The short answer
Yes, EmberGuard Chimney Sweep serves Union Square, Manhattan, with chimney sweeping, inspections, liners, repairs, rebuilding, and dryer vent and air duct cleaning. Our certified technicians are based about 2 miles away, and we recommend booking your yearly inspection before heat season starts on October 1.
EmberGuard Chimney Sweep works in Union Square, about 2 miles northeast of our Manhattan office. You might have a wood-burning fireplace in a pre-war apartment, a boiler flue serving a whole building, or a dryer vent that hasn't been cleaned in years. Our certified technicians handle cleaning, inspection and repair throughout ZIP code 10119 and the surrounding neighborhoods. Below is what we see most often in the area and how we approach each job.
Chimneys and Vents in Union Square Buildings
Housing around Union Square is mostly pre-war apartment buildings, converted loft buildings, and rowhouses and brownstones. Many of these buildings have masonry chimneys built for an earlier fuel. Some fireplaces were sealed off decades ago, some still work, and some flues now serve a boiler or water heater instead of a hearth.
On every visit we first confirm what each flue is connected to and whether it is shared. That tells us whether the job calls for a sweep, a liner, a repair, or a conversation with the building's management about the boiler chimney.
Yearly Inspections and the Heat Season
The NFPA 211 standard calls for chimneys, fireplaces and vents to be inspected once a year. New York City's heat season runs from October 1 through May 31, when building owners must keep apartments heated to the city's minimums. That makes late summer and early fall the practical window to find problems before the heating system has to run every day.
Inspections come in three levels, and we'll tell you which one your situation calls for:
- Level 1: a routine yearly check when nothing about the system has changed.
- Level 2: needed when you add an appliance, switch fuels, or buy or sell the home.
- Level 3: used when a suspected hidden hazard can only be reached by opening part of the chimney or building.
Oil-to-Gas Conversions and Chimney Liners
Many older Manhattan buildings have moved or are moving their boilers from oil to gas. When that happens, the chimney has to be evaluated as part of the work. A new liner is often needed because gas exhaust produces acidic condensate that can corrode an unlined or poorly lined masonry flue.
We inspect the existing flue, check its size against the new appliance, and install a liner suited to the job. If your building is planning a conversion, involve us early so the chimney work doesn't hold up the boiler schedule.
Time for your annual chimney check?
Weather, Water and Masonry Repair
New York winters bring repeated freeze-thaw cycles, and nor'easters push wind-driven rain and snow into exposed rooftop masonry. Water that soaks into brick and mortar expands when it freezes. Over a few seasons that leads to cracked crowns, loose bricks, spalling faces and leaks that show up as stains on ceilings or walls near the chimney.
We address water problems at the source with chimney caps and chase covers, repointing and masonry repair, and breathable waterproofing for sound brick. When a chimney has deteriorated past patching, we handle partial or full chimney rebuilding. Inside, we repair fireplaces and dampers so a closed damper actually seals and an open one works smoothly.
Dryer Vents and Air Ducts
According to the U.S. Fire Administration, failure to clean is the leading factor contributing to clothes dryer fires in homes. In apartments, dryer vents often run long distances to reach an exterior wall, which gives lint more places to collect. If drying takes longer than it used to or the laundry area feels hot, have the vent cleaned.
For air ducts, we follow the U.S. EPA's guidance. Cleaning makes sense when there is substantial visible mold growth, signs of vermin, or excessive dust and debris. The EPA notes that duct cleaning has not been shown to prevent health problems. It also advises caution with chemical treatments and with very cheap advertised offers. We'll look at your system and tell you honestly whether cleaning is worth doing.
Nearby Neighborhoods We Serve
Along with Union Square, we regularly work in Greenwich Village, the West Village, the East Village, SoHo and Little Italy. Our services in all of these areas include chimney sweeping, chimney inspection, chimney repair, chimney liner installation, chimney caps and chase covers, chimney waterproofing, fireplace and damper repair, chimney rebuilding, dryer vent cleaning and air duct cleaning.
ZIP codes we serve
- 10119
