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.
Before
After
Before
After
Before
AfterTrusted Fireplace Services for Hempstead Homeowners
A fireplace service call in Hempstead usually comes down to one of three things: the fire won’t start, the fire won’t stay lit, or the fire smells like something you shouldn’t be breathing. Most calls we take are solved the same day, and we’ve been at it since 1999. Wendell Pike and his crew work on gas fireplaces, wood burning fireplaces, inserts, dampers, fireboxes, and conversions all over Hempstead, West Hempstead, and Uniondale. If you want a straight answer about whether your fireplace is safe to burn or worth fixing, call (516) 963-1068. We’ll tell you what we’d do if it were our house, and we’ll quote a number before a tool comes off the truck.
Here’s the part that matters most, and I’ll say it plainly: nothing gets recommended without camera evidence. If we tell you the firebox is cracked or the damper is shot, you’ll see it with your own eyes on the footage. That’s the only honest way to do this work, and it’s why Hempstead homeowners who’ve been burned by the national chains keep our number in their kitchen drawer.
Key takeaways:
- Same-day service for most fireplace issues in Hempstead and surrounding towns.
- Live person answers the phone around the clock, not a call center.
- Upfront pricing before work starts. The number you hear is the number on the invoice.
- Every job backed by the 90-Day Done Right Promise, in writing.
- Camera inspection and photo report included. You see what we see.
What happens when you call
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A real person answersNo phone trees - you reach a local pro.
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You get an upfront price rangeHonest numbers before anyone is dispatched.
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A background-checked tech heads outLicensed & insured, dispatched right away.
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You approve before work beginsNothing starts until you say go.
What Our Fireplace Services Service Includes
Gas Fireplace Service
A gas fireplace that won’t light or stays lit for ten minutes before cutting out is usually a thermocouple, thermopile, or dirty pilot assembly, all of which we can fix in one visit. We service natural gas and propane units and check the burner, logs, glass seal, and venting every time. Wendell has been working on gas fireplaces in Hempstead since before most national franchises opened their first Long Island location, and he’ll tell you if a simple cleaning fixes it or if a part is genuinely dead.
Wood Burning Fireplace
Your flue doesn’t care how the fire looks. It cares how it breathes. A wood burning fireplace that smokes back into the room or sends a campfire smell through the house is telling you something about airflow, creosote, or both. We sweep the flue, inspect the firebox and smoke chamber, and check the damper and cap. If you’ve been burning wood in Hempstead for years without a sweep, don’t be surprised if we pull out more creosote than you’d expect. That’s normal. What’s not normal is ignoring it.
Fireplace Insert
An insert changes a drafty open fireplace into a real heat source, but only if it’s sized and vented correctly. We install and service wood, gas, and pellet inserts, and we’ve repaired plenty that were installed wrong by someone else. If your insert is running, it should heat the room, not smoke you out. We check the liner connection, the blower, the gaskets, and the door seal, then we show you the camera footage so you know exactly what’s going on inside.
Damper Repair
A damper that’s stuck open lets heated air escape all winter and lets rain and birds in during summer. A damper that’s stuck closed is a carbon monoxide risk if you burn anyway. We replace rusted or warped dampers, install top-sealing dampers when the throat damper is too far gone, and adjust cable or chain mechanisms so the damper opens and closes like it should. This is one of the most common repairs we do in older Hempstead homes.
Firebox Repair
Firebrick cracks, mortar joints fail, and the steel or refractory panels behind them take a beating year after year. A damaged firebox lets heat reach combustible materials around the fireplace, and that’s not a corner you want to cut. We repoint mortar, replace cracked firebrick, and rebuild fireboxes when needed. Before we recommend any of it, we run the camera and you’ll see the damage for yourself. If it can wait, we’ll tell you it can wait.
Fireplace Conversion
Plenty of Hempstead homeowners love the look of a wood fire but are tired of the wood, the ash, and the smoke. Converting to gas means you flip a switch or turn a key and you’ve got a fire. We handle wood-to-gas conversions professionally, including the gas line work by licensed professionals, the burner system, and the venting requirements. We also do gas-to-wood conversions for homeowners who want the real thing back. Either way, you’ll get a straight answer about cost and what’s involved before you commit.
Brands We Service for Fireplace Services
We install and service fireplace systems from Olympia Chimney and Famco, two brands we’ve worked with for years because their parts hold up to Long Island winters and they stand behind their warranties. If your fireplace has an Olympia liner or damper, we know the product line well and keep common replacement parts on the truck. Same goes for Famco caps and vents.
For fireplace and chimney repairs that need a specialized product, we’re certified to apply HeatShield, which is a cerfractory sealant system that can restore a damaged flue without a full rebuild. And when a fireplace conversion or repair calls for quality refractory materials, we use Gelco products because they’ve proven themselves in older Hempstead chimneys. Whether you have one of these brands or any other make, we can help. Parts availability is rarely the problem. Knowing which part actually failed is.
Signs You Need Fireplace Services Right Now
- Smoke rolls back into the room when you light a fire. That means the flue isn’t drawing properly, which could be a blockage, a closed damper, or creosote buildup. Burn long enough with poor draft and you’re pushing carbon monoxide into the living space. Get it looked at before the next fire.
- You smell a campfire odor even when there’s no fire. Damp air moving through a dirty chimney is what you’re smelling. It’s creosote and soot, and it gets worse in summer. The fix is a proper sweep, not an air freshener.
- The gas fireplace lights but shuts off after a few minutes. Usually a failing thermocouple or thermopile. It’s a safety sensor doing its job, but it needs replacement. Running it like this means a dead fireplace on the coldest night of the year.
- You see cracks or missing mortar in the firebox. The firebox is the last line of defense between the fire and the wood framing of your Hempstead home. Cracks let heat and embers reach places they should never be. Repointing mortar is a lot cheaper than a structural repair later.
- Rust flakes or water stains around the damper or firebox. Water is getting in somewhere, usually through a bad cap, crown, or flashing. Left alone, water rusts the damper, rots the mortar, and shortens the life of the whole system. The fix is usually one afternoon of work.
Our Fireplace Services Process - Step by Step
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You call, a person answers. That’s it. No phone tree, no call center, no “press 2 for service.” You’ll tell Wendell or his crew what’s going on, and you’ll get a real arrival window that same day or the next. If the schedule slips, you get a phone call, not a surprise.
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We show up and look before we touch. The sweep who shows up at your door is background-checked, uniformed, and works directly for Wendell. He’ll inspect the fireplace, the damper, the firebox, and the flue before any work is quoted. The number you hear on the phone is the number on the invoice. No door-knocking “uh oh, this is worse than we thought” upcharge.
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Camera inspection, every time, no exceptions. We run a camera up the flue and through the firebox so you can see what we see. Cracked flue tile, creosote glaze, critter nests, rusted damper, whatever it is, you’ll see it. We don’t ask you to take our word for anything.
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The work gets done with the right parts and the right tools. We stock common parts for gas and wood fireplaces, and we use manufacturer parts when it matters. Whether it’s a damper replacement, a firebox repoint, or a full conversion, the job gets done clean and done right. We put down drop cloths and clean up before we leave.
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You get a plain-English verdict and a written guarantee. We’ll show you the after footage, explain what we did and why, and hand you the invoice. Every job carries the 90-Day Done Right Promise, in writing. If it’s not right, one call brings Wendell back at no additional cost. That’s not a slogan. That’s how he’s operated since 1999.
How Much Does Fireplace Services Cost in Hempstead?
A standard gas fireplace service call in Hempstead typically runs $175 to $300, which covers the inspection, cleaning, and most thermocouple or thermopile replacements - you can see how much Fireplace Services costs for other common repairs below. Damper repairs usually land between $225 and $450 depending on whether it’s a cable adjustment or a full replacement. Firebox repointing starts around $400 and goes up based on how much brick and mortar needs work. A full wood-to-gas conversion is the big one, typically $3,500 to $7,000 in this area, because it involves gas line work, the burner system, the liner, and permits. A chimney sweep that should happen annually runs $175 to $250.
What moves the price? Access to the roof, the age of the unit, whether parts are obsolete, and how long creosote or soot has been building. What shouldn’t move the price: a technician who decides on the spot that you need “the premium package.” We quote a flat number before work starts, and we honor it. If you’ve got a written estimate from another company, bring it in. Wendell gives a free second opinion, and if our number is lower, good. If theirs is lower and the work is equal, he’ll tell you that too.
Also worth knowing: we offer $40 off any repair over $200, and seniors and veterans get 10% off always. No trip charge inside our home county. Call (516) 963-1068 and we’ll give you an exact quote for your situation. Estimates are free.
Fireplace Services Near Hempstead - Our Service Area
Top Hat Chimney is based right here in Nassau County, and we work all over Hempstead, West Hempstead, Uniondale, Garden City, Franklin Square, Westbury, Mineola, Roosevelt, Floral Park, North Merrick, New Hyde Park, and Williston Park. Most calls in Hempstead get same-day or next-morning service because Wendell and his crew are never far. If you’re in Garden City and need a fireplace service in Garden City, we’re a short drive away. Same for Fireplace Services in Franklin Square. When you call, we’ll give you a real window, not a “sometime between 8 and 6.”
If you’ve been looking for someone who treats your fireplace like it’s in his own living room, start with our home page and give us a call. Wendell has been at this since 1999, and he’ll run into you again at the hardware store, so he has every reason to do the job right.
Serving Hempstead, NY - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Hempstead area and know this community well, and we also offer Carle Place Fireplace Services. Use the map below to see our service coverage - if you’re nearby, we can almost certainly help.
Frequently Asked Questions - Fireplace Services in Hempstead
Fireplace service is the inspection, cleaning, and repair of the firebox, damper, flue, and, for gas units, the burner and ignition system. In Hempstead we see everything from simple pilot issues to full firebox rebuilds, and you can learn more about our Fireplace Services in Hempstead below. A proper service call ends with you knowing exactly what condition your fireplace is in and what, if anything, it needs. Call (516) 963-1068 to schedule, and you’ll get a straight answer.
Most gas fireplace repairs and standard inspections take 45 minutes to two hours. A full chimney sweep with camera inspection usually runs an hour and a half. Firebox repointing or damper replacements can take half a day when mortar needs to cure. We’ll give you a time estimate when you call, and we’ll call if anything changes.
A standard fireplace service visit in Hempstead runs $175 to $300 for most gas units, while damper repairs average $225 to $450 and firebox work starts around $400. Full conversions run $3,500 to $7,000 depending on scope and venting. Every quote is flat and upfront, and you’ll see the camera footage before any recommended repair. Call (516) 963-1068 for a free estimate specific to your fireplace.
We service all major brands and plenty of ones that don’t exist anymore. We stock OEM parts for Olympia Chimney and Famco systems, and we’re certified applicators for HeatShield and use Gelco refractory products. If your fireplace is an oddball from the 1980s, we’ll still take a look and tell you what your options are.
A live person answers our phone twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. That doesn’t mean you’ll always get same-service at 2 a.m., but you’ll always reach a human who can get you on the schedule. If you’ve got a gas smell or fear the fireplace is unsafe, call immediately. We take those calls seriously.
Every job we complete is covered by the 90-Day Done Right Promise, in writing. If the work isn’t right, one call brings Wendell back at no additional cost. Manufacturer warranties on parts and components are handled the same way. We don’t hide behind fine print. We live here.
Clear the area around the fireplace about six feet back so the crew has room to work and lay down drop cloths. If you have pets, keep them in another room. If you’ve been having a specific problem, like smoke rollback or a gas smell, make a note of when it happens and what it smells like. That detail helps us diagnose faster.
Schedule Your Fireplace Services Service in Hempstead Today
If your fireplace is acting up, acting dead, or just hasn’t been looked at in years, call (516) 963-1068. You’ll get a real person, a straight quote, and an honest answer about what you actually need and what can wait. No pressure, no games, and no surprise numbers. Just a local Hempstead chimney sweep who’s been doing this work since 1999 and stands behind every job with the 90-Day Done Right Promise. Call today, burn safe this winter.
Written by Wendell Pike, Owner at Top Hat Chimney, serving Hempstead and surrounding Long Island communities since 1999.