Chimney Sweep & Repair in Plainville, CT
Cleaning, inspections, leak repair and waterproofing for Plainville homes on the Great Plain, between Bradley Mountain and Red Stone Hill.
Sunday to Friday
A Class Chimney sweeps, inspects and repairs chimneys in Plainville, from annual cleanings to leaks, white stains and damaged brick. Water does most of the harm to Connecticut chimneys, so this page shows how to spot it on your house. A technician will look, photograph the chimney and give you a written price at no cost.
Plainville’s layout and housing
Plainville sits on what was long called the Great Plain, the flat ground between Bradley Mountain on the east side, part of the Metacomet Ridge, and Red Stone Hill to the west. The Pequabuck River runs north through town toward the Farmington River, and the Farmington Canal once brought boats right into the center at Bristol Basin before a railroad replaced it.
The town split from Farmington in 1869 and grew around its mills and factories, from the Plainville Manufacturing Company to Trumbull Electric. Houses close to the center tend to be older than those farther out, which filled in through the 20th century. Today the housing is a real mix of single-family homes, two-families and apartment buildings.
The plain itself is thought to be the bed of an ancient lake or river, with sandy soil and some marshland in places. Low, damp ground can keep a basement and the base of a chimney wet, so it is worth checking the cleanout area as well as the roof.
Whatever the age of the house, a chimney in central Connecticut fights the same enemy: water that soaks into the masonry, freezes and expands, winter after winter.
Signs water is getting into your chimney
You can check most of these from the ground, the attic or the basement. Stay off the roof; a pair of binoculars from the yard works well.
- White, powdery deposits on the brick, which mean water is moving through the masonry (here is what those white stains mean)
- A damp or stained ceiling or wall right beside the chimney
- Water in the firebox, or a rusty damper that sticks
- A musty or old-campfire smell that gets worse in humid weather
- Brick faces flaking off, mostly on the side that faces the weather
- Gaps or lifted metal where the chimney meets the roof
- Rust streaks running down from the cap or the top of the stack
- Water or crumbled tile at the cleanout door in the basement
Chimney symptom checker
Tick what you have noticed and see what it usually means.
Where the water gets in, and what fixes it
Leaks have a short list of usual sources. Finding the right one is the real work, because sealing the wrong spot just spends money. Our article on why chimneys leak goes deeper. Prices below are Connecticut ballparks; the exact figure is written up after we see the chimney.
| Source | What we look for | Usual fix (ballpark) |
|---|---|---|
| Open flue | No cap, rain falling straight down the flue | Stainless cap, $150–$600 |
| Cracked crown | Hairline to open cracks on the concrete top | Crown repair or sealing, $200–$1,200 |
| Flashing | Lifted, rusted or caulk-only metal at the roof line | Flashing repair or replacement, $400–$1,500 |
| Porous brick | Dark, wet-looking brick long after rain; white deposits | Vapor-permeable water repellent, $300–$800 |
| Worn mortar | Recessed, sandy joints | Repointing, $800–$3,000+ |
Recent work: a partial chimney rebuild
The same chimney, during and after the work. The damaged top courses come down with the roof covered in tarps, then the top is rebuilt and finished with a new crown.
Other Plainville chimney work
Annual cleaning and inspection
For fireplaces, wood stoves and oil-fired heating, a yearly sweep with a Level 1 inspection catches problems while they are still small and cheap.
Dampers
A rusted throat damper that will not close lets heat out and rain in. A top-sealing damper mounted on the flue is a common replacement, about $400–$900 as a ballpark.
Unused chimneys
If the heating now vents out a side wall and the fireplace sits cold, the chimney still has to shed water. Here is what to do with an unused chimney.
Waterproofing
Once the leak source is fixed, a breathable repellent helps brick stay dry. More on chimney waterproofing.
A water repellent only helps once the brick and mortar are sound and the real entry point is fixed. Sprayed over a cracked crown or open flashing, it changes nothing, because the water keeps coming in where it always did. Non-breathable coatings can even trap moisture inside the brick.
What happens after you contact us
When you call or send the callback form, we ask where you see water or damage and when it shows up, after every rain, only in storms, or when snow melts. Then a technician comes to look, without charge.
We check the cap, crown, flashing and brick, look inside with a camera if the leak might be in the flue, and photograph each problem. You get a written price for every item, so you can fix the source first and decide on the rest later. When the work is done, we clean up and show you photos of the finished job.
If the leak only appears in certain storms and nothing obvious shows up on the day, we tell you so and suggest a second look after the next one rather than selling you a guess.
Scheduling from Plainville
Phone lines at (203) 779-6787 are open from 7 AM to 8 PM Sunday to Thursday and until 2:30 PM on Friday, and the callback form takes your details any time. It helps to tell us roughly when the house was built and whether the chimney serves a fireplace, the heating system or both. We also serve the towns that border Plainville: Bristol, New Britain, Southington and Farmington.
Prefer we call you?
Three quick taps and a real person from A Class Chimney calls you back to set up a $59 on-site inspection.
- $59 on-site visit and written estimate
- Photos of everything we find
- A written price before any work starts
- Licensed and insured in Connecticut
Sunday to Friday
What do you need?
When?
Where should we call you?
Free, no obligation. Privacy
Plainville chimney questions
Chimney help in Plainville
$59 on-site visit, photos of what we find and a written price before any work. Licensed and insured in Connecticut.