Question 1

We converted our family room fireplace to a gas insert years ago and haven't touched it since. Does that flue still need sweeping?

Accepted Answer

Yes, and it's one of the more common things we find overlooked in Springdale. A lot of homes here went to gas logs or inserts once PSE&G service made it easy, and the assumption is that gas burns clean so the chimney can be forgotten. The flue itself is still exposed to weather, and on these 60-year-old masonry stacks that means spalling brick, crown cracks and debris falling down the chase. We also check that the liner is sized to the insert. Undersized or missing liners are a frequent find on retrofits done decades ago, before that was handled the way it is now.

Question 2

Our chimney has green growth on one side and the mortar looks chewed up. Is that normal here?

Accepted Answer

It's normal for Springdale. That doesn't mean it's fine. The oak and maple canopy over most of these streets keeps the north-facing side of a masonry stack shaded and damp for long stretches, so moss takes hold and the mortar joints stay wet and soft. Over time you get joint loss and a crown that starts opening up. On a chimney built in the township's 1955-1975 boom, that's roughly where we'd expect it to be. We look at it during a sweep and tell you whether it's cosmetic growth or active mortar failure that needs repointing or crown work.

Question 3

How fast can you get out here?

Accepted Answer

Routine sweeps in Springdale are usually booked within a few days, sometimes the same week, since we're covering Cherry Hill regularly. The pinch point is early fall, when everyone decides at once that they want the fireplace ready. If you call in September or October, expect a longer wait than if you call in spring. If you have smoke pushing into the room, a draft problem, or you've had a chimney fire, say so when you call and we'll treat it differently than a routine cleaning.

Question 4

What usually goes wrong with chimneys around here?

Accepted Answer

Three things come up again and again. Flashing leaks, where the roof was replaced at some point and the new work was tied into the original counter flashing instead of cutting in fresh (water gets behind it and shows up as a stain on the family room ceiling). Crown deterioration on exterior stacks that have been through six decades of freeze and thaw. And liner issues on inserts, either the wrong diameter or no liner at all. The leaf and limb load from the canopy also matters: debris on the roof and in the cap is something we clear more often in Springdale than in open, newer developments.

Question 5

What makes one Springdale sweep cost more than another?

Accepted Answer

Mainly how many flues you have and what's attached to them. Plenty of homes here were built with one wood-burning masonry fireplace in the family room, and the larger colonials on the bigger lots have a second in the living room. Two flues is more work than one. A straightforward open masonry fireplace that's been swept regularly is at the simpler end. An insert that has to be pulled to reach the flue, or a stack where we need roof access past heavy tree cover, takes longer. If the inspection turns up crown or flashing work, that's priced separately from the sweep, and we'll walk you through what we found before anything else happens.

Chimney Sweep in Springdale, NJ

What Springdale chimneys hide until it is too late

Serving Springdale, NJ and Surrounding Areas

Chimney Sweep services in Springdale

Frequently Asked Questions

We converted our family room fireplace to a gas insert years ago and haven't touched it since. Does that flue still need sweeping?

Our chimney has green growth on one side and the mortar looks chewed up. Is that normal here?

Need chimney sweep in Springdale?