Masonry repair
Sweep & inspection
Caps & crowns
Flue relining
Gas fireplace serviceLevel 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.
Fast, Reliable Fireplace Repair Across Bensonhurst
Fireplace repair in Bensonhurst usually costs between $225 and $1,800 depending on what’s actually wrong. A damper replacement runs $225 to $450. A firebox rebuild lands between $900 and $2,400. The real story is that most Bensonhurst fireplaces were built before 1960, sit on shared party walls, and carry multiple flues from old coal-burning days, which means a simple-looking crack can hide a structural issue that needs a camera inspection before anyone quotes you a number. We’ve been doing this since 2002 and answer the phone live, 24/7. Call (315) 644-2982 for a written estimate.
Why Ashby Chimney New York Is Bensonhurst’s Preferred Fireplace Repair Company
Most of our Bensonhurst customers call us because someone else already let them down. A technician showed up late, or not at all. A price doubled at the door. A liner cracked again six weeks after it was “fixed.” We operate differently. Every job gets a written price before work starts. Every repair comes with a written guarantee, and if a covered repair fails within the guarantee period, we return and correct it at no charge. That’s the 365-Day Done Right Promise, and it’s not sold as an add-on. It’s just how we work.
Our owner, Nathan Corliss, set this standard from the start in 2002. Each Ashby location is independently owned and operated under the Kingswell Guarantee, which means the promise is consistent: say the price, show up in the window, leave it cleaner, put the guarantee in writing, come back if it fails. Background-checked, uniformed technicians arrive at your Bensonhurst door, and you’ll know exactly who’s walking in. We carry materials from established chimney-trade brands like DuraFlex, HeatShield, and Olympia Chimney, not whatever happened to be in the van.
Bensonhurst’s rows of attached brick houses create challenges that a generic chimney company doesn’t understand. We’ve worked on fireplaces along 18th Avenue, Bay Parkway, and the blocks around 80th Street where party-wall fireboxes mean every repair decision has to account for the neighbor’s flue. That local familiarity changes how we diagnose problems from the first visit.
Styles & brands we work with
Fireplace Insert Installation in Bensonhurst
Fireplace Insert Installation in Bensonhurst typically costs between $3,200 and $7,800, including the unit, the liner, and labor. That’s the honest range for homes in this part of Brooklyn, where attached row houses often have fireplaces on party walls and chimneys with more than one flue running through the same masonry. When a homeowner wants to turn a drafty, inefficient wood-burning fireplace into a reliable heat source, an insert is usually the right move. The job involves running a new liner down the existing flue, setting the insert into the firebox, and sealing everything so exhaust vents correctly and doesn’t migrate through old clay liners.
Inserts for Old Coal-Burning Fireplaces
Many Bensonhurst homes built in the 1920s through 1950s originally burned coal. Those fireboxes were never designed for modern gas or wood inserts. The firebox is often too large or irregularly shaped, and the original flue tiles are uneven. We regularly install gas inserts into repurposed coal fireplaces, using a properly sized liner and a sealed connection at the smoke chamber. Without that, you get smoke backup and draft problems.
What the Liner Situation Looks Like
In an attached row house, the chimney may carry three or more separate flues from different appliances. Installing an insert means identifying the correct flue, checking its condition with a camera, and lining it to match the insert’s output. A DuraFlex stainless liner is our standard for gas inserts because it handles the temperature range well and installs cleanly in tight masonry. If the original clay tiles are cracked, the new liner becomes the working flue, which is exactly what you want.
Gas Fireplace Installation in Bensonhurst
Gas Fireplace Installation in Bensonhurst typically runs $2,800 to $6,500 for a direct-vent unit installed into an existing masonry firebox. That’s what homeowners in this neighborhood should expect, based on the work we’ve done throughout south Brooklyn. The job starts with confirming the firebox and flue can handle the unit. In older row houses, that often means relining the flue at the same time, because the original clay liner from the 1940s or 1950s wasn’t built for modern gas appliance temperatures. A properly installed gas fireplace gives you heat without wood, ash, or the annual mess.
Oil-to-Gas Conversions and Their Aftermath
We repaired a fireplace on 80th Street near 18th Avenue where the homeowner had converted from oil to gas years earlier. The original clay flue liner was cracked, and the firebox showed deep spalling from decades of freeze-thaw cycles. Our crew relined the flue with a DuraFlex stainless liner, rebuilt the smoke chamber, and installed a new damper and chimney cap. That restored the draft and prevented exhaust from pushing into the adjoining attached unit through the shared masonry. This is a common pattern in Bensonhurst: the conversion happened, but nobody ever went back to check whether the old flue could actually handle the new appliance.
Direct-Vent vs. Traditional Venting
Most gas fireplace installations we do in Bensonhurst are direct-vent units. They pull combustion air from outside and vent exhaust through a coaxial pipe, which means they don’t depend on the existing chimney’s draft. For an attached row house, that’s a big advantage. You’re not fighting the quirks of a century-old flue. If a homeowner wants to preserve the existing chimney for decorative purposes, we can still run a liner and vent the gas unit through it, but we’ll be clear about the cost difference before work begins.
Trusted Brands We Service in Bensonhurst
We work on and install equipment from the brands Bensonhurst homeowners already know: DuraFlex, HeatShield, Gelco, and Olympia Chimney. We stock common parts locally so a repair on a Monday doesn’t wait for a shipment to arrive from out of state. Whether it’s a HeatShield resurfacing treatment for a deteriorating clay flue, a Gelco cap, or a DuraFlex liner for a gas conversion, we use materials built for chimney-trade conditions, not generic hardware store substitutes. When you call for fireplace repair in Bensonhurst, the parts go in your fireplace because they’re the right ones, not because they were sitting in a van.
See the difference
Before
After
Before
After
Before
AfterCommon Fireplace Repair Problems We See in Bensonhurst Homes
- Cracked clay flue liners on attached row houses. Decades of oil-to-gas conversions raised flue temperatures unevenly, and the original clay tiles cracked under the stress. Exhaust then migrates through party walls into the neighboring home, which is a carbon monoxide risk nobody should ignore.
- Repurposed coal chutes serving as boiler exhausts. These develop creosote buildup and third-degree tar glaze faster than proper liners because they lack the right draft. Smoke backs up into fireplaces on lower floors, and the tar becomes a fire hazard.
- Narrow side alleys limiting access. Many Bensonhurst alleys are under 30 inches wide, which means a rear flue can’t be reached with standard gear. Technicians have to work from the roof or through the interior firebox opening. Inexperienced crews often leave these rear flue repairs incomplete or improperly sealed.
- Coastal freeze-thaw damage to brick and mortar. Humid summers and freezing winters cause mortar spalling and brick cracking, and salty marine air accelerates exterior flue deterioration. An annual inspection is not optional for these homes.
Pricing for Fireplace Repair in Bensonhurst, NY
Most chimney sweeps in Bensonhurst run between $180 and $300, and a standard fireplace inspection with a camera is $150 to $350. Here’s what typical repairs cost in this market:
- Damper replacement: $225 to $450
- Pilot light repair: $125 to $300
- Firebox repair (minor repointing): $350 to $800
- Firebox rebuild (major spalling): $900 to $2,400
- Flue liner replacement (per flue): $900 to $2,800
- Fireplace insert installation: $3,200 to $7,800
- Gas fireplace installation: $2,800 to $6,500
What affects the price most is whether the repair touches a party wall. A firebox on a shared wall costs more because the work has to be contained and verified so it doesn’t affect the neighbor’s flue. Every estimate is written before work starts, and the guarantee is included at no extra charge. Call (315) 644-2982 for a free estimate.
We Also Serve Cities Near Bensonhurst
We serve Bensonhurst and the surrounding neighborhoods, including New York, East New York, Manhattan, and Midtown Manhattan. If you’re outside Bensonhurst proper but still within the metro area, call us. Our Fireplace Repair team is available 24/7 with a live person answering the phone, not a voicemail loop.
Serving Bensonhurst, NY - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Bensonhurst area and know this community well. Use the map below to see our service coverage - if you’re nearby, we can almost certainly help.
FAQs About Fireplace Repair in Bensonhurst
You usually notice the signs before you see the crack. Smoke starting to back up into the room on windy days, a musty or sooty smell near the fireplace even when it’s not in use, or visible flaking of clay tile pieces at the bottom of the firebox are all indicators. The only way to know for certain is a camera inspection, which we include with every repair estimate in Bensonhurst. Call (315) 644-2982 and we’ll schedule one.
Yes. It requires knowing what’s inside the masonry before touching anything, which is why we camera-scan both the working flue and the adjacent one before a party-wall repair begins. We seal the work area and verify draft on both sides after the repair. This is standard practice for us in Bensonhurst’s attached row houses, not a special request.
Cold, damp marine air settles heavier than the warm indoor air, and in a house with tight windows and an older chimney, the pressure difference pulls outside air down the flue. Bensonhurst’s coastal location means the chimney exterior stays cold, which weakens the draft even further. A properly sized liner and a top-sealing damper usually fix it. We can assess that in one visit.
Yes, and we do it regularly. The original coal firebox is usually larger and the flue tiles are older, so the job requires a new liner sized for the gas insert and a sealed smoke chamber connection. A DuraFlex stainless liner is our standard for these installations. Don’t skip the liner. Without one, exhaust finds its own path, and in an attached Bensonhurst house, that path can lead into a neighbor’s living space.
Once a year. Even if only one flue is active, the others still deteriorate from freeze-thaw cycles, marine air, and decades of old coal soot. Cracks in an unused flue can still let moisture into the masonry and affect the active flue next to it. In Bensonhurst, with party walls and coastal conditions, an annual camera inspection is the minimum. It costs less than a repair, and the report gives you the evidence to decide what actually needs work now and what can wait.
Written by Nathan Corliss, Owner at Ashby Chimney New York, serving Bensonhurst since 2002.