Chimney Sweep Libertyville, IL: Historic to Prefab

Chimney Sweep in Libertyville: Three Kinds of House, Three Kinds of Chimney

A chimney sweep in Libertyville depends on which Libertyville you live in. Our job-photo records hold nearly 80 documented Libertyville projects since 2021, and they fall into three groups:

• Older homes near downtown, from the decades after the 1895 fire through the 1930s, with tall brick chimneys and flues that may never have been lined.
• Post-war brick in Copeland Manor and the neighborhoods that followed it, with clay tile flues serving a fireplace, a furnace and a water heater.
• Subdivisions from the 1970s through the 1990s, where, in our experience, most fireplaces are factory-built or direct-vent gas.

We sweep wood-burning fireplaces of every type here — masonry, factory-built and stoves — and we service gas fireplaces. Call 847-994-4388 or book online.

Older Chimneys Near Downtown

The houses on the streets around Milwaukee Avenue and Cook Park have chimneys that predate modern liner requirements. Some flues were built without a liner at all; others have clay tile that has been heated and cooled for close to a century. Most of these chimneys have also been through several roofs, and each re-roof is a chance for the flashing to be patched instead of replaced. We start these with a Level 2 inspection, because the condition inside the flue decides everything else. An unlined or badly deteriorated flue should not be used until it is corrected, and relining with a stainless chimney liner is the usual fix.

Copeland Manor and the Post-War Utility Flue

In the post-war neighborhoods, the furnace and water heater originally shared one clay-lined flue. When the furnace is replaced with a high-efficiency unit that vents out the side wall, the water heater is left alone in a flue far larger than it needs. The exhaust cools and condenses on the way up, and the joints and tiles break down from the inside, usually first at the top of the chimney.

NFPA 211, the national standard for chimneys, fireplaces and vents, calls for a Level 2 inspection, with video of the inside of the flue, whenever an appliance connected to a chimney is changed. The video shows whether the tiles are cracked, offset or shedding. When they are, a liner sized to the water heater is the correction, and a flue venting a gas appliance every day goes to the top of the list.

Factory-Built Fireplaces in the Newer Subdivisions

A factory-built fireplace is a metal firebox and a metal chimney pipe inside a wood-framed chase, tested and listed as one system. The units put into Libertyville’s 1970s–1990s subdivisions are now 25 to 50 years old, which is when the wear shows: cracked refractory panels, chimney sections that have separated, dampers that no longer close, and rusted chase covers that let water down into the chase. Repairs have to use parts that match the listing. Worn panels are routine; a separated chimney, or a firebox that can no longer be repaired with listed parts, means the fireplace should not be used until it is corrected. We will tell you which case you are in before you spend anything.

Crowns, Caps and Flashing

Whatever the age of the house, water does most of the damage. A cracked crown lets water into the top of the chimney, and each freeze pushes more of the brick face off. A missing cap lets in rain and animals. Flashing that was patched with sealant during a re-roof fails again within a few seasons. We photograph the crown, the top joints, the flashing and the cap on every visit and treat them as one water system, because fixing one while the others leak only moves the problem.

What We Do Most Often in Libertyville

• Chimney sweep with a Level 1 inspection for masonry fireplaces, factory-built wood-burning fireplaces and stoves.
• Level 2 camera inspections on older homes, before a sale, and after a furnace or water heater change.
• Stainless liners for water heater and furnace flues and for unlined fireplace flues.
• Refractory panel, damper and chase cover work on factory-built fireplaces.
• Crowns, caps, flashing and tuckpointing.
• Gas fireplace and direct-vent service by NFI-certified technicians.
• Dryer vent cleaning in Libertyville, often booked on the same visit, and fireplace cleaning.

Areas We Cover

All of Libertyville, from the blocks around downtown, Cook Park and Milwaukee Avenue to Copeland Manor and the subdivisions off Route 176, Route 137 and St. Mary’s Road. We also work in neighboring Mundelein and Vernon Hills, and in Green Oaks and Lake Forest.

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, video of the inside of the flue, then explain what is urgent, what is maintenance and what can reasonably wait. A quote prices a job you already know you need. 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.

Our repairs and installations carry the Chimney Monkey Workmanship Warranty: 2 years on workmanship and materials, 3 years on venting and appliance systems, 12 years on structural masonry and liner installations — one step past the 1-2-10 residential standard, kept in force by an annual inspection.

Libertyville Chimney Questions

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