The short answer
Nexora Chimney Services provides chimney sweeping, inspection, repair, relining, and air duct and dryer vent cleaning in Little Italy, Manhattan (10012). We're about a mile away in Gramercy. We work with the neighborhood's pre-war buildings, including boiler chimneys affected by oil-to-gas conversions.
Little Italy is a compact Manhattan neighborhood in ZIP code 10012, about a mile southwest of our office in Gramercy. That short distance makes it easy for our certified technicians to get to your building. Most of the housing here is pre-war. It includes walk-up tenement-style buildings, mixed-use buildings with shops at street level and apartments above, and older apartment buildings. Many share masonry chimneys that vent boilers, and some apartments still have working fireplaces or ones that were closed off long ago. Nexora Chimney Services sweeps, inspects, repairs and relines these chimneys. We also clean air ducts and dryer vents.
What Older Little Italy Buildings Need
Masonry chimneys in pre-war buildings have usually been altered over the decades. A flue that once vented a coal or oil boiler may now serve a gas appliance. A fireplace may have been sealed and later reopened. Rooftop caps may have been replaced piece by piece or lost entirely. Each change can leave gaps, debris or mismatched parts that are hard to see from inside an apartment.
The NFPA 211 standard calls for chimneys, fireplaces and vents to be inspected once a year. Chimney professionals use three inspection levels. Level 1 applies when nothing has changed. Level 2 applies when the system changes, such as a new appliance or a switch of fuel, or when the home is sold. Level 3 applies when a hidden hazard can only be reached by opening part of the chimney or building.
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 work. A new liner is often needed because gas exhaust produces acidic condensate, which can corrode a masonry flue from the inside. In a tall, narrow building, that damage can go unnoticed until the mortar and brick start breaking down.
We inspect the flue and explain what we find, with photos where possible. Then we install a liner sized for the appliance it serves. If the masonry above the roofline is too deteriorated to save, we can repair or rebuild that section.
Weather, Heat Season and Scheduling
New York winters bring repeated freezing and thawing, and summer storms and nor'easters drive rain against exposed rooftop chimneys. Water that soaks into brick expands when it freezes. Over time this loosens mortar joints and cracks chimney crowns. A properly fitted chimney cap, a sound crown or chase cover, and a breathable waterproofing treatment all help keep water out.
The city's heat season runs from October 1 through May 31. During that time, building owners must keep apartments heated to the city's minimum temperatures. For buildings with boiler chimneys, this makes late spring and summer the practical window for inspections, repairs and relining. Work done then means the system is ready before the heat has to run again.
Time for your annual chimney check?
Air Ducts and Dryer Vents
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 through walls or ceilings to reach the outside, which gives lint more places to collect. We clean the full length of the vent and check the exterior opening.
For air ducts, we follow the EPA's advice. 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, so we won't claim that it does. We'll tell you plainly whether your ducts need cleaning, and we'll discuss any chemical treatment with you before using it.
Services in Little Italy and Nearby
We offer the following services throughout Little Italy. We also serve the nearby Greenwich Village, West Village, Lower East Side, East Village and Gramercy neighborhoods.
- Chimney sweep: removal of soot, creosote and debris
- Chimney inspection: Level 1, 2 and 3 inspections
- Chimney repair: mortar joints, crowns and damaged brick
- Chimney liner installation, including liners for oil-to-gas conversions
- Chimney cap and chase cover: keeping out water, animals and debris
- Chimney waterproofing: breathable treatment for exposed masonry
- Fireplace and damper repair: restoring a proper seal and safe operation
- Chimney rebuilding: sections too damaged to repair
- Dryer vent cleaning: the full vent run to the exterior
- Air duct cleaning: when mold, vermin or heavy debris is present
ZIP codes we serve
- 10012
