Chimney Sweep Bros sweeps, inspects, relines and repairs chimneys across Lemont. 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 Lemont.
Lemont is a stone town, and that changes the chimney
Lemont is not like the rest of our service area, and anyone treating it as just another suburb is not paying attention. The village was founded as a quarrying town: while digging the canal, workers hit an excellent grade of dolomite limestone just under the topsoil, and quarrying became the industry. That stone — Lemont-Joliet limestone — went into the Chicago Water Tower, Holy Name Cathedral and the Illinois state capitol. It also went into Lemont.
Walk the Main Street downtown and you are looking at 19th-century limestone buildings. A great many of the older homes here are stone or stone-fronted too, and their chimneys are stone. That matters practically, because limestone and brick do not behave the same way.
- Limestone is more porous than fired brick. It takes on water more readily, and in our freeze-thaw climate, water in the stone is what breaks the stone.
- The mortar is often lime mortar, not modern cement mortar. Repointing a historic stone chimney with hard modern cement is a genuine mistake — the rigid cement traps moisture and forces it out through the softer stone, and the stone spalls instead of the mortar. If someone offers to repoint your Lemont stone chimney without asking what mortar is in it, get another quote.
- The flues inside are often very old. A 19th-century chimney frequently has no liner, or a liner that would not be signed off today.
What that means for you
If you own a stone home in old Lemont, do not let anyone touch the masonry until they have told you what mortar they intend to use and why. And get a camera up the flue — a Level 2 inspection is the only way to know whether a chimney of that age is safe to use. We will tell you honestly if the answer is no.
Chimney services we provide in Lemont
- 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 newer side of the village
Not all of Lemont is 19th-century stone, of course. There is a lot of newer housing out toward the golf courses and the Heritage Quarries Recreation Area — the 100-acre park where the old limestone quarries have filled with water and now serve as lakes. Those newer homes have the same prefabricated metal fireplaces and the same rusting chase covers as everywhere else, and they get the same annual attention.
Frequently asked questions
My Lemont home is stone, not brick. Do you work on stone chimneys?
Yes, and it genuinely matters that we know the difference. Lemont was a quarrying town and a great deal of its older housing is dolomite limestone. Limestone is more porous than fired brick, so it takes on water more readily — and water plus our freeze-thaw cycle is what breaks the stone.
Can I repoint a historic stone chimney with normal cement mortar?
You should not, and this is the single most important thing on this page. Hard modern cement mortar is more rigid than the soft historic stone around it. It traps moisture and forces it out through the stone, so the stone spalls instead of the mortar. If a contractor does not ask what mortar is in your chimney before quoting, get another quote.
My house is from the 1800s. Does it even have a flue liner?
Very possibly not, or one that would not meet any modern standard. Unlined flues are common in housing of that vintage. It is not a reason to panic, but it is a reason to get a camera up there before you light anything — that is a Level 2 inspection.
Is a stone chimney more work to sweep?
The sweeping itself is much the same. The difference is in what we are looking for afterwards — porous stone, soft mortar joints, and old unlined flues all mean the inspection matters more than the brushing does.
Do you cover the newer parts of Lemont too?
Yes. The newer housing out toward the golf courses and the Heritage Quarries area mostly has factory-built metal fireplaces, and those need annual attention as well — their weak point is the chase cover rusting through.
How much is a chimney sweep in Lemont?
A sweep with a Level 1 inspection starts at $179. Because Lemont has so much older and stone housing, a Level 2 camera inspection is more often the right call here — that starts at $299. Both prices are confirmed before we start.
Do you charge extra to travel to Lemont?
No. There is no travel surcharge.
Why is my old chimney letting in water?
On a historic stone chimney, usually the crown and the mortar joints. Both are the sacrificial layers, and after a century or more of freeze-thaw they have often simply worn out. The fix has to start at the top, or you are just repairing damage while the water keeps arriving.
Book a chimney sweep in Lemont
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: Spalling Brick: Why Chicago Freeze-Thaw Destroys Chimneys
From our blog: Wood Stove Inserts: What Nobody Tells You About the Flue
From our blog: What to do after a chimney fire in Lemont, even a small one