will tell you straight what your chimney actually needs.
Why Wexford Chimney Sweep Is Melrose Park’s Preferred Chimney Sweep Company
Melrose Park is not a generic suburban market. The housing stock is dense, the chimneys are old, and a lot of what we find is specific to this village: clay-tile liners spalling from freeze-thaw, party-wall stacks sharing crowns with the neighbor’s flue, and wood-burning fireplaces that have not been swept in a decade. We do not send a salesperson to your door. Norm Sulecki leads our team, and the crew that shows up is the crew that does the work.
Our Chimney Sweep technicians arrive with rotary brushes, camera inspection equipment, and the professional-grade materials that big-box stores do not carry. When Melrose Park homeowners call, they get a same-week appointment in most cases, and a straight answer about whether they need a sweep, a liner repair, or nothing at all. That last part matters: we tell people when they can safely wait. It is why our repeat business in Melrose Park comes from referrals, not door knocking.
Styles & brands we work with
Fireplace Cleaning in Melrose Park
Fireplace cleaning in Melrose Park is not a cosmetic service. In a 1920s brick bungalow with an original clay-tile flue, a fireplace that looks fine from the hearth can be carrying a smoke chamber glazed with third-degree creosote, which burns like tar and is the leading cause of chimney fires in this village’s older homes. We remove creosote, soot, and any debris blocking the flue, then run a camera up the stack so you can see exactly what we saw. A standard fireplace cleaning in Melrose Park runs $160 to $240, depending on flue height and creosote stage.
Creosote Removal for Older Flues
Older flues in Melrose Park tend to collect creosote unevenly because the clay tiles have shifted over decades of freeze-thaw cycles. Rotary chain cleaning breaks up the hard, glazed deposits that flat wire brushes leave behind. We show you the before and after on a camera monitor, so there is no mystery about what the inside of your chimney actually looks like.
Soot Removal and Smoke Chamber Cleaning
The smoke chamber is where most chimney sweeps cut corners, and in Melrose Park’s two-flats it is often the dirtiest part of the system. Soot builds up on the corbelled brick, narrows the passage, and slows draft. We clean it fully, because a dirty smoke chamber is exactly what causes smoke to roll back into your living room on windy days.
Chimney Services in Melrose Park
Chimney services in Melrose Park go beyond sweeping. Many of the bungalows near the Metra station have original clay-tile liners that are now cracked, spalling, or missing entirely. When that happens, a sweep alone is not enough. We offer Level 1 and Level 2 inspections, liner evaluation, and HeatShield liner repair, which restores a compromised flue without a full reline when conditions allow. A full inspection with camera report in Melrose Park typically runs $175 to $300.
Level 2 Inspection with Camera Report
No one should buy a new liner based on a glance from the roof. A Level 2 inspection puts a camera inside your flue and records the entire run. In Melrose Park, where flat-roof rear additions often hide abandoned or disconnected flues, this camera evidence is the only honest way to know what is actually wrong. We email you the footage and walk you through it on site.
HeatShield Liner Repair
HeatShield is a ceramic refractory coating applied to the inside of a failing clay-tile flue. It is not paint. It bonds to the masonry and restores a smooth, insulated surface. When a Melrose Park homeowner has cracking clay tiles but the structure is still sound, HeatShield can save thousands over a full DuraFlex stainless reline. Norm Sulecki will tell you plainly if your liner qualifies.
What happens when you call
- 1
A real person answersNo phone trees — you reach a local pro.
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You get an upfront price rangeHonest numbers before anyone is dispatched.
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A background-checked tech heads outLicensed & insured, dispatched right away.
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You approve before work beginsNothing starts until you say go.
Trusted Brands We Service in Melrose Park
We install and service the product lines that credentialed chimney contractors use nationwide, not the hardware-store substitutes. For Melrose Park customers, that means DuraFlex stainless liner systems are on hand for full relines when they are needed, Famco caps and covers can be installed on the spot when a crown repair reveals a missing spark arrestor, and HeatShield liner restoration is available for qualifying clay-tile flues. Because we stock these materials, your chimney gets repaired with the same product a restoration specialist would spec, without waiting on a distributor order.
Common Chimney Sweep Problems We See in Melrose Park Homes
- Clay-tile flues spalling from freeze-thaw. Melrose Park winters cycle above and below freezing dozens of times. Water seeps into hairline cracks, freezes, expands, and pops the tile face off. Once a tile face falls into the flue, it blocks draft and forces smoke back into the house.
- Party-wall chimney stacks near the Metra station. Many bungalows in 60160 share a chimney structure with the house next door. A cracked shared crown lets one neighbor’s smoke push into the other’s flue on windy days. Most sweeps never check for cross-drafting because it requires looking at both sides of the stack.
- Abandoned flues hidden behind flat-roof additions. In 60164 ranches and older bungalow conversions, rear additions often left an original flue buried inside the new framing. If that flue was disconnected improperly, it becomes a carbon monoxide pathway. We find these with Level 2 camera inspections.
- Third-degree creosote glaze in chimneys with poor draft. Older Melrose Park flues are often oversized for today’s modern fireplace inserts. Oversized flues run cool, creosote condenses instead of burning off, and over time it becomes a hard, shiny glaze. That glaze is the most dangerous thing in your chimney.
See the difference
Before
After
Before
After
Before
AfterPricing for Chimney Sweep in Melrose Park, IL
A standard sweep in Melrose Park runs $160 to $280. Fireplace cleaning with smoke chamber brushing runs $160 to $240. A Level 2 camera inspection with written report runs $175 to $300. Adding HeatShield liner repair shifts the price based on flue length and tile condition, usually starting around $1,800 and going up from there, still far less than a full reline. The variables are flue height, creosote stage, and whether your chimney is single or shared. We give you a firm quote before any work begins, and we do not add surprise charges after the fact. Call (866) 361-2607 for a free estimate tailored to your chimney.
We Also Serve Cities Near Melrose Park
Wexford Chimney Sweep works throughout the near-west suburbs, including Melrose Park, Maywood, Elmwood Park, River Forest, and Broadview. If you are in one of those villages and want a chimney inspection, same-week scheduling applies across the area. Call us and tell us what you are seeing; we will tell you if it can wait.
Serving Melrose Park, IL — Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Melrose Park 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 Sweep in Melrose Park
The only honest answer is a camera inspection. Hairline cracks in clay tile do not mean you need a new liner, and plenty of Melrose Park homeowners are told they do after a visual glance from the roof. We run a Level 2 camera up your flue and show you the footage. First-degree creosote? You need a sweep. Spalled tile faces or gaps between tiles? That is a liner conversation, possibly HeatShield repair instead of full replacement. We never recommend a liner without camera evidence you can see for yourself. Call (866) 361-2607 to schedule an inspection and know for certain.
In the bungalow blocks near the Melrose Park Metra station, many chimneys share a party wall with the neighbor’s flue. When wind comes off the rail corridor from the northeast, it hits the shared crown and can push smoke from one flue into the other if that crown has cracked. We see this exact pattern on 1920s brick bungalows along Main Street and Broadway. The fix is usually a rebuilt crown and a cross-drafting check, not a new liner. That is why we inspect the entire stack, not just your side of it. Call (866) 361-2607 if your fireplace only misbehaves when the wind blows.
Annually, even if you rarely light a fire. The reason is structural, not just creosote. Melrose Park’s freeze-thaw cycles crack mortar and shift clay tiles regardless of how often you burn. Humid summers then let moisture work into those cracks. A chimney that has not been inspected in five years may look fine from the street and be spalling inside. A yearly inspection catches crown cracks, tile spalling, and abandoned flue issues before they become smoke backup or carbon monoxide events. For occasional burners, a sweep every other year plus an annual visual inspection is often sufficient, and we will tell you if that applies.
First-degree creosote is sooty, powdery, and brushes out with a standard sweep. It is normal accumulation from regular burning and is not a structural concern. Third-degree creosote is different: a hard, shiny glaze that forms when an oversized flue runs too cool and condensates tar instead of burning it off. We find third-degree glaze in Melrose Park’s older unlined and oversized clay-tile flues far more often than in newer fireplaces, because those chimneys were built for coal or open wood fires, not modern inserts. Glazed creosote requires rotary chain removal, and it is the reason some chimneys need more than a $50 brush job. Call us at (866) 361-2607 and we will tell you which stage you have, with camera proof.
Yes, and this is common in Melrose Park’s 60164 ranches and bungalow conversions. When a rear addition went up, the original chimney often stayed inside the new framing, and the flue was either abandoned, improperly capped, or re-routed. If an abandoned flue is left open, it becomes a draft path that pulls air from the house or pushes exhaust somewhere it should not go. We find them with a Level 2 camera inspection, and we mark the exact location in your report. If it is safe, we seal it properly. If it is still connected to anything, we tell you before touching it. Call (866) 361-2607 to have your addition checked.
Why the Older Sections of Melrose Park Need a Different Kind of Chimney Sweep
In the bungalow blocks near the Melrose Park Metra station, many chimney stacks share a party wall with the neighbor’s flue. That means a crack in the shared crown can push smoke from one house into the other on windy days, an issue that rarely shows up in suburban subdivisions with detached chimneys. We check for it on every Melrose Park inspection. Most chimney companies do not, because looking at a shared stack means coordinating with two homeowners and understanding how cross-drafting works in tight-lot construction.
On a 1920s brick bungalow near the Metra station, our tech found the original clay-tile flue liner spalling and a shared chimney crown cracked along the party wall, causing smoke backup whenever the wind came off the rail corridor. A Level 2 inspection camera showed third-degree creosote glazed on the smoke chamber, which we removed with a rotary chain before installing a HeatShield liner and rebuilding the crown. The homeowner watched the entire camera feed and approved each step.
That is how we work in Melrose Park. No scare pricing. No liner replacement quotes from a glance. Just camera evidence, a straight explanation, and a fix that matches what is actually wrong. If you are being told you need a new liner, ask for the footage. If the company will not show it, call us.
Contact Wexford Chimney Sweep in Melrose Park
If you own a home in Melrose Park and have questions about your chimney, dryer vent, or fireplace, call Wexford Chimney Sweep at (866) 361-2607. Norm Sulecki and our team will give you a straight answer, and if you do not need work done, we will tell you that too. Free estimates for chimney sweeping, inspections, and liner evaluation across Melrose Park, including 60160, 60161, and 60164.
Written by Norm Sulecki, Owner at Wexford Chimney Sweep, serving Melrose Park homeowners with professional-grade chimney and dryer vent services.