Chimney Restoration, Repair, and Inspection Across Delaware County and the Main Line

Our Team

Your safety and satisfaction are the priority for every member of our team. Whether you need a chimney inspection, chimney cleaning, flue relining, firebox repair, a dryer vent cleaning, or another related chimney or fireplace service for your Delaware County home, you can be confident that Lou Curley’s Chimney Service will treat you and your home with respect and do the job right.

We inspect the full system, provide recommendations based on what’s actually needed, and a CSIA-certified lead technician is involved in every repair and installation. We stand behind our work with a 1-year workmanship guarantee.

Chimney Restoration in Delaware County

Most of the chimneys we restore across Delaware County and the Main Line fall into one of three categories.

Masonry chimney restoration. Spalling brick, deteriorated mortar joints, a failed crown, and water finding its way into the house all point to the same thing: the masonry envelope is no longer keeping weather out. We rebuild the affected courses, repoint the mortar, and address the crown so the structure stops taking on water. Pricing depends entirely on how much of the chimney is involved and how much of it is above the roofline, so it starts with an inspection rather than a number over the phone. See chimney and fireplace repairs and masonry repair and waterproofing.

Stainless steel liner replacement. Cracked or deteriorated clay flue tile is a fire and carbon monoxide risk, and it is the most common reason a chimney needs relining. We install UL listed stainless steel liners sized to the appliance, the chimney height, and the manufacturer’s requirements, and they carry a transferable lifetime warranty that stays with the chimney if the house changes hands. Furnace and boiler liners generally run $2,500 to $4,500. Fireplace liners run higher and can reach $17,000 depending on the work involved. We do not install aluminum liners and we do not install cast in place liners. See chimney and furnace or boiler flue relining and stainless steel liners.

Ahren-Fire fireplace restoration. Ahren-Fire is a complete firebox and smoke chamber restoration system that rebuilds a failing open fireplace from the inside out. It is the answer for a wood burning fireplace that has never drafted properly, because it corrects the relationship between the firebox, the smoke chamber, and the flue rather than treating one part of it. Projects currently start around $13,000 and go up from there depending on the fireplace and the scope of work. This is the most technically demanding restoration our team does, and it is a large part of why homeowners with older Main Line houses call us specifically. See Ahren-Fire fireplace restoration.

One thing worth saying plainly, because homeowners ask us this constantly: a liner is not always the fix. When a damaged liner is the root cause, relining solves it. When the root cause is the design relationship between the firebox, smoke chamber, and flue, a liner does not change that, and a homeowner can spend thousands and still have a fireplace that smokes. That is why every restoration starts with figuring out what is actually wrong.

Chimney Inspection in Delaware County

The CSIA and the National Fire Protection Association recommend having your chimney inspected every year and swept when the inspection shows it needs it. Annual inspection is the standard; annual cleaning is not automatic. We perform NFPA Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3 inspections across Delaware County and the Main Line.

• Level 1. A visual inspection of the readily accessible portions of the chimney, flue, and connected appliance. This is the standard annual inspection for a system in continued service with no changes.
• Level 2. Everything in a Level 1 plus the accessible portions of the attic, crawlspace, and basement, and an internal evaluation of the flue. Required when you change appliances or fuels, after a chimney fire or a weather event, and at the sale or transfer of a property.
• Level 3. An investigative inspection, used when a Level 2 points to a hidden problem that can only be confirmed by opening up a portion of the chimney or the structure around it.

Video scans are part of our fireplace inspections. For furnace, boiler, and water heater flues, we evaluate the flue against the appliance venting requirements and the findings of the standard inspection.

Booking before the heating season gets you the widest choice of appointment times. Once the weather turns cold, demand increases significantly. See chimney inspections and chimney sweeping.

Chimney Crown Repair

The crown is the masonry cap at the top of the chimney, and it is the part homeowners never see. It takes the full brunt of Pennsylvania weather, and once it cracks, water runs straight down into the brick and mortar below it, which is how a small crown problem turns into a rebuild.

Our standard crown work is repair plus waterproofing. We repair the cracks and seal the crown with CrownSaver, which is the product we use because it is the right one for this application. Pouring a new concrete crown is something we rarely need to do. Crown repair is one of the least expensive things you can do to protect the masonry underneath it. See crown repair and waterproofing and chimney leak repairs.

Chimney Cap Installation

A properly fitted chimney cap keeps rain, snow, animals, and debris out of the flue, and it is one of the most affordable ways to protect a chimney. Most of the caps we install are standard single flue caps in stainless steel. We also install multi-flue and full coverage caps, and copper and powder coated finishes as special order options, but the right cap depends on how your chimney is actually configured, not on a default recommendation. Our team looks at the chimney and recommends the cap that suits it.

Most cap installations are finished in a single visit, and while we are up there we look at the crown and the upper masonry so nothing else gets missed. See chimney cap and custom cap installation.

Furnace and Boiler Flue Liners

A lot of older homes in Delaware County and along the Main Line vent an oil or gas furnace, boiler, or water heater into a masonry chimney, and that flue tends to be the one nobody checks. An annual furnace service covers the appliance. It does not cover the chimney venting it.

The NFPA standard is the same for a heating flue as it is for a fireplace chimney: inspect it every year, clean it when it needs cleaning, reline it when the liner is no longer doing its job. Original clay tile in a heating flue is often oversized for a modern high efficiency appliance, which lets exhaust cool and condense and quietly destroys the flue from the inside. We size and install code compliant stainless steel liners for furnaces, boilers, and water heaters, with the same transferable lifetime warranty as our fireplace liners. See gas and oil furnace and boiler flue relining.

Delaware County Chimney FAQs

How much does chimney relining cost?

It depends on what is being relined. Furnace and boiler liners generally run $2,500 to $4,500. Fireplace liners run higher and can reach $17,000 depending on the chimney and the scope of the work. Every liner we install is UL listed stainless steel, sized to the appliance and the chimney rather than to the old flue, and backed by a transferable lifetime warranty. We do not install aluminum or cast in place liners.

What does it mean to be a CSIA Master Chimney Sweep?

It is the highest certification in the chimney industry, and it takes years of testing, continuing education, and documented field experience. Lou Curley is Pennsylvania’s first CSIA Master Chimney Sweep, and Lou and employee Dave Curley are two of only three CSIA Master Sweeps in all of Pennsylvania.

How often should a chimney be inspected?

Every year, according to both the CSIA and the NFPA, regardless of how much you use the fireplace. Sweeping is a separate question: we sweep when the inspection shows the flue needs it. A Level 2 inspection is called for when you change appliances or fuels, after a chimney fire, and at the sale or transfer of a home.

Will a stainless steel liner fix a fireplace that smokes?

Sometimes. If a damaged liner is the root cause, relining is the right answer. But when the problem is the relationship between the firebox, the smoke chamber, and the flue, a liner does not change the fireplace’s underlying design, and homeowners can spend thousands on repairs and still have a fireplace that drafts poorly. That is why we diagnose before recommending anything.

What towns do you serve?

Delaware County and the Main Line, including Drexel Hill, Havertown, Haverford, Broomall, Springfield, Media, Newtown Square, Narberth, Wynnewood, Ardmore, Bryn Mawr, Villanova, Radnor, Wayne, Devon, Berwyn, and Paoli.

How much does dryer vent cleaning cost?

Dryer vent cleaning runs $150 to $300 depending on the length, configuration, and accessibility of the vent, and starts at $229. We clean the duct run, check the termination cap, and flag any section of the duct that is damaged or improperly installed. See dryer vent cleaning.