The short answer
Nexora Chimney Services provides chimney sweeping, inspection, repair, liner installation, and dryer vent and air duct cleaning across the East Village (10003 and 10009). Our Gramercy office is about a mile away, so scheduling is straightforward for rowhouses, brownstones and pre-war apartment buildings alike.
Nexora Chimney Services works throughout the East Village, about a mile south of our Gramercy office. We serve homeowners, co-op boards and building owners in ZIP codes 10003 and 10009. Our certified technicians sweep, inspect and repair chimneys, install liners, and clean dryer vents and air ducts. Our goal is to keep your heating system and fireplace safe through long Manhattan winters.
Chimneys in East Village Buildings
Most of the neighborhood's housing stock is older. It includes pre-war walk-ups, rowhouses, brownstones and larger apartment buildings with central boilers. Many of these buildings have masonry chimneys that have vented decades of oil, gas and wood exhaust. Some have fireplaces that were closed off and later reopened.
Older masonry flues often have cracked clay tiles, worn mortar joints or no liner at all. These problems are usually not visible from inside an apartment. A careful inspection is the only reliable way to know whether a flue is safe to use.
Yearly Inspections and Sweeping
The NFPA 211 standard calls for chimneys, fireplaces and vents to be inspected once a year. Chimney professionals use three inspection levels, and we recommend the one that fits your situation:
- Level 1: a standard yearly check when nothing about the system has changed.
- Level 2: needed when the system changes, such as a new appliance or a switch of fuel, or when the home is sold.
- Level 3: used when a hidden hazard can only be reached by opening part of the chimney or building.
Oil-to-Gas Conversions and Chimney Liners
Many East Village buildings have moved, or are planning to move, their boilers from oil to gas. When a New York City building converts from oil to gas, 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 a masonry flue.
We evaluate the existing flue, explain what we find, and install a properly sized liner when one is needed. Timing matters here. New York City's heat season runs from October 1 through May 31, when building owners must keep apartments heated to the city's minimum temperatures. Planning chimney and liner work for late spring or summer helps keep the boiler available when tenants need it.
Time for your annual chimney check?
Weather, Water and Masonry
New York winters bring repeated freezing and thawing. Spring and summer bring heavy rain and humid air. Water that soaks into brick and mortar expands when it freezes, which loosens joints, cracks crowns and spalls brick faces. Over time this leads to leaks, stained ceilings and deteriorating flues.
We install and replace chimney caps and chase covers to keep rain and animals out. We apply breathable waterproofing to masonry and repair crowns and mortar joints. When a stack is too far gone to patch, we rebuild it. We also repair fireplaces and dampers, so a fireplace that has sat unused for years can be brought back into safe working order.
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. Apartment and townhouse dryers often vent through long or bending runs where lint builds up quickly. We clear the full run, from the dryer to the exterior termination.
For air ducts, we follow the U.S. EPA's guidance. The EPA advises cleaning ducts when there is substantial visible mold growth, vermin, or excessive dust and debris. It also notes that duct cleaning has not been shown to prevent health problems. If your ducts don't need cleaning, we'll tell you so. We don't apply chemical treatments without explaining them first.
Neighborhoods We Serve Near the East Village
Along with the East Village, we regularly work in Stuyvesant Town, Peter Cooper Village, the Lower East Side, Gramercy and Greenwich Village. Because our office is close by, follow-up visits and multi-day repairs are easy to coordinate with building staff and residents.
ZIP codes we serve
- 10003
- 10009
Services in East Village
- Chimney Sweep in East Village
- Chimney Inspection in East Village
- Chimney Repair in East Village
- Air Duct Cleaning in East Village
- Chimney Liner Installation in East Village
