The short answer
Nexora Chimney Services is based in Peter Cooper Village at 304 E 20th St. We serve the neighborhood and nearby Stuyvesant Town, the East Village, Gramercy, Murray Hill and Kips Bay. Our certified technicians handle chimney sweeping, inspections, repairs, liners, dryer vents and air ducts.
Nexora Chimney Services is based in Peter Cooper Village, with our office at 304 E 20th St. Our certified technicians are a short trip from homes and buildings across this part of Manhattan, including Stuyvesant Town, the East Village, Gramercy, Murray Hill and Kips Bay. We clean, inspect and repair chimneys, fireplaces, liners, dryer vents and air ducts. We explain what we find in plain terms so you can decide what to do next.
Housing in and around Peter Cooper Village
Peter Cooper Village is made up mostly of large apartment buildings. The surrounding neighborhoods add a mix of pre-war apartment buildings, brownstones and rowhouses, and each type raises different venting questions. In a large building, the concerns are usually the boiler flue, laundry exhaust and shared ductwork. In a brownstone or rowhouse, the work more often involves a wood-burning or gas fireplace, an older masonry chimney, or a dryer vent that runs through a wall or up through the roof.
We look at the system you actually have instead of applying one checklist to every address. Your fireplace may have been sealed for years, your unit may have its own vented appliance, or your building manager may need a flue evaluated. In each case we start with an inspection and tell you what it shows.
Manhattan Weather and the Heating Season
New York winters bring repeated freezing and thawing. Wind-driven rain and snow hit chimney crowns, mortar joints and flashing hard. Water that soaks into brick freezes, expands and gradually loosens the masonry. Humid summers can leave a damp flue with a strong odor and rust on dampers and caps. A cap, a properly sized 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 those months, building owners must keep apartments heated to the city's minimum temperatures, so boilers and their chimneys run hard for eight months of the year. Late spring and summer are the practical time to schedule inspections and repairs, before the fall rush and before the heat has to be on.
Annual Inspections, Fuel Changes and Liners
The NFPA 211 standard calls for chimneys, fireplaces and vents to be inspected once a year. There are three inspection levels:
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 that can corrode a masonry flue. We can inspect the flue and install a liner suited to the new equipment.
- Level 1 fits when nothing about the system 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 is used when a hidden hazard has to be reached by opening part of the chimney or building.
Time for your annual chimney check?
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. Long or crowded vent runs are common in city homes, and they collect lint quickly. Watch for clothes that take longer to dry, a laundry area that runs hot, or a burning smell.
For air ducts, we follow the EPA's guidance. 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 tell you it will. We explain our process up front and are careful about chemical treatments. We also encourage you to research any very cheap advertised duct-cleaning offer before you respond to it.
Services Available in Peter Cooper Village
Our certified technicians provide the following services here and in the nearby neighborhoods:
- Chimney Sweep: removal of soot, creosote and debris from the flue and smoke chamber.
- Chimney Inspection: Level 1, 2 or 3 inspections, following the NFPA 211 standard.
- Chimney Repair: mortar joints, crowns, flashing and damaged brick.
- Chimney Liner Installation: new liners for fuel changes, including oil-to-gas boiler conversions, and for damaged flues.
- Chimney Cap & Chase Cover: protection against rain, snow, debris and animals.
- Chimney Waterproofing: breathable treatments that help masonry shed water.
- Fireplace & Damper Repair: dampers that stick, leak air or no longer seal.
- Chimney Rebuilding: partial or full rebuilds when masonry is too far gone to repair.
- Dryer Vent Cleaning: clearing lint from the full vent run.
- Air Duct Cleaning: cleaning when mold, vermin or heavy debris are present.
Services in Peter Cooper Village
- Chimney Sweep in Peter Cooper Village
- Chimney Inspection in Peter Cooper Village
- Chimney Repair in Peter Cooper Village
- Air Duct Cleaning in Peter Cooper Village
- Chimney Liner Installation in Peter Cooper Village
