The short answer
EverFlame Chimney Care serves Midtown, Manhattan from our Lincoln Square office about a mile away. We handle chimney sweeping, inspections, repairs, liners, and dryer vent and air duct cleaning for apartments, rowhouses and mixed-use buildings.
EverFlame Chimney Care works throughout Midtown from our office in Lincoln Square, about a mile to the north. Midtown is best known for office towers, but plenty of people live here too, in pre-war apartment buildings, co-ops and condos with working fireplaces, walk-ups and rowhouses on the side streets, and mixed-use buildings with boilers and shared flues. We clean, inspect and repair chimneys, liners, dryer vents and air ducts for residents, co-op boards and building owners in ZIP codes 10020, 10103, 10110, 10111, 10112, 10153, 10165, 10173 and 10177.
What Midtown Chimneys and Vents Usually Look Like
Most fireplaces in Midtown are in older masonry buildings. Many flues were built for coal or oil and have been changed over the decades. Some apartments share a chimney stack with units above or below, and many rooftop chimneys stand fully exposed to wind. Access often runs through a building's service areas or the roof, so we coordinate with supers and management before we arrive.
Our certified technicians start by looking at the whole system: the firebox, damper, smoke chamber, flue liner, crown and cap. Then we recommend a sweep, a repair or simply leaving it alone. If your fireplace has been sealed or unused for years, have it inspected before you light a fire.
Inspections and the New York Climate
The NFPA 211 standard calls for chimneys, fireplaces and vents to be inspected once a year. A Level 1 inspection fits when nothing has changed. A Level 2 inspection is the right choice when you add a new appliance, switch fuels, or buy or sell a home, which happens often with Midtown co-ops and condos. A Level 3 inspection is for cases where a hidden problem can only be reached by opening part of the chimney or the building.
New York's weather is hard on masonry. Winter freeze-thaw cycles open cracks in crowns and mortar joints. Wind-driven rain from coastal storms soaks exposed brick, and humid summers can bring out musty fireplace odors. Most of this damage happens high on the roof where nobody sees it until a leak shows up indoors. A sound crown, a proper cap and a breathable masonry waterproofing go a long way toward preventing water damage.
Oil-to-Gas Conversions and Chimney Liners
When a New York City building converts its boiler from oil to gas, the chimney has to be evaluated as part of the job. A new liner is often needed because gas exhaust produces acidic condensate that can corrode a masonry flue. Many Midtown buildings have made this switch or are planning to.
City heat season runs from October 1 through May 31, and building owners must keep apartments at the city's minimum temperatures during that time. A boiler flue that fails in January is a serious problem, so schedule liner work and chimney repairs for late spring or summer.
Dryer Vents and Air Ducts in Apartments
According to the U.S. Fire Administration, failure to clean is the leading factor contributing to clothes dryer fires in homes. Midtown apartments often have long or crooked dryer vent runs that collect lint quickly. Signs your vent needs cleaning include clothes that take more than one cycle to dry, a dryer that feels very hot, or a burning smell.
For air ducts, we follow the U.S. EPA's guidance. Cleaning makes sense when there is substantial visible mold growth, vermin, or excessive dust and debris. The EPA also notes that duct cleaning has not been shown to prevent health problems. It advises homeowners to research the process before responding to very cheap advertised offers and to be careful with chemical treatments. We will tell you plainly whether your ducts actually need cleaning.
Services We Offer in Midtown and Nearby
Along with Midtown, we regularly work in Times Square, East Midtown, Turtle Bay, Hell's Kitchen and Lincoln Square.
- Chimney sweep
- Chimney inspection (Levels 1, 2 and 3)
- Chimney repair
- Chimney liner installation
- Chimney cap and chase cover
- Chimney waterproofing
- Fireplace and damper repair
- Chimney rebuilding
- Dryer vent cleaning
- Air duct cleaning
ZIP codes we serve
- 10020
- 10103
- 10110
- 10111
- 10112
- 10153
- 10165
- 10173
- 10177
Services in Midtown
- Chimney Sweep in Midtown
- Chimney Inspection in Midtown
- Chimney Repair in Midtown
- Air Duct Cleaning in Midtown
- Chimney Liner Installation in Midtown