Chimney Sweep in Grandville, MI

Types of Chimney Work We Do in Grandville

Caps and Chase Tops

A cap is the screen in an open window: it lets air out and keeps birds, rain and sparks from getting in. Plenty of older Grandville chimneys have no cap at all, and the flue tile slowly soaks up every storm. A stainless steel cap with mesh sides costs $250 to $750 typically, and a framed chimney's stainless chase top runs $400 to $1,500. See chimney cap installation.

Sweeping and the Camera Scan

Tarps and runners go down from the front door to the fireplace. We sweep from inside the house with wire brushes, a HEPA-filtered vacuum catching the soot, then a camera that rotates 360 degrees goes up the flue. We check the damper too and send a digital report. The whole thing is 45 minutes to an hour for one fireplace.

Liners in Older Homes

A flue liner holds the heat and smoke inside a sleeve so it never reaches the framing. Old clay tiles crack, and we find it with the camera. A coating of HeatShield sealant can seal the cracks in some cases, and a stainless 316Ti liner replaces the flue when it cannot. Either way we pull the permit Michigan requires. See chimney liner installation.

Mortar and Brick on Center-of-Town Chimneys

Brick that is 80 or 90 years old can be fine if the mortar holds. When it crumbles, we cut it out about half an inch to three quarters deep, pack new mortar and replace any loose brick. The aim is to match the old joint, not to make it look new. Typical Grandville cost is $600 to $2,800, and the page on tuckpointing has the details.

Home Inspections

Buyers and sellers in Grandville often want a Level 2 inspection, the camera one used on a property sale. We email the report and photos, and it usually takes about an hour. See chimney inspection for how Levels 1, 2 and 3 differ.

Crowns That Shed Water

The crown is the cement slab that finishes the top of the brick. It should slope away from the flue and overhang the brick by about 2 inches. On older Grandville chimneys it is often cracked, patched with a dab of caulk, or missing altogether. We coat a good one and rebuild a bad one, and we say which is which before we start. See chimney crown repair.

Leaks and Flashing

A drip on the ceiling beside the chimney tells you water is getting in, not where. We check the flashing, the crown and the brick in that order. Fixing flashing and adding a breathable water repellent typically costs $350 to $1,200. See chimney leak repair.

What Chimney Work Costs in Grandville

Typical 2026 ranges for a Grandville house. The camera sets the real number.

Grandville Chimneys by Neighborhood

Near the River

The river bend and the older blocks around it get fog and damp mornings, and brick there dries slowly. Slow-drying brick starts to flake after enough freeze and thaw, and a chimney that is open at the top soaks it all up. Western Michigan gets about 75 inches of snow a year in Grand Rapids, and a lot of that melts down a Grandville chimney.

Streets Near RiverTown Crossings

When the mall opened in 1999 the area took off, and the houses built after it have factory-built or framed chimneys. They are not hard to keep up, though the steel lid is the weak spot. In our experience it is the chase top, not the chimney, that gives out first.

A Quick Story From the River Side

Last winter a Grandville owner called about a smoky smell with the fireplace cold. The camera showed a flue with no cap and a nest of sticks and leaves packed two feet down. Sweeping cleared it, a stainless cap kept it from coming back, and the whole visit took under two hours.

Why We Quote After the Camera

My opinion, after 22 years on Grand Rapids roofs, is that the cheapest repair is the one you did not need. The camera tells us whether the flue is fine, and you see the same screen we do. If something is wrong, you get a photo and a plain-English line item. If it is fine, we say so.

Next, Byron Center

A few miles south, we also work in Byron Center, where newer family homes are going up fast.