Frequently Asked Questions

We start inside, laying drop cloths around the fireplace or stove, then set up a high-volume negative air machine so dust doesn't drift through the house. We sweep the flue from the roof or from inside, depending on what's safer, with brushes matched to your liner type. After the sweep, we run the Level 2 camera down the full length of the flue, record the footage, and review it with you before we leave. You get the photos and our written report that same day.

Plan on 60 to 90 minutes for a standard open fireplace. A wood stove or an insert can take a bit longer because of the pipe sections and baffles. If the camera shows creosote buildup or a cracked liner, we'll review that with you during the same visit and write up a separate quote for whatever is actually needed, not before. We don't rush the inspection, and we don't extend the visit with upsells.

No. We use a closed-system triple-layer HEPA filter vacuum with a negative air setup, so the dust is pulled out of the house rather than into the room. The drop cloths catch what the vacuum doesn't, and we vacuum the hearth and floor before we pack up. Yonkers homeowners who've had old-school sweeps brace for hours of cleanup. That's not the experience we run, and if we ever left a mess, Clause 5 of the Haven Standard says you'd hear about it from us before you had to call.

Yes, and we recommend it. Gas fireplaces don't produce creosote, but they do produce acidic condensation that corrodes metal liners and vents. Wasp nests, leaves, and a surprising amount of construction debris from the 1980s flip era are common in Yonkers gas flues. A gas chimney still gets swept gently and camera-scanned on the same schedule as wood, though the brush choices and cleaning compounds are different. We'll tell you what we find, including whether the venting is still safe to run.

Yes, because we show you the camera footage before we leave. An adult over 18 is all we need. The hearth is cleaned, the flue is swept, and then we go through the images together on our tablet right at your fireplace. You see exactly what we saw, and you get the same images in your written report. We don't do drive-by sweeps where the crew vanishes before you know what happened.

We work with HeatShield and Olympia Chimney products for most liner repairs and replacements in Westchester, and we'll tell you which one fits your flue and why. HeatShield is a ceramic coating system we use for smaller cracks and gaps, and Olympia handles the rigid and flexible stainless liners for full relines. We don't push a brand for its own sake; the camera images and flue measurements dictate what we recommend. All materials are warrantied in writing under Clause 1.

Yes. Gelco and Famco caps are standard for us on Yonkers chimneys because they're built for Northeastern weather, and the stainless versions hold up against the salt air that drifts up the Hudson in winter. A cap replacement comes with a photo of the old cap, a photo of the new cap installed, and the brand name on your receipt. Caps are one of the cheapest ways to keep water, animals, and leaves out of a flue, and we'll tell you honestly whether yours is fine as-is.

It depends on what the camera shows. Clay tile liners are original to most pre-1960 Yonkers homes, and many are still doing their job. Stainless steel is stronger, smoother, and easier to clean, and it's the right call when the clay is cracked, spalling, or missing sections. We don't recommend a reline just because a home is old. We recommend one when the footage shows a condition that actually risks a chimney fire. You'll see the images before you decide anything.

For a standard flue, we usually install Gelco or Famco stainless caps, and for taller flues near the Hudson where wind whips around the roof line, we favor a heavier gauge. The real question is fit and termination height, which we measure on site. A cap that's too cheap is usually galvanized steel, which rusts in a couple of winters here. If you already have a cap, we'll include its condition in the camera scan and tell you if it's fine, degraded, or missing.

Yes. Every pro working under our name in Yonkers is required to hold the license and insurance New York State requires for chimney and hearth work, and that documentation is available to you before we start. We're independently owned and operated, led by Corrine Halstead, and the brand behind us, Level Two Chimney Co., sets the documentation and reporting standards we work to. You can ask to see our credentials when we arrive, and we'll have them.

We work with a team of local, independent licensed professionals who work to the Haven Standard on every job we send them on. Every pro is required to carry their own liability insurance and to maintain the licensing their trade requires in New York. We stand behind their work under our trademarked guarantee, and we document that guarantee in writing before any sweep starts. Corrine Halstead runs the Yonkers branch and knows every person who carries our name on their truck.

Ask for the license number and check it with the Westchester County or New York State consumer affairs office. Any legitimate company will give you that number without hesitation, and we provide ours in writing. Beyond the license, look for proof of insurance, a written price before the job starts, and a camera scan included as standard. In Yonkers, unlicensed sweeps tend to advertise low prices and then find expensive problems once they're on the roof. The documented record is your protection.

Corrine Halstead leads our Yonkers operation and has built the local team around the Haven Standard. She reviews the camera reports, answers questions about pricing and scope, and is the person who makes sure the crew that shows up at your door is the crew we said it would be. We do not run a call center. When you call (551) 212-3526, a live coordinator connects you with our local Yonkers team, and Corrine is ultimately responsible for every job we do in the area.

We handle urgent chimney conditions like a chimney fire that's just happened, a visible crack, smoke backdrafting into the house, or water pouring in during a storm. Call (551) 212-3526 and we'll walk you through what to do until we can get there. Our hours are Monday through Friday 7 AM to 8 PM, and Saturday and Sunday 8 AM to 8 PM, and we'll get you scheduled for the next available window that fits our schedule and yours.

Do not use the fireplace again. Call us at (551) 212-3526. A chimney fire can crack a clay liner, warp a stainless one, and leave creosote in a state that's more flammable than before. We'll schedule a Level 2 camera inspection to document the damage, because NFPA 211 requires a Level 2 after any chimney fire, and because the camera images are what prove whether a reline is actually necessary. We'll show you exactly what we find before we quote any repair.

Possibly. Carbon monoxide backdrafting is one of the more serious failure modes in a chimney, and it usually means the flue is blocked, cracked, or improperly sized for the appliance. Don't run the fireplace or stove until it's checked. Call your gas utility or fire department first if CO levels are actively high, then call us at (551) 212-3526. We'll camera-scan the flue and give you a written report on what we find. CO in a Yonkers home is not something we treat lightly, and neither should you.

We'll always try, but we don't promise same-day service because a sweep is a booked appointment, not a dispatch route. During peak fall months, when every Yonkers homeowner is thinking about burning season at once, our schedule fills several days out. If you have an urgent condition, a live coordinator at (551) 212-3526 will work with our local team to get you the earliest available appointment window, based on what our crews are already committed to.

Our trademarked Haven Standard guarantee says every chimney job is quoted in writing before it starts and leaves a documented record when it's finished. The brand behind us has inspected and cleaned over 38,000 chimneys since 2009, every one with a written price before the work began. If the camera report shows something our sweep missed, we'll come back and make it right at no charge. The guarantee is on the quote, in your report, and on our terms page.

Yes, in writing. If you experience a problem related to our sweep within 30 days, like debris we missed or a cap we installed coming loose, call us and we'll return to address it without a second charge. We don't hide behind a phone tree. Every job leaves with a documented record, and that record is your proof of what we did, when we did it, and what the camera showed at the time. Cleanings come with the same Clause 5 accountability as repairs do.

Yes. HeatShield, Olympia Chimney, Gelco, and Famco all carry manufacturer warranties that are passed through to you in writing, and our labor on installed components is covered under the Haven Standard. We don't install a liner, cap, or flue tile without giving you the warranty details on paper before we start. The warranty follows the work, not the owner, which matters if you sell your Yonkers home and the new buyer asks about the chimney.

Call us. Say what's wrong. Clause 5 of the Haven Standard is "no surprises," and that runs both directions. If a job fell short of what we promised, we'll redo it, and if a quote didn't match the work we found, we'll explain it with the camera footage in front of you. The standard exists because we want you to see what we see before you spend anything. You won't have to argue with a call center. You'll talk to someone in Yonkers who can actually make it right.

Written by Corrine Halstead, Owner at Level Two Chimney Yonkers, serving Yonkers since 2009.