Level 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.
Before
After
Before
After
Before
AfterFamco Chimney Liner & Rebuild in Brentwood: What to Know First
We provide independent Famco chimney liner and rebuild work throughout Brentwood, NY and the surrounding communities. Most liner jobs run one full day from setup to cleanup; a partial rebuild usually takes two, and a full rebuild can run three to five depending on how much of the original masonry is worth saving. Pricing is honest and delivered upfront before a single tool comes off the truck. If you own a Famco liner, fireplace, or stove system and something isn’t venting or holding up the way it should, call (934) 935-3847 and we’ll walk through it with you.
This page is for Brentwood homeowners who have a Famco product in the house and need straight answers about liner repair, liner replacement, or rebuild work. It’s written for people who want to know what’s actually wrong before they commit to a fix.
How Famco Products Fail - and How We Fix Them
Famco makes a lot of products, and we’ve worked on most of them in Brentwood basements and fireplaces over the years. Here’s what we actually see fail, and what we do about it.
- Famco flexible stainless liners developing pinholes near the top connection. This is the most common failure we find in Brentwood, especially on liners that are 12 to 16 years old. The issue is often the termination cap clamp pulling against the liner as it expands and contracts with Long Island’s freeze-thaw cycles. We see it on older 316-grade liners more than the 316Ti alloy. The fix is generally a liner replacement with a properly sized top plate and a clamp that allows for thermal movement, not one that fights against it.
- Famco rigid chimney pipe joints separating inside masonry chimneys. When Famco rigid liner sections are packed into an older Brentwood flue, especially the older twist-lock designs, the joints can work loose over time as the house settles through cold winters and humid summers. That lets flue gas leak into the chimney chase instead of venting outside. We pull the liner, inspect each section, and replace the run with either fresh Famco sections or a quality aftermarket equivalent, depending on what the chimney dimensions actually call for.
- Famco draft hoods on older furnaces corroding through. On every heating system inspection, we check the draft hood. Famco hoods from the late 90s and early 2000s used thinner galvanized metal, and after two decades of Brentwood humidity they can rust through, letting carbon monoxide into the basement. That’s not a liner problem by itself, but when the hood is gone, we always inspect the connected liner for heat damage before signing off. This is a safety issue, full stop, and it’s one reason we never skip the inspection step.
- Installation errors on Famco stove connectors causing early liner failure. We regularly find Famco pellet and wood stove connectors that were never clearanced properly against combustibles. The connector overheats, the stainless fatigues, and the liner cracks at the bend. The fix is a full replacement with the correct clearances and a proper support bracket, not a patch job. When we see this in Brentwood, the previous work is usually from a handyman job or a homeowner install, and the family had no idea until the wood started smelling or the CO alarm started talking.
- Famco anchor plates and rain caps loosening in high wind. Some Famco anchor plates rely on a friction fit at the flue opening. On south-facing Brentwood chimneys that catch ocean wind across the bay, those can loosen and let rain into the flue. That rain mixes with creosote and eats at the liner from the inside. Our fix is a new anchor plate with a mechanical lockdown, plus a properly secured cap. It’s a two-hour job when caught early, and a full liner replacement when it isn’t.
Our Famco Chimney Liner & Rebuild Process
Here’s how a typical Famco liner or rebuild job goes with us, from the first call to the final walkthrough.
- 1
You call (934) 935-3847. A live person answers. We ask about your chimney, your Famco setup, what you’re seeing, and when you first noticed it. You get a real arrival window, not a four-hour gap.
- 2
Inspection and plain-English diagnosis. Wendell or one of the crew shows up in uniform. We run a camera through the liner, look at the cap, the crown, the flashing, and the firebox. You see the footage. We tell you what’s actually wrong and what’s not wrong, which matters when you’ve been quoted for work that doesn’t need doing.
- 3
Parts decision. For Famco work, we source OEM parts when they’re still available and the right choice. For older Famco lines that are discontinued, we use quality aftermarket equivalents from brands we trust and install constantly, like DuraFlex, HeatShield, and Gelco. You’ll know which parts we’re using and why before anything gets ordered.
- 4
The liner or rebuild work. For liner jobs, we remove the old liner, prep the flue, and install the new liner with the right insulation and termination. For rebuilds, we tear down only what needs to come down, and we save the masonry worth saving. In Brentwood, that’s an honest conversation; not every chimney needs a full rebuild because the cap cracked.
- 5
Testing. Once the work is done, we do a draft test and a smoke test, and we inspect the full system again with the camera. You see the results before we pack up. No exceptions.
- 6
The 90-Day Done Right Promise. Every Famco job gets our promise in writing. If the work isn’t right, one call brings us back, and we make it right at no additional cost. That’s not a line; it’s stamped on the invoice.
What Famco Chimney Liner & Rebuild Costs in Brentwood
Here are real numbers for the Famco work we do in Brentwood, based on the jobs we’ve completed in the area. These aren’t quotes, but they’ll give you a clear idea of the range.
Famco liner replacement (flexible stainless, 25 to 35 feet): $1,600-$2,800 depending on length, flue access, and whether we need to remove an existing cap and crown for the install.
Famco rigid liner section replacement (short run, accessible flue): $500-$1,100 for the sections, fittings, and labor.
Partial rebuild (top 2 to 4 feet of masonry, crown, and cap): $1,200-$2,900 depending on brick match complexity and chimney height.
Full chimney rebuild (full daylight, from roofline up): $4,000-$9,000 in Brentwood, depending on flue count, brick type, and whether the original foundation course is intact.
What moves the price: the liner length, the flue dimensions, whether the chimney is accessible from a roof or requires staging, and whether the existing cap or crown is reusable. We give you a fixed number before work starts. Call (934) 935-3847 for an exact quote; estimates are free, and we’ll tell you if the job can wait.
Why Brentwood Homeowners Call Top Hat Chimney for Famco Work
Top Hat Chimney has been in the same communities for over 29 years. We’re not a franchise that rotated in last spring. Wendell Pike puts his name on the work, and he runs into you again on Saturday. Every Famco job carries the 90-Day Done Right Promise in writing. Calls are answered by a live person, 24/7, and it may well be Wendell picking up. We work with Famco products as an independent Famco service provider, and we also install and service DuraFlex, HeatShield, and Gelco, so if your chimney needs something besides Famco, we’ll tell you straight, not try to fit a square peg into a round flue.
Ask anyone on your street. The camera footage and a plain-English verdict come every time. No hassles, no switch at the door. The number you hear on the phone is the number on the invoice.
FAQs
No. We are an independent Famco service provider, not an authorized dealer or warranty station. What that means in practice is we have no incentive to push a particular brand or upsell you into parts you don’t need. We install and service Famco products because they work, and because many Brentwood homes already have them. If a warranty claim is still valid with Famco, we’ll help you understand the claim process and can advise on whether it’s worth pursuing. Call (934) 935-3847 and we’ll walk you through it.
We use OEM Famco parts when they’re still manufactured and when they’re the best match for the existing system. For older Famco lines that are discontinued or when the OEM part itself was the weak point, we install quality aftermarket equivalents and name them on the invoice. In Brentwood, we keep good stock from DuraFlex, HeatShield, and Gelco for exactly those situations.
Most Famco liners we see in Brentwood that are failing at the connection points can be repaired if the liner body is sound. If the liner has pinholes in the wall, or if joints have separated along the run, we recommend replacement; patching a failed liner is a temporary fix, and you’ll be back on the roof or in the basement within a year or two. We’ll show you the camera footage and give you an honest read. If it needs doing, we’ll do it right. If it doesn’t, I’ll tell you that too. Call (934) 935-3847 for a free inspection.
A typical Famco liner replacement in Brentwood takes one full day, from removal of the old liner to the final draft test. A partial rebuild is usually two days. A full rebuild from the roofline up runs three to five working days, weather permitting. We schedule a real window and call you if anything slips.
Yes. We take $40 off any repair over $200, always offer 10% off for seniors and veterans, and we provide free second opinions on any written estimate from another chimney company. There’s no trip charge for calls inside our service county. Call (934) 935-3847 and we’ll work it out at the door before anything starts.
Contact Top Hat Chimney in Brentwood
If you’ve got a Famco chimney liner giving you trouble, or you’re wondering whether the rebuild quote you got from someone else is honest, call Top Hat Chimney at (934) 935-3847. We’ll answer, we’ll look, and we’ll tell you the truth about what the chimney actually needs. Estimates are free. Wendell and his crew have been cleaning, fixing, and rebuilding chimneys in Brentwood since 1999. We’d rather keep a chimney working for twenty more years than sell you something you don’t need.
Written by Wendell Pike, Owner, Top Hat Chimney, serving Brentwood and nearby areas.