The short answer
Yes, Apex Premier Chimney Services serves Kips Bay (ZIP codes 10016 and 10168) from our Manhattan office about two miles away. We sweep, inspect, repair, reline and rebuild chimneys, and we clean dryer vents and air ducts in rowhouses, brownstones and apartment buildings.
Apex Premier Chimney Services works throughout Kips Bay, about two miles from our Manhattan office, in ZIP codes 10016 and 10168. The neighborhood mixes older rowhouses and brownstones with pre-war apartment buildings and larger postwar buildings. Each type raises its own chimney and venting questions. One owner may have a working wood fireplace on the parlor floor. Another may have a firebox that was sealed decades ago, a boiler flue that serves an entire building, or a dryer vent running a long way to an outside wall. Our certified technicians handle all of it, from routine sweeps and inspections to liner installation and full chimney rebuilding.
Chimney Work Built Around Kips Bay Housing
In rowhouses and brownstones, one chimney stack often holds several flues. These might serve fireplaces on different floors, an old coal stove opening, or a current boiler or water heater. Because the houses share party walls, a cracked flue or missing mortar can let smoke or gases travel where they shouldn't. Before anyone lights a fire, we check which flue serves which opening and whether each one is in sound condition.
Pre-war apartment buildings bring different concerns. Many boiler chimneys in the neighborhood were built for oil. When a 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 the right liner when one is called for.
Services We Offer in Kips Bay
Kips Bay customers can book any of the following:
- Chimney sweep for wood-burning fireplaces and appliance flues
- Chimney inspection at the level your situation calls for
- Chimney repair, including mortar joints, crowns and flue tiles
- Chimney liner installation, including relining after oil-to-gas conversions
- Chimney cap and chase cover installation and replacement
- Chimney waterproofing for exposed brick and stone
- Fireplace and damper repair for fireplaces that are stuck, leaky or long unused
- Chimney rebuilding when masonry is too far gone to patch
- Dryer vent cleaning for houses and apartments
- Air duct cleaning when conditions call for it
How New York Weather Wears on Chimneys
Manhattan winters swing above and below freezing again and again. Water that soaks into brick and mortar freezes, expands and slowly pushes the masonry apart. Nor'easters and wind-driven rain hit rooftop chimneys hard, and crowns are often the first part to crack. Once water gets in, it can rust dampers, stain ceilings and walls, and loosen flue tiles.
Summer humidity causes its own problem. Damp air pulls the smell of creosote out of a sooty flue and into the room. We address both seasons with caps and chase covers that keep rain and animals out, crown repairs, and breathable waterproofing that sheds water without trapping moisture inside the brick.
Inspections and the City's Heat Season
The NFPA 211 standard calls for chimneys, fireplaces and vents to be inspected once a year. A Level 1 inspection fits when nothing has changed. A Level 2 inspection applies 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.
New York 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. Booking boiler flue inspections and repairs in late summer or early fall leaves time to fix problems before heat is required.
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. Apartments and rowhouses often have long vent runs with several turns, and lint builds up quickly in them. Signs to watch for include clothes that take longer to dry, a hot laundry area, or a burning smell. We clean the full run from the dryer to the exterior termination.
We take an honest approach to air duct cleaning. The U.S. EPA advises cleaning ducts when there is substantial visible mold growth, vermin, or excessive dust and debris. It also notes that duct cleaning has not been shown to prevent health problems. We look first and recommend cleaning only when those conditions are present. We are careful with chemical treatments and explain any product before we use it.
ZIP codes we serve
- 10016
- 10168