Schererville Chimney Service: Masonry, Prefab and Gas
Schererville was built across the years when fireplace construction changed, so the house next door may have a completely different system from yours. We service all three kinds.
By Mark Jason, owner of NWI Chimney Sweep · three decades on Northwest Indiana roofs
Schererville was founded in 1866 and incorporated in 1911, but most of what stands today is far newer. The Town of Schererville municipal website is the place for town hall business; this page is about what is on your roof.
Which fireplace system does a Schererville home have?
A Schererville home has one of three systems, and the quickest way to tell is to look at the firebox walls and at what comes through the roof. The descriptions below are what homes of each period typically contain, from our trade experience.
| System | How to recognise it | What usually wears out | Service |
|---|---|---|---|
| Site-built masonry (common in 1970s–80s houses) | Firebrick walls with mortar joints; a brick stack with a clay-tile flue at the top | Creosote in the smoke chamber, cracked flue tile, a weathered crown | Masonry fireplace sweeping |
| Factory-built or prefab (1980s onward) | Metal firebox lined with cast refractory panels; a round metal chimney inside a sided, framed chase | Rusted chase cover, cracked panels, a missing or mismatched cap | Chase covers and listed caps |
| Direct-vent gas (1990s–2000s townhomes and subdivisions) | Fixed glass front, no damper, a short co-axial vent through a wall or the roof | Fouled pilot, weak thermocouple or thermopile, hardened glass gasket | Annual gas fireplace servicing |
Why can a prefab fireplace not be treated like a masonry one?
A factory-built fireplace is a tested assembly, listed under UL 127 together with one specific chimney, so its parts cannot be swapped freely. The cap, the refractory panels and the chimney sections all have to be the ones the manufacturer listed for that model. A generic cap or an oversized grate changes how hot the unit runs against the wood framing around it.
Sweeping differs too. The inner wall of a prefab chimney is thin stainless steel, and we clean it with poly brushes because stiff wire scores the metal. Then we look at the chase cover, the sheet-metal lid on top of the framed box. Builders generally fitted flat galvanized covers. They sag, hold rainwater and rust through, and the first clue is a brown streak down the siding. A stainless replacement is cross-broken so it sheds water and has a drip edge that throws it clear of the chase.
Do newer Schererville homes have dryer vent problems?
Yes: later floor plans often put the laundry on an interior wall or an upper floor, which means a long dryer duct with several bends. The International Residential Code, section M1502, limits a dryer exhaust to 35 feet unless the dryer maker allows more, and takes 5 feet off for every 90-degree elbow. A duct at that limit clogs with lint quickly, so cleaning the dryer vent run end to end belongs on the same visit as the fireplace.
Where do we work in Schererville?
We take calls from every part of Schererville, from the streets around Redar Park and the Schererville Community Center to those near Rohrman Park. The National Park Service looks after Hoosier Prairie State Nature Preserve, which it lists east of U.S. Highway 41 on Main Street and which has grown from about 300 acres to more than 1,500. Local teenagers go to Lake Central High School, shared with Dyer and St. John.
Not sure what you have? A Level 1 chimney inspection settles it and documents the condition. Starting figures are on our chimney service pricing page. The same crew covers chimney and fireplace care in St. John, older brick chimneys in Highland and every other town on the map of towns we serve.
Schererville fireplace and vent questions
How do I know whether my Schererville fireplace is masonry or prefab?
To tell whether a Schererville fireplace is masonry or prefab, look inside the firebox. Individual firebricks with mortar joints mean site-built masonry. Large smooth panels, often with a moulded brick pattern, inside a metal box mean a factory-built unit, and there will be a metal data plate just inside the opening.
Can I burn wood in the gas fireplace in my Schererville townhome?
No, wood must never be burned in a direct-vent gas fireplace in a Schererville townhome. The unit is a sealed appliance with a fixed glass front and a small co-axial vent designed only for gas exhaust. It has no flue capable of carrying wood smoke.
Why is rust running down the chimney chase on my Schererville house?
Rust running down a chimney chase on a Schererville house almost always comes from a corroded chase cover. Flat galvanized covers hold standing water, lose their zinc coating and bleed rust over the edge. Left alone, the cover perforates and rain enters the framed chase, rotting sheathing and rusting the fireplace below. The repair is a sloped stainless cover with a drip edge.
Do factory-built fireplaces in Schererville need sweeping as often as brick ones?
Factory-built fireplaces in Schererville need the same yearly inspection NFPA 211 calls for on every chimney, and they are swept on the same basis as brick ones: when deposits reach about one-eighth of an inch. Wood smoke makes creosote in a metal flue just as it does in clay tile.
Can cracked refractory panels in a Schererville prefab fireplace be replaced?
Cracked refractory panels in a Schererville prefab fireplace can be replaced without replacing the fireplace. Hairline cracks are normal wear. A panel is due for replacement when a crack has opened enough to show the steel behind it, or when the surface is crumbling.
How long should a load take to dry in a Schererville home with a long dryer vent?
A normal load in a Schererville home should dry in one cycle, whatever the length of the vent. If towels need a second run, the laundry room feels hot and humid, or the outside flap barely lifts while the dryer is on, airflow is restricted.
Does a gas fireplace in Schererville need its vent inspected?
A gas fireplace in Schererville does need its vent inspected each year. We check that the termination cap is clear of nests and vegetation, that the vent sections are still locked together, and that the glass gasket seals so exhaust cannot enter the room.
What is a chimney chase on a Schererville home?
A chimney chase on a Schererville home is the framed, sided box that surrounds a factory-built metal chimney where it runs up an outside wall or through the roof. The chase keeps weather off the pipe, and its sheet-metal cover is the part that needs watching, because a leak there damages wood framing.
Not sure which fireplace you own? Call from Schererville
Describe the firebox over the phone and we will tell you what kind of visit it needs.
Call (219) 203-9797