Chimney Sweep Bros sweeps, inspects, relines and repairs chimneys across Alsip. We are insured, open seven days a week from 7:00am to 7:00pm, and you can call (708) 432-3430.
Village services and permit information are available from the Village of Alsip.
Alsip is a brick town, and that is not a coincidence
Alsip is named after Frank Alsip, who opened a brickyard here in 1885. The village was settled in the 1830s by German and Dutch farmers, and it grew up around clay and brick. There is a certain irony in a chimney company pointing this out, but it is genuinely relevant: brick is what we spend most of our time looking at, and understanding how it fails is most of the job.
How brick actually fails
Brick does not wear out. It gets destroyed by water. A fired brick is porous — it absorbs water like a slow sponge. In our climate the temperature crosses freezing dozens of times each winter, and every crossing means the water inside the brick expands by roughly nine percent. Do that enough times and the face of the brick pops off. That is spalling, and once the face is gone the brick soaks up water faster, so it accelerates.
- The mortar is meant to fail first. Mortar is the sacrificial layer — softer than the brick by design, so that it, rather than the brick, takes the movement and the damage. When you see receded, cracked or sandy mortar joints, that is the system working. Repointing puts it back.
- The brick failing means the water has been winning for a while. Spalling brick faces are a later-stage symptom, not an early warning.
- The water almost always comes in at the top. A cracked crown or a missing cap lets water into the core of the chimney — the one place that cannot dry out. Repointing a stack while leaving a broken crown above it means repointing it again.
The mid-century masonry chimneys here are now sixty-odd winters old, and the failure point is rarely the brick — it is the mortar joints between the clay flue tiles inside. They wash out slowly. Nothing dramatic announces it; you simply end up with gaps in the liner, and a gap is a direct path for heat and carbon monoxide into the wall cavity. It is invisible from the firebox, and only a camera finds it. See chimney inspection.
Chimney services we provide in Alsip
- Chimney sweeping — under a sealed HEPA vacuum, Level 1 inspection included.
- Chimney inspection — Level 1 and Level 2 with a camera up the flue.
- Chimney repair and masonry — spalling brick, failed mortar, tuckpointing, rebuilds.
- Chimney relining — stainless liners sized to the appliance.
- Caps and crowns — stopping water before it does the damage.
- Gas fireplace service — the flue still matters, because carbon monoxide does.
- Dryer vent cleaning — the full duct run.
The right order to do the work in
If your Alsip chimney is shedding brick, the sequence matters. Stop the water first — crown and cap — then repair the masonry. Doing it the other way round is paying twice, and any contractor who quotes you for brickwork without looking at what is above it is not solving your problem. See chimney repair.
Frequently asked questions
Why is the brick on my chimney flaking off?
Water and freeze-thaw. Brick is porous, it absorbs water, and every time the temperature crosses freezing that water expands and pushes the face of the brick off. It is called spalling, and once it starts it accelerates, because the exposed brick soaks up water faster.
Is crumbling mortar a serious problem?
It is the system working as designed — mortar is deliberately softer than brick so it fails first and takes the damage. What matters is fixing it before the brick starts going, because brick damage is a much bigger job than repointing.
Should I repoint the brickwork or fix the crown first?
The crown and cap, every time. The water is almost always getting in at the top. Repointing a stack while leaving a cracked crown above it means you will be repointing it again in a few winters — you would be paying twice.
How much does chimney repair cost in Alsip?
Masonry repair and tuckpointing start at $475, and a crown repair or seal starts at $395. The price is confirmed before we start. Everything is listed on our pricing page.
My house is from the 1960s. What is the likely fault?
The mortar joints between the clay flue tiles inside the chimney. After sixty winters they wash out and leave gaps in the liner, which lets heat and carbon monoxide into the wall cavity. It is invisible from the room — only a camera inspection finds it.
Do you charge travel to Alsip?
No. There is no travel surcharge.
Can a damaged chimney still be used?
It depends entirely on what is damaged. Deteriorating mortar on the outside of the stack is not an immediate reason to stop burning. A cracked flue liner absolutely is. We will give you a straight answer on whether it is safe to light a fire tonight.
Do you work weekends in Alsip?
Yes — seven days a week, 7:00am to 7:00pm, at the same rate.
Book a chimney sweep in Alsip
Call (708) 432-3430 — open seven days, 7:00am to 7:00pm — or book online. Prices are on our pricing page and confirmed before work begins.
From our blog: Why Your Chimney Leaks When It Rains
Also from our blog: Does Your Alsip Chimney Have More Than One Flue? Why It Matters
From our blog: The Ash Dump and Cleanout Door: The Two Small Hatches Under Your Fireplace