Chimney Services in Springfield (Union County), NJ

What the numbers suggest for chimneys in Springfield

Census estimates show about 22% of Springfield's 7,277 housing units in buildings with five or more units, 9% in two- to four-unit buildings and 7% in single-family attached homes such as townhouses. Together that is more than a third of the township's housing. In those buildings, a fireplace inside one unit may vent through a chimney or chase that is part of the shared structure.

About 36% of units were built from 1940 to 1959 and 16% in 2000 or later. Newer multi-unit buildings and townhouses often use factory-built fireplaces in framed chases, while the older housing is more likely to have masonry chimneys.

Gas heats about 86% of occupied homes and electricity about 10%. These are township-wide estimates and do not describe any particular building.

Sorting out responsibility in a shared building

Associations divide chimney responsibility in different ways, and the governing documents decide it. One possible split leaves parts inside the unit, such as the firebox, doors and gas logs, to the owner, and assigns the chimney, chase, cap and chase cover on the roof to the association. Other documents do the reverse, or treat a flue as the owner's because only one unit uses it.

1. Read the master deed and bylawsSearch for the words chimney, fireplace, flue, chase and limited common element. A limited common element is a shared part assigned to one unit, and fireplaces and flues are sometimes classed that way.
2. Ask the manager before bookingSome associations schedule sweeping and inspection for the whole building, and some require approval for any work on the roof or exterior.
3. Get findings with photosIf an inspection finds a problem in a part the association owns, photos make the request to the board easier to act on. We provide findings with photos before any repair is scheduled.
4. Keep the reportA copy helps at resale and when a neighbor's project touches the same chimney. It also gives the next board or manager a record of what was found, what was fixed and which parts were left for later.

Problems that cross unit lines

Some chimney problems involve more than one unit. Smoke or a fireplace smell entering your unit when you are not burning may involve a neighbor's appliance or a shared chase, which calls for an inspection rather than guesswork. Water stains near a chase in a top-floor unit may start at a chase cover on the roof. In each case, tell the association and the neighbors involved as well as having it checked, since the fix may sit outside your unit. If a carbon monoxide alarm sounds, leave the unit and call 911 from outside.

Gas fireplaces in townhouses and condos

Some units have direct-vent gas fireplaces, which take combustion air from outside and vent through a sealed pipe in the wall or chase. They still need periodic service: the glass gasket, burner, logs and outside vent termination wear, and the termination can be blocked by nests or debris. Gas fireplace service covers that work. We connect gas appliances to an existing gas line only and do not run new lines. Check your unit's manual for the service interval its maker recommends.

Local questions

Sources

1. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates (tables B25034, B25040, B25024), via Census Reporter