Sweep & inspection
Caps & crowns
Flue relining
Masonry repair
Gas fireplace serviceLevel 1 sweep and inspection to the NFPA 211 annual standard - flue, crown, cap, and flashing checked and photographed
Chimney sweep logs do not sweep chimneys. They loosen some creosote - which then falls where a brush and vacuum still have to collect it.
Gelco Chimney Cleaning in Logan Square, IL | Sandstone Chimney Sweep
Sandstone Chimney Sweep provides independent Gelco repair in Avondale, Logan Square, and nearby neighborhoods, including chimney cleaning, inspection, and repair across the 60647. We service every Gelco product line in the field, from Z-Vent furnace liners to FlexLiner and Sure-Seal damper systems. What makes our Gelco work different here is simple: we understand how these liners behave inside century-old masonry stacks that were never designed for modern heating equipment. Call (833) 589-7835 for a free estimate.
Why Logan Square Residents Choose Us for Gelco Service
Norm Sobieski grew up in Albany Park and learned building systems at Truman College before spending years on ladders across Chicago’s northwest neighborhoods. That background shapes how we approach Gelco repair in West Town and every Gelco job in Logan Square. We’re not a manufacturer hotline reading from a script. We’re the crew that actually pulls the cap, runs the camera, and tells you honestly whether your liner needs work or can safely wait another season.
We stock genuine Gelco OEM parts for the repairs that come up most often in this neighborhood: cap assemblies, damper hardware, and connector sections for Z-Vent and FlexLiner runs. When a two-flat owner on Kedzie or Albany needs a liner section replaced, we’re not waiting a week on a distributor. We carry what we know Logan Square chimneys actually need. And because we handle Gelco sales & service alongside our sweep and repair work, the same team that spots a problem is the same team that fixes it.
Styles & brands we work with
Common Gelco Chimney Cleaning Problems We Solve in Logan Square
- Cracked Gelco Z-Vent inner liners hidden inside original brick stacks. Mid-century furnace flues in Logan Square’s 1920s two-flats often run Z-Vent sections that were installed decades ago, sometimes improperly, always invisibly. Only a Level 2 camera inspection reveals the collapse risk. We see this most often when a condo conversion added a high-efficiency furnace without re-scoping the original flue path.
- FlexLiner corrosion at condensation joints. High-efficiency furnaces produce acidic condensate that pools in uninsulated liner sections, especially during the long heating season from October through April. In Logan Square’s two-flats, where the flue is in near-constant use all winter, that corrosion accelerates. We catch it at the joints first, before it eats through the wall.
- Gelco cap assemblies worked loose by freeze-thaw cycles. Chicago’s deep freezes followed by midwinter thaws and damp springs spall the soft original brick and mortar crowns on Logan Square greystones. Water gets in, ice expands, and caps lift. We re-secure them, re-seal the crown, and stop the water before it reaches your liner.
- Stuck or poorly sealing Sure-Seal dampers on shared two-flat chimneys. Soot buildup on a damper that was sized for one unit but now serves a shared flue will stick, rust, or fail to seal. That creates draft problems and lets heated air escape all winter. We clean, adjust, or swap the damper hardware as needed.
- Unlined or partially lined dual-flue stacks. This is the Logan Square signature problem, and we cover it in depth below.
Gelco Service in Logan Square: What Local Conditions Mean for Your Equipment
The defining fact about Logan Square chimney work is the housing stock: dense rows of late-1890s to 1920s brick two- and three-flats, many still running their original clay tile or completely unlined flues. On a typical two-flat, a single brick stack on the shared wall carries two separate flues, one for each unit’s furnace or water heater. That means a single apparent chimney problem is often two heating systems sharing a century-old masonry stack. We regularly run a camera on a Logan Square chimney and find the upstairs flue properly relined with Gelco while the downstairs flue is still bare clay tile, untouched since the coal-to-gas conversion. That split condition is exactly why we scope both flues from the start, every time, on any two-flat. If we only looked at the flue that was obviously failing, we’d miss the one that’s about to.
A homeowner on Logan Blvd called us about a drafty furnace. Our Level 2 camera inspection found the upstairs Gelco Z-Vent liner in good shape but the downstairs flue completely unlined. We installed a new Gelco FlexLiner for the lower unit and capped both flues with a custom multi-flue cap, which solved the draft and kept water out going forward. That’s a typical afternoon in this neighborhood. And it’s why our Logan Square customers get a different level of attention than a generic sweep-and-go outfit would offer.
Gelco Models & Products We Service in Logan Square
We service the full Gelco product range: Z-Flex Z-Vent for furnace and water heater venting, FlexLiner for relining older masonry flues, Sure-Seal dampers, and Pro-Form caps and crowns. For any replacement work we use genuine Gelco OEM parts so your warranty stays intact. On older systems where an OEM part is discontinued or a targeted repair makes more sense, we’ll tell you when a quality aftermarket component will extend the liner’s life safely. We never push a full reline when a section repair will do. Most common parts are stocked locally so we’re not leaving a Logan Square homeowner without heat while something ships from out of state.
See the difference
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After
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AfterGelco Service Pricing in Logan Square
Gelco chimney cleaning in Logan Square typically runs between $180 and $340 for a standard sweep and inspection, depending on flue configuration and access. Level 2 camera inspections add $150 to $250. Gelco FlexLiner installations run $1,800 to $3,500 on average, and a new cap assembly typically lands in the $250 to $500 range. What drives pricing is access: narrow 25-foot lots, shared party walls, tight rear gangways, and roof pitch all factor in. Your free estimate includes a written scope of work priced before we start, so there’s no surprise when the invoice arrives. Call (833) 589-7835 for a precise quote on your chimney.
Serving Logan Square, IL — Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Logan Square area and know this community well. Use the map below to see our service coverage — if you’re nearby, we can almost certainly help.
FAQs – Gelco Chimney Cleaning in Logan Square
Yes, and we insist on it. A two-flat chimney with two flues sharing one stack needs a dual-flue inspection from the start. We run a camera through both flues and show you the footage, so you’re not taking our word on a split condition you can’t see from the ground. Call (833) 589-7835 to book a Level 2 inspection for both flues.
It’s almost always the freeze-thaw cycle working on the original mortar crown. Water gets into the crown, freezes, expands, and forces the cap fasteners loose. We remove the cap, re-point the crown, re-secure the cap, and apply waterproofing so the cycle doesn’t repeat next winter. Call us before the next hard freeze.
Yes, and this is one of the most common calls we get in Logan Square. Coal-converted flues often contain old soot and debris behind the liner that a standard brush sweep won’t reach. We run a camera first to confirm what’s actually in there, then clean and inspect the Gelco liner properly. Call (833) 589-7835 if your flue hasn’t been scoped since the conversion.
Apply a breathable masonry water repellent to the brick and crown after re-pointing any damaged mortar. We do both as part of our chimney waterproofing service, which is especially important on Logan Square greystones with a century of weather exposure. Call for a pre-winter assessment.
Most stuck Sure-Seal dampers can be freed and adjusted, but if the mechanism is rusted or warped from years of soot buildup, replacement is the honest fix. We’ll always show you what we’re seeing before recommending either. Call (833) 589-7835 and we’ll take a look.
Service Areas Near Logan Square
Sandstone Chimney Sweep serves Logan Square and the surrounding neighborhoods, including West Town, Lincoln Park, Near North Side, and the Chicago Loop. For Gelco work just to the west, see our Gelco service in East Garfield Park. For work south of downtown, see Gelco service in Bridgeport. We also cover the full Logan Square service area.
Book Your Gelco Service in Logan Square Today
If your Gelco liner, cap, or damper needs attention — including Gelco service in Irving Park and nearby areas — call (833) 589-7835 for a free estimate. We’ll scope it, show you the footage, and tell you plain what needs fixing and what can wait. A clean flue isn’t a luxury – it’s just what a working fireplace requires.
Written by Norm Sobieski, Owner at Sandstone Chimney Sweep, serving Logan Square since he started the company.