The short answer
Nexora Chimney Services works out of 304 E 20th St in Stuyvesant Town and serves the surrounding Manhattan neighborhoods. We handle chimney sweeping, inspection, repair, liners and rebuilding, plus dryer vent and air duct cleaning. A yearly chimney inspection is the standard starting point.
Nexora Chimney Services is based in Stuyvesant Town, with our office at 304 E 20th St. Our certified technicians are close to homes and buildings across the neighborhood and next door in Peter Cooper Village, the East Village, Gramercy, Murray Hill and Kips Bay. We sweep and inspect chimneys, repair and rebuild masonry, install liners, fix fireplaces and dampers, and clean dryer vents and air ducts. This page covers the problems we see most often in this part of Manhattan, what local weather does to chimneys and vents, and how to decide what your home actually needs.
The buildings we work on around Stuyvesant Town
The East Side around our office has a wide mix of housing. There are large apartment buildings, older pre-war buildings, brownstones and rowhouses. Each has its own setup. Some homes have a working wood-burning fireplace. Others have a flue that was closed off long ago. Many apartments have no chimney but do have a dryer vent and ductwork that need attention.
Older masonry chimneys in brownstones and rowhouses often have worn mortar joints, cracked crowns, or clay liners that have shifted or broken. Shared walls and tight rooflines can hide that damage until water shows up inside. In apartment buildings, the questions are more likely to be about boiler flues, dryer exhaust runs and duct systems serving several rooms.
New York weather and the heating season
Manhattan winters bring cold snaps, wet snow and repeated freeze-thaw cycles. Water that soaks into brick and mortar freezes, expands and slowly pushes the masonry apart. Humid summers and heavy rain, including coastal storms, add to the moisture. A damaged crown, a missing cap or worn flashing lets that water straight in.
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. For buildings, that means chimney and boiler flue problems are best found and fixed before October. For homeowners with fireplaces, late summer and early fall are the easiest times to book a sweep and inspection before cold weather sets in.
Inspections, oil-to-gas conversions and liners
The NFPA 211 standard calls for chimneys, fireplaces and vents to be inspected once a year. A Level 1 inspection fits when nothing about the system has changed. A Level 2 inspection is called for when the system changes, such as a new appliance or a switch of fuel, or when the home is sold. A Level 3 inspection is used when a hidden hazard can only be reached by opening part of the chimney or building.
Fuel conversions come up often in this area. 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 inspect the flue, explain what we find, and install a properly sized liner when one is needed.
Time for your annual chimney check?
Dryer vents and air ducts in apartments and homes
According to the U.S. Fire Administration, failure to clean is the leading factor contributing to clothes dryer fires in homes. Long or bent vent runs, which are common in apartments, collect lint faster. Signs to watch for include clothes that take longer to dry, a hot laundry area and a burning smell.
For air ducts, we follow the U.S. EPA's practical view. 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, advises researching the process before responding to very cheap advertised offers, and urges care with chemical treatments. We will tell you plainly whether your ducts need cleaning.
Services we offer in Stuyvesant Town and nearby
Every service is available in Stuyvesant Town, Peter Cooper Village, the East Village, Gramercy, Murray Hill and Kips Bay.
- Chimney sweep to remove soot, creosote and debris
- Chimney inspection at Level 1, 2 or 3
- Chimney repair for mortar, crowns and flashing
- Chimney liner installation, including for oil-to-gas conversions
- Chimney cap and chase cover installation
- Chimney waterproofing for freeze-thaw protection
- Fireplace and damper repair
- Chimney rebuilding for badly damaged masonry
- Dryer vent cleaning
- Air duct cleaning
Services in Stuyvesant Town
- Chimney Sweep in Stuyvesant Town
- Chimney Inspection in Stuyvesant Town
- Chimney Repair in Stuyvesant Town
- Air Duct Cleaning in Stuyvesant Town
- Chimney Liner Installation in Stuyvesant Town
