Level 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.
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AfterFamco Chimney Liner & Rebuild in Hempstead: What to Know First
Famco chimney liner and rebuild work in Hempstead typically runs $2,200 to $6,800 depending on whether you need a liner replacement or structural rebuild, and most jobs are done inside two days. We’re an independent Famco service provider, not a factory arm, so we’ll tell you when an OEM replacement makes sense and when a quality aftermarket part does the same job for less. That honest read on price is why Hempstead homeowners call us before the fireplace season starts.
This page is for anyone in Hempstead with a Famco chimney component that is rusting through, pulling away, or simply old enough that you’re not sure what’s behind the brick. If that’s you, call Wendell Pike and his crew at Top Hat Chimney at (516) 963-1068. A live person answers. We’ll talk through what you’re seeing and give you a straight answer before any ladder comes off the truck.
How Famco Products Fail - and How We Fix Them
We’ve opened enough Famco flues in Nassau County to know where they fail. Here’s what we actually see, not what a brochure says.
- Famco stainless steel liners with interior condensate pitting. Famco’s 316L and 304 stainless liners hold up well, but in Hempstead’s damp shoulder seasons, condensation forms inside the flue and sits at the corbel joint. Over years, that moisture eats pinholes into the liner wall near the bottom connector. Homeowners usually don’t notice until a whiff of smoke shows up in an upstairs room. We scope the liner, show you the footage, and replace the section or the full run if the pitting has spread.
- Famco flexible liner kinking at the flue offset. Older Famco flex kits on masonry chimneys with an offset smoke chamber can kink right where the liner takes the bend. That kink narrows the draft, pulls smoke back into the house, and dumps creosote at the pinch point. We pull the damaged flex, re-measure the offset, and fit a properly sized piece that actually follows the turn without folding.
- Crown cap rust-through on Famco multi-flue caps. Famco makes a good cap, but on Hempstead homes with salt air off the South Shore, the cap bolts and lower skirt can rust faster than the liner it protects. Once the skirt separates at the seam, rain gets straight into the flue. We replace with a Famco cap when available or a Copperfield cap sized to the same flue dimensions, then seal the chase top so the next one lasts longer.
- Clay tile liner spalling disguised as a Famco problem. Sometimes the issue is not the Famco liner at all. Older Hempstead homes with clay tile flues and a Famco cap or damper on top often have spalled tiles flaking into the smoke shelf. The Famco component has failed, but the real problem is below it. We’ll pull the damper frame, remove the broken tile, and install a properly sized Famco stainless liner as a direct replacement so the flue breathes like it should.
- Failed mortar joints at the flue base on rebuild jobs. When a Hempstead chimney needs a partial or full rebuild, the weak point is almost always where the Famco liner seats into the existing masonry. Wash-out at that joint lets flue gas leak into the chimney chase and pushes carbon monoxide back into the living space. We rebuild that base joint with high-heat refractory cement, reset the Famco liner, and camera-check the full run before we call the job done.
Our Famco Chimney Liner & Rebuild Process
Here’s how a Famco job goes from phone call to cleanup at a Hempstead home.
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You call, a person answers. Wendell or one of his crew picks up at (516) 963-1068. You’ll describe what you’re seeing. We’ll tell you if it sounds urgent or if it can wait a few weeks.
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The sweep shows up and scopes the flue. We run a camera down the chimney and look at the Famco liner joints, the crown seat, and the mortar bed. You see the footage, not a summary of it.
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We give you a plain-English verdict. If a repair will hold, we say so and quote that price. If a rebuild is necessary, we explain exactly why, in plain language, with the camera footage to back it. We never recommend a rebuild we cannot show you evidence for.
- 4
Parts decision, up front. We use OEM Famco parts when they are the best fit for the flue dimensions and still under warranty. When a quality DuraFlex or Gelco liner does the same job at a better price, we lay that out and let you decide. You get the choice before any money is spent.
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The repair or rebuild itself. Liner replacements usually run one day, start to finish. Partial rebuilds run one to two. Full rebuilds run two to three depending on weather and brick availability. We tarp off the work area, haul away debris, and leave the roof cleaner than we found it.
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We test and you see it. After the work, we re-scope the flue, check the draft, and show you the finished run. Then we put the work under our 90-Day Done Right Promise in writing. If something is off, one call brings us back at no charge.
What Famco Chimney Liner & Rebuild Costs in Hempstead
Here are the price ranges we see on Famco work across Hempstead, Uniondale, and West Hempstead. These are honest ranges, not one-size-fits-all guesses.
- Famco stainless liner replacement, single flue: $2,200 to $3,900 depending on roof height and liner diameter.
- Famco flex liner replacement with new cap: $2,800 to $4,500.
- Partial chimney rebuild with Famco liner reset: $3,700 to $5,600.
- Full chimney rebuild with new Famco liner: $5,200 to $6,800 for a typical two-story Hempstead colonial.
- Famco cap or damper replacement only: $450 to $950.
What moves the price is roof pitch, liner diameter, how much brick has to come down, and whether you need scaffolding. Not hidden fees. We quote the price before work starts, and the number you hear on the phone is the number on the invoice.
Call (516) 963-1068 for a free estimate. We will come out, scope the flue, and hand you a written number.
Why Hempstead Homeowners Call Top Hat Chimney for Famco Work
Wendell Pike has been climbing Hempstead rooftops since 1999. He grew up in San Diego, learned the trade at Southwestern College in Chula Vista, and has been driving out to Nassau County long enough that most of his Hempstead customers are repeat calls. That’s not a marketing line. Ask anyone on your street.
We’re not a franchise that rotated in last spring. We’re a locally owned, owner-operated shop with a published address and a license number. Wendell puts his name on the work, and he’ll run into you at the hardware store on Saturday. Every Famco job is backed by the 90-Day Done Right Promise in writing, and every job includes the camera footage and a plain-English verdict like we said earlier in this page. We also install and service DuraFlex, HeatShield, and Gelco liners, so when your Famco setup would do better with a different brand, we will tell you that straight and explain why.
If it doesn’t need doing, Wendell will tell you. That habit has probably cost him some work over the years. It has also kept his customers calling back for three decades.
FAQs
Famco warranties typically cover manufacturing defects in the liner itself, not the labor to remove and reinstall it, and they generally require that the liner be installed by a qualified chimney professional in accordance with the installation manual. Our work follows those guidelines. As an independent Famco service provider, we are not a factory warranty station, but we install to the same standards Famco expects, and we back our labor with our own 90-Day Done Right Promise in writing.
If you are unsure whether your liner issue is a defect or normal wear, call (516) 963-1068 and we will scope it and tell you what we see.
Most Hempstead calls get a real arrival window within a few days of your first call, sooner if the flue is showing signs of an active leak. We answer the phone live around the clock, and if the liner has failed to the point where carbon monoxide could enter the home, we treat it as a priority job. Call (516) 963-1068 and we will give you an honest time frame.
A small section of pitting or a single failed joint can sometimes be repaired with a patch piece or a splice, but once a liner has rusted through in multiple places or pulled apart at an offset, replacement is usually the safer call. We will show you the camera footage and let you decide based on what you see. We will not sell you a full replacement when a repair will hold.
Once a year, burn or no burn. Chimneys break in the off-season too, and Hempstead’s damp springs and salty air are hardest on the cap and the lower liner joints. An annual inspection catches pinholes before they become smoke problems, and it keeps your Famco warranty documentation clean. Call (516) 963-1068 to schedule an inspection at your convenience.
A failed liner lets flue gas, carbon monoxide, and creosote vapor into the chimney chase and sometimes into the house. In a worst case, the creosote ignites and you get a chimney fire. In most cases, you get water damage, rusted-out mortar joints, and a more expensive rebuild later. Skipping the repair does not make the problem cheaper. Call us and we will tell you plainly whether yours can wait or not.
Written by Wendell Pike, Owner, Top Hat Chimney at Top Hat Chimney, serving Hempstead and nearby areas.