Chimney Sweep Bros sweeps, inspects, relines and repairs chimneys across Oak Lawn. We are insured, open seven days a week from 7:00am to 7:00pm. Call (708) 432-3430.
Village services and permit information are available from the Village of Oak Lawn.
What Oak Lawn chimneys are like
Oak Lawn is one of the larger and older suburbs we cover, and its housing stock is dominated by dense post-war building — the bungalows, Cape Cods and brick ranches that went up through the 1950s and 1960s on relatively tight lots. That means an enormous number of masonry chimneys of almost exactly the same age, built to almost exactly the same specification, now facing almost exactly the same problem.
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.
The gas conversion issue
The other pattern we see constantly in Oak Lawn is the gas conversion. A great many of these post-war homes had their open wood-burning fireplace converted to gas at some point, and in most cases nobody resized the flue. An old masonry flue built for a wood fire is far too large for a gas appliance. The gas flue gases are cool, damp and acidic, and in an oversized flue they condense on the way up instead of leaving the building — corroding the flue and eating the mortar from the inside.
If your gas fire went into an old wood fireplace and a liner was never mentioned, it is worth a camera inspection. The fix, where it is needed, is a correctly sized liner. See also gas fireplace service.
Chimney services we provide in Oak Lawn
- 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.
Getting to you
We cover the whole village, from the streets around the Municipal Center and the Village Green — where the summer concerts and outdoor movies run — out past the Children’s Museum in Oak Lawn on Museum Drive and through the residential grid beyond. It is a straightforward drive from Orland Park and there is no travel charge.
Frequently asked questions
My gas fireplace was fitted into an old wood fireplace. Is that a problem?
Very often, yes — and it is one of the most common defects in Oak Lawn. An old wood flue is far too large for a gas appliance, so the cool, acidic gas flue gases condense on the way up rather than leaving the building, and they corrode the chimney from the inside. If nobody fitted a liner at the time, get a camera inspection.
Do gas fireplaces need annual servicing?
Yes. Gas makes no creosote, but gas flues corrode, collect debris and get blocked by nests exactly like wood flues do — and a blocked gas flue vents carbon monoxide into the house. It is a different risk, not a smaller one.
My house is a 1950s brick bungalow. What should I expect?
A masonry chimney of that age, with the mortar joints between the clay flue tiles as the weak point. They wash out over the decades and leave gaps in the liner. It is invisible from the room and only a camera inspection will show it.
How much does a chimney sweep cost in Oak Lawn?
A sweep with a Level 1 inspection starts at $179, and the price is confirmed before we begin. Everything is listed on our pricing page.
Do you charge travel to Oak Lawn?
No. There is no travel surcharge.
Can you service my chimney if I only use it occasionally?
Yes, and it still needs the annual look. NFPA 211 calls for an annual inspection regardless of how much you burn, because water damage, cracked tiles and nests happen whether or not you light fires.
Do I need an inspection to sell my Oak Lawn home?
Yes — a Level 2, with a camera scan of the full flue. A transfer of property is one of the specific triggers for it, and it is much better to know before the buyer’s inspector does.
Do you work weekends in Oak Lawn?
Yes. Seven days a week, 7:00am to 7:00pm, at the same rate.
Book a chimney sweep in Oak Lawn
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: Creosote Stage 1, 2 and 3: What Is Actually Inside Your Flue
From our blog: Chimney Fire Warning Signs You May Have Already Missed
Also from our blog: Gas Fireplace Pilot Will Not Stay Lit? What Is Actually Happening