Chimney Sweep in Lincolnwood, IL

Chimney Sweep and Repair in Lincolnwood, IL

Lincolnwood is a village of brick. Post-war bungalows, ranches and split-levels, most with a masonry chimney that has been quietly venting a furnace and a water heater for sixty years while nobody looked at it. That flue matters more than the fireplace does, and it is where we find problems most often. Call 847-994-4388 or book online. We serve the 60712 zip code and the surrounding communities, including Skokie, Evanston, Morton Grove, Niles and the Chicago border neighborhoods.

The Oversized Water Heater Flue

This is the single most common condition we document in Lincolnwood, and most homeowners have never heard of it.

The original chimney was sized for a mid-century furnace and a water heater venting together. When the furnace was replaced with a high-efficiency unit, it stopped using the chimney and started venting out a plastic pipe through the wall — which left the water heater venting alone into a flue several times larger than it needs. Exhaust that used to move up fast now cools on the way, condenses, and the moisture goes to work on the liner, the mortar and eventually the masonry itself.

What we find: white staining and deteriorating joints inside the flue, soft mortar at the top, and in the worst cases a spalling or partially blocked liner venting an appliance that produces carbon monoxide. The correction is a properly sized stainless liner. We inspect the utility flue at the same rate as a fireplace, and we would rather find this before the furnace runs all winter than after.

Brick, Water and Freeze-Thaw

Lincolnwood chimneys are solid masonry, and solid masonry holds up well as long as water is kept out of it. Once the crown cracks or the joints open, the freeze-thaw cycle takes over: water soaks in, freezes, expands, and pushes the face off the brick a little more each winter. By the time brick faces are on the ground, the repair has gone from repointing to rebuilding.

We look at the crown, the joints, the flashing and the cap as one water system, because that is how water treats them. Correcting a crown while leaving open joints below simply sends the water down the second route. Where the masonry is still sound, repointing and a proper crown with a drip edge will add years to it. Where it is not, we say so.

Converted and Closed-Off Fireplaces

A lot of Lincolnwood fireplaces have had gas logs dropped in at some point, sometimes decades ago, sometimes with the damper clamped and sometimes not. Others were closed off during a remodel with the flue left open at the top. Both produce the same call: a smell, a draft, a bird, or an owner who wants to use the fireplace again. Our NFI-certified technicians handle the gas side, and the inspection tells you whether the firebox and flue can support what you want to do.

What We Repair and Maintain in Lincolnwood

• Level 1 and Level 2 chimney inspections — a documented condition report with photographs.
• Water heater and furnace chimney liners — correctly sized stainless liners, the most common correction we make in this village.
• Chimney cleaning and sweeping — creosote removal and draft correction.
• Gas fireplace and gas log service — valves, log sets, ignition and venting, by NFI-certified technicians.
• Firebox and smoke chamber repair — parging voids and rebuilding deteriorated fireboxes.
• Brick and mortar repair and tuckpointing — repointing joints before water gets behind the brick.
• Crown repair and replacement — with a drip edge, so water leaves the chimney instead of soaking into it.
• Chimney cap installation — stock, custom and multi-flue caps.
• Chimney leak repair — finding the actual entry point before anything gets sealed.
• Dryer vent cleaning — including long runs through finished basements.

Areas We Cover

All of Lincolnwood, including the neighborhoods around Devon and Touhy, the Lincoln Avenue corridor, and the blocks bordering Skokie, Evanston, Niles and Chicago.

Why Our Inspections Are Paid

We charge for inspections because the inspection is the service: we document what is actually happening with photographs and, where conditions allow, a camera survey of the flue, then explain what is urgent, what is maintenance and what can reasonably wait. A free estimate prices a known job. A diagnostic inspection determines what the job actually is. The report is yours whether or not we do the repair.

Who You Are Hiring

Chimney Monkey has been in business since 2017 and works out of Buffalo Grove. We are members and sponsors of the National Chimney Sweep Guild — our partner Brett Conklin serves on the NCSG board as an at-large director through 2027 — and we belong to the regional North Central Chimney Guild. Our technicians are NFI certified across wood-burning, gas and pellet appliances, we have SPRAT-certified technicians for rope-access work, and our crew trains through the year. One of our three partners is a U.S. military veteran. More than 1,100 Google reviews.

Lincolnwood Chimney Questions

We replaced our furnace and were told the chimney is now too big. Is that real?

Yes, and it is the most common condition we find here. A flue sized for a furnace and water heater together is oversized once the furnace vents out the side wall. The exhaust cools, condenses and damages the flue from the inside. The correction is a liner sized to the appliance.

We never use the fireplace. Do we still need an inspection?

The fireplace flue can wait longer between sweepings, but the water heater and furnace flue vents every day of the year regardless. That is the one we would look at.

Our house is a 1955 brick ranch. Does the chimney need repointing?

Sometimes, and it depends which face you are looking at. We photograph all four sides and the top, and tell you whether it is maintenance or something to schedule.

There are gas logs in our fireplace and we want to burn wood again. Is that possible?

Sometimes, and the inspection is what establishes it. The firebox, damper and flue all have to support wood-burning. When returning it to wood is not worth the money for how you would use it, we will say so.

Do you charge for the inspection?

Yes. You are paying for a documented answer: photographs, a camera survey where conditions allow, and a clear explanation of what needs correcting now versus what can wait. The report is yours whether or not we do the repair.

Our Prices

Typical rates as of September 2026. Prices change, so call 847-994-4388 to confirm current pricing. A chimney sweep runs $300–$350 and includes the Level 1 inspection. An inspection on its own is $200–$300, and the same range covers a utility chimney serving a furnace or water heater. A Level 2 inspection with a camera survey of the flue is around $300. Fireplace liners are sized per flue, and most complete jobs land between $3,000 and $4,000; a utility flue liner for a furnace or water heater typically runs $3,000–$3,800. Masonry repairs, crowns and firebox work are quoted in writing after the inspection, because pricing an unknown condition is guessing. Call 847-994-4388 to book or to confirm current pricing.