Chimney sweep and repair in Middletown Township, NJ
Middletown splits down the middle for us: postwar ranches up on higher ground, older cottages down in Belford and Port Monmouth by the bay. Half the housing here predates 1970, most of it built during the 1950s boom, when a masonry chimney was standard and oil was the usual fuel. That history is still sitting in the flue even after the burner changed, and it shapes most of what we look at here.
The short answer
In Middletown we sweep and inspect gas and oil burning chimneys, check flues that outlived the appliance they were originally built for, and handle the duct and dryer vent work that keeps the rest of an older house venting the way it should.
What we find on Middletown jobs
Middletown’s chimney stock carries the marks of the mid-century fuel switch. A masonry flue built for an oil burner is sized for a hot, high-volume exhaust. A modern gas furnace or water heater pushes a fraction of that volume at a much lower temperature. Send cooler gas up a flue built for oil and it can drop below its dew point before it clears the top, so the liner gets wet with an exhaust that is mildly acidic. Given enough winters, that eats at mortar joints and clay tile from the inside, and it stays invisible until a camera goes down the flue. With roughly 85 percent of the township on gas today and close to half the housing built before 1970, we check for that mismatch as a matter of course, especially where an old oil line is still capped off in the basement. The remaining oil-fired homes carry a different problem, soot and creosote instead of condensate, on a flue that was at least sized right for what is burning in it.
Where the van goes in Middletown Township
- Belford
- Leonardo
- Port Monmouth
- Navesink
- River Plaza
- Lincroft
- New Monmouth
Everything we do in Middletown Township
- Chimney sweepingThe camera goes down before any brush does
- Chimney inspectionLevel 1 or Level 2, with a written report
- Chimney repairCrowns, caps, flashing and liners that let water in
- Fireplace & stovePilot lights, dampers and door gaskets
- Dryer vent cleaningThe whole run cleared, from the dryer to the outside hood
- Air duct cleaningWe tell you when cleaning will not help
- Duct repair & replacementCrushed, split or fallen duct runs repaired
What homeowners say on our Google listing
A selection of our 5-star reviews on Google.
Work was carried out by an expert who knew just what proportions of air to fuel were required for a brick fireplace system to burn cleanly.
It was no longer a strong pick. The service fixed the damper and got rid of the sticky creosote. Now it's easy to start fires and they burn constantly. Every time we light it, we can see the difference.
Top-notch service! They showed up right on time, which is rare these days. The technician took the time to explain everything and showed me exactly how much soot was clogging the flue. Fast, clean, and very reasonably priced. I will definitely be using them every year from now on!
Questions from Middletown Township
Our house switched from oil to gas years ago. Does the old chimney still work for it?
Often, but not automatically. A flue sized for an oil burner can be too wide for a gas appliance’s exhaust, which lets it cool and condense before it clears the top. We run a camera down the flue to see if it needs a liner sized for what burns in it now, and we will not recommend one it does not need.
We are in Belford, near the water. Does the flooding out here affect the chimney?
Not directly through the chimney itself, but the Monmouth County hazard mitigation plan documents recurring tidal flooding in Belford and Port Monmouth, and a wet foundation or crawlspace can affect anything built on it, chimney included. We check the base and the flashing for signs of moisture whenever we are already on a bayshore job.
Do I need a permit to reline my chimney?
It depends on the method. New Jersey’s construction code treats applying a liquid lining inside an existing chimney as ordinary maintenance, so that step alone does not need a permit. A new stainless liner, or a furnace or boiler swap that touches the chimney, calls for at least a minor work permit and an inspection, and Middletown’s own building department handles that.
We still burn wood in an older fireplace. What do you check?
The same things we check anywhere: the season’s buildup, the damper, the smoke shelf, and whether the flue is sized for what burns in it. In a town where half the houses predate 1970, we see masonry that has held up fine for decades and masonry that needs attention, and looking is the only way to tell which one you have.
Find us on Google
Open the map to see our Google listing, or open the listing itself to read our reviews.
Royal Chimney Sweep & Repair Readington NJ
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