Chimney Sweep in Owego, NY

Tall Old Chimneys, Big Old Flues

A lot of Owego's 19th-century houses have chimneys that run three stories from the basement to well above a steep slate or shingle roof. Many were built for coal grates and cook stoves, and many were never lined, or were lined with clay that has since cracked. They're beautiful. They're also tall, cold and oversized for anything you'd connect to them today.

A tall, oversized flue on a modern stove or furnace runs cool. Cool smoke drops creosote, and cool gas exhaust condenses into water that eats mortar from the inside. The fix is a stainless liner sized to the appliance, often insulated on the tallest runs to keep the draft strong. Liner work on a three-story chimney takes a full day and a good roof setup, and we plan it that way.

Multiple Flues

Old Owego houses often have several flues in one chimney, or several chimneys. We sweep each one that's in use, and $150 covers every flue after the first on the same visit. Unused flues get a cap or a top seal so they stop letting rain and birds in.

The River and the 2011 Flood

In September 2011 the remnants of Tropical Storm Lee pushed the Susquehanna 1 to 4 feet above its 2006 record crests from Binghamton down through Vestal, Owego and Waverly. Owego's downtown and riverside streets took serious water, and many basements filled to the joists.

We've seen the after-effects for years since: rusted connector pipes, cleanouts packed with dried silt and lower brick that soaked up river water and then froze. If your Owego home flooded and the chimney hasn't been looked at since, have the base and cleanout checked. Silt in the bottom of a flue can quietly block the furnace or water heater connection.

Freeze, Thaw and Old Brick

Owego gets the same long Southern Tier winter as Binghamton, with around 133 days a year below freezing. On tall chimneys the top third takes most of the beating. It catches wind-driven rain and snow, never gets warm from the house below, and freezes hard every cold night. The mortar sands out of the joints first, then the brick faces start to flake.

Old lime mortar was meant to wear before the brick did, so worn joints on an 1800s chimney aren't a failure. They're maintenance that's due. The mistake is patching them with hard modern cement, which locks the water in and makes the brick crack instead. We repoint with a softer mortar, matched in color, so the repair blends in on a historic street and the brick keeps doing its job.

Farm Stoves Outside the Village

Past the village line, a lot of Tioga County homes burn wood as their main heat. A stove going all day from November to March can lay down a lot of creosote, especially on wood cut the same year. If that's you, plan on a fall sweep and a midwinter check, and buy next year's wood this spring so it has time to dry.

Types of Chimney Service We Offer in Owego

Chimney Liner Installation

Stainless liners for wood, oil and gas, sized to the appliance, insulated where the chimney is tall or on an outside wall.

Chimney Sweeping

We brush and vacuum every flue in use, with drop cloths and a sealed opening, and inspect each one afterward.

Masonry Repair

Repointing with mortar matched in strength and color to old brick, top rebuilds, and new crowns with a drip edge. See chimney repointing.

Caps

Stainless caps for single flues, and multi-flue caps that cover the whole top of an old chimney.

Owego Price Guide

In our experience, Owego customers save the trip charge's worth many times over by bundling: sweep every working flue and get the masonry looked at on the same visit.

North of Binghamton, up I-81 where the rivers meet, we sweep a lot of farmhouse stoves. Our page on wood stove chimney cleaning in Whitney Point covers it.