Serving Somerville, MA

Yes. Brookline Chimney Sweep dispatches technicians to Somerville about 5 miles from our shop. Somerville is part of our regular chimney sweep service area and we schedule jobs there every week.

Brookline Chimney Sweep typically reaches Somerville within the same day for most chimney sweep requests, and we offer priority same-day windows for time-sensitive jobs. Booking a free quote is the fastest way to lock in a slot.

Yes, and it's one of our most common calls. Years of disuse means animals may have moved in, the cap or crown may have failed, the damper may be seized, and old creosote can have hardened. Don't light it cold — book the $89 inspection and the fee credits toward anything we have to fix.

Common signs: smoke coming back into the room when the fireplace is on, a dark sticky buildup in the flue, animal sounds or droppings in the firebox, water staining around the chimney, a damper that won't open or close cleanly, and last winter's smell lingering year-round. Any one is worth an inspection.

Yes. Gas fireplaces make less creosote than wood but still need a yearly safety check of the vent path, burner, pilot, gas connections, glass-front seal, and chimney cap. Somerville customers who report a gas smell when the fireplace runs almost always traced it to a skipped yearly service.

Most often a closed or partially closed damper, an obstructed flue (creosote, a nest, or debris), a cold flue that needs warming, or negative pressure pulling air down the chimney. The $89 inspection pinpoints the cause — and smoke backup is a 'stop using the fireplace until we look' call.