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MFC is a one-person chimney sweeping company. Thank you for both your patience and understanding in waiting for a response when using the messaging feature towards the bottom of the page, as I'm usually unable to reply or return phone calls until the end of the day. Being a one-man shop, Mt Freedom Chimney specializes and focuses on service and maintenance, but seldom takes repair requests.
MFC is not available for hire or subcontracting by realtors, general contractors, or other commercial entities, and is only available to the private homeowner. MFC is not a licensed plumber, and will not perform work on gas applications; does not perform work on commercial property, and does not perform work on food-grade applications or appliances (pizza ovens).
LOCAL SERVICE AREA
Generally, the best time of year for chimney servicing is during the off-season, from April through August. Beat the holiday rush by not waiting until that first chilly night in September to schedule an appointment.
EXTENDED SERVICE AREA
Prices and wait time are subject to increase, especially with greater distances travelled. From the fall through out the holidays, seasonal demand spikes and out-of-county availability is rescinded while Morris County appointments are prioritized.
NON-SERVICE AREA
Scheduling and service opportunities are not offered, as the time/travel distance is too great, and that I am only a one-man shop.
The MFC office is closed to the general public, and visitation is not permitted. I'm a one-person company, and I operate out of my home-office for the time being. This is where I live, not where I conduct business. As much as I appreciate your enthusiasm for fire safety, business takes place at your house. Mailbox and front door drop-offs are also not permitted. All inbound mail must be post-marked, otherwise it will be discarded (or mailed back if there is a return address).
Household pets must be separated and secured from the work space (the area from your front door to your chimney) to prevent from wandering on to my sooty tarps, and to prevent escape.
If your dog displays what is perceived as threatening behavior, and if a home owner fails to adequately compartmentalize their aggressive dog from the work area, I will leave your house, but not before remitting an invoice with a service charge.
These guidelines aren't intended to inconvenience clients, but are to keep both of our interests secure. I don't want to get bitten again, and you don't want your pet to get chemical burns from soot on their paws.
MFC is a one-person company, primarily focused on service and maintenance. Large repair projects, stove installations, and inspections for the purpose of the sale of home and property are not taken on. MFC is not a licensed plumber, and does not perform gas work (i.e. conversions, diagnostics, or repairs for gas fireplace appliances or home-heating systems). If you feel your chimney requires extensive care, it's best to consult with a larger, repair-based company. I do not receive a finders fee for the referrals listed below, and you do not have to mention me by name.
CHIMNEY REPAIR REFERRALS
Ryan & Son Chimney
(Landing, NJ) 973-398-3978
Hearth & Home
(Ledgewood, NJ) 973-252-0190
Luna Chimney Sweeps
(Blairstown, NJ) 973-300-5862
Country Chimney
(Sparta, NJ) 973-729-0577
Certified Chimney Service
(Denville, NJ) 973-361-1783
Allen Chimneys LLC
(Cedar Grove, NJ) 888-998-0006
OTHER REFERRALS
Cornerstone Plumbing & Heating
lic'ed plumber & HVAC
(Randolph, NJ) 973-879-2180
T. Daniel Specialty Heating
lic'ed plumber & HVAC
(Landing, NJ) 973-927-5742
NJ Pest Control
lic'ed pest services
(Randolph, NJ) 973-895-2106
Jim Burke
lic'ed electrician
(Budd Lake, NJ) 908-979-0407
Servpro
lic'ed disaster clean-up
(Randolph, NJ) 973-620-8029.
All appointments require a retainer, and is credited to the cost of the appointment.
Retainers are to be submitted by no later than 6pm the day after a time/date has been assigned. After this deadline, the appointment time/date will be assigned to the next caller. Retainers are fully refunded for cancelations, so long as the MFC office is notified no later than 8am the day prior to an appointment.
All chimney sweeping appointments include a level-1 inspection, performed in accordance with NFPA-211 standards, and cross-referenced against the current edition of IRC building code. Wood-burning applications cannot be used within 48 hours prior to an appointment to allow for adequate cool-off time. Chimney sweeping is performed on a per-flue basis, not per chimney, as one chimney may house multiple flues for multiple appliances. Seasonal restrictions apply.
Masonry, gen-2 and 3 heat-form, and "pre-fab" fireplaces. Chimney sweeping takes approximately one to two hours. Ashpit clean-out services are not included or provided. Servicing can be performed year-round, as roof access isn't required. For electric "fireplaces," contact a licensed electrician.
Wood only, no pellet or coal applications. These are stove appliances that have been installed in a masonry fireplace. IRC and NFPA require inserts to be connected to a stainless and insulated chimney liner, which runs the entire height. Installations absent of a lining system and inserts installed in a pre-fab fireplace are not permitted, will not be serviced, and will be labeled as unsuitable for continued use. Servicing can be performed year-round, as roof access isn't required.
Wood only, no pellet or coal applications. "Legged" stoves are not intended for installation inside of a fireplace, and will not be serviced in the absence of a lining system. Servicing cannot be performed year-round, as roof access is required (most times). If the stove connects to a class-A chimney, to which there is a removeable tee cap on the exterior of the house, servicing can be performed year-round.
Open-faced gas log appliances usually require one last sweep prior to being converted from wood. Pilot lights must be shut off for at least two hours prior to arrival. Servicing the gas logs appliance or if a sealed gas insert, and correcting malfunctioning pilot lights and non-fire errors require a licensed plumber, to which MFC is not.
Oil, natural gas, and propane applications; service availability is dependent on the time of year, as roof access is required most times. Gas seldom requires sweeping, unless it was previously an oil application. For emergencies, contact a licensed HVAC/plumbing specialist to diagnose the appliance(s) first, and it is still recommended to contact a larger, repair-based chimney company for service.
The service charge is on a per-bucket basis. Ash removal on the floor and hearth is user-level maintenance, and stoves and inserts are expected to be mostly cleaned of excessive ash. For fireplaces, most have ashpits, and ash will be pushed into it by the technician. Ash pit cleaning is included with chimney sweeping, nor is it offered as a service.
Level-2 camera inspections for the sale of home and property is a not a provided service.
If your chimney isn't dirty enough to merit sweeping, services will be retracted. A level-1 inspection, performed in accordance with NFPA-211 standards, and cross-referenced against the current edition of IRC building code will be conducted for safety and operation. Most wood-burning applications can consume at least one half to one full cord of firewood before servicing is required.
When converting from oil to gas for home-heating, replacing a home-heating appliance, direct-venting an appliance while another still vents into the chimney, or converting a fireplace from wood to gas, your building department will attach this certificate to the permit application (plumbing or mechanical). If the house was built prior to 2004, and if the chimney is of masonry construction, the flue will require chimney liner installation (which requires its own separate permit).
Dryer vent cleaning services are performed in tandem with the fireplace chimney inspection. Additional service and inspection forms will be supplied with the standard invoice, which can be forwarded to the HOA by the client.
Dryer vent cleaning services are performed in tandem with the fireplace chimney inspection and sweeping. If dryer vent services aren't required, price is reduced. Additional service and inspection forms will be supplied with the standard invoice, which can be forwarded to the HOA by the client.
Excluding dryer vents located on the 1st floor, these services are not performed during winter.
For single-family homes, the dryer appliance must be functional, and connected to a duct which terminates outdoors. Ducts venting indoors into garages, basements, and attics will not be serviced.
All caps are comprised of UL-listed stainless steel, and are guaranteed for life against rust and corrosion, regardless of fuel type. Caps are not an in-stock item, as they usually require custom-fabrication. A preliminary eval appt is required for sizing and difficulty of installation.
Top-sealing damper "cap" which takes the place of the original damper located in the throat, above the fireplace opening, and a braided steel cable is lowered into the fireplace, and bracketed into either the left or right side wall for actuation. Aftermarket dampers are not an in-stock item, and a preliminary eval appt is required for sizing and difficulty of installation.
With request to reschedule: a second retainer will be required to hold the rescheduled appointment, and to serve as a penalty. The first retainer will still be credited towards the service charge.
No reply upon arrival: the $29 retainer will be credited towards the service charge, and the remaining $79 will be charged to the credit card on file for making me block out a two hour portion of my day. Both the client and property will be added to the "services not rendered" list.
Pricing information shows the listed minimums, and is subject to change. Free estimates and evaluations are not offered.
Accepted methods of payment are: Check, Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, Venmo, Zelle and exact-change cash. All credit card transactions are charged an additional 4.00% processing fee; 1.50% processing fee for all Venmo transactions; there is no processing fee for Zelle transactions. Cash discounts are NOT offered.
NJ LR: 2011-1-SUT prohibits NJ state SALES TAX collection on all forms of chimney maintenance and repair work.
Payment is due upon completion at the conclusion of the appointment. Payments not received are subject to the imposition of 10% interest late penalty, and discounts are nullified. Interest penalties will be added in 30-day increments until the outstanding balance is paid in full, with the first penalty being imposed the day of the appointment. Payments not received after 90 days are subject to being forwarded to a collection agency.
Payments not received whereas the balance is over $1,000.00; accounts are subject to having a “Notice of Unpaid Balance and Right to File Lien” submitted to the county courthouse, and after the processions of an arbitration hearing, a lien may be placed on the property, prohibiting sale.
Returned check fee is $20.00; non-payment as a result of a returned check will yield a retroactive late penalty.
OFF-SEASON
Tuesday to Friday
1st - Late Morning
2nd - Midday
3rd - Early Afternoon
4th - Afternoon*
SWEEP SEASON
Tuesday to Saturday
1st - 8am or 9am Arrival
2nd - Late Morning
3rd -Late Morning to Early Afternoon
4th - Afternoon
5th - Late Afternoon*
6th - Evening*
*Appointment slots are open for scheduling depending on seasonal demand and daylight considerations.
Travel Distances: 1st appt slot is reserved for client locations immediately local to the office.
Notice: Half hour notice is supplied the day of the appointment, and appointment duration can range from 30 minutes to over two hours. Arrival time for afternoon appointments can wildly vary, and clients are expected to make themselves available from 12pm to 6pm for projected arrival.
Saturdays & Sundays: Held open in reserve for weather-related cancelations to reduce lengthy wait times for scheduled clients who have already waited, but only during the "sweep season" Sept thru Dec, when wait time is four weeks or longer.
Mondays: Office / admin day. Appointments aren't scheduled.
Office Hours
Weekdays ... 8am - 6pm
Weekends ... 10am to 2pm
For a faster email reply while I'm on the road during daytime hours, you can send an appointment request below as opposed to calling my office. You are strongly encouraged to explore the MFC website for additional information.
Appliance type will dictate seasonal feasibility, and the above examples are to help you help me identify what service you require when submitting an appointment request below. Misidentification or failure to identify could result in appointment termination and non-service - to which you will still be charged for, as you're taking an approximate two hour portion from my schedule, and I've already driven to your house.
CHIMNEYS (EXTERIOR)
Required for service requests regarding everything other than fireplace and fireplace insert chimney sweeping (i.e. caps, heating systems, free-standing stoves). Photos must be zoomed-out from ground level to outline roof composition, pitch, height of the chimney above roofline, and ground-level obstructions like shrubbery.
WOOD BURNING (INTERIOR)
Required to identify your appliance type, and to prevent appliance misidentification (ex. factor-prefab fireplace vs fireplace insert). Doors and screens must be open to highlight both fireplace or stove interior firebox, as well as the surrounding area and hearth. Best quality photos are taken approx ten feet away (do not zoom in). Do not have a lit fire for photo submissions.
HOME-HEATING (INTERIOR)
Appliance vent pipe configuration from the wall entry to the appliance connection must be present in photo submissions. Zooming in to highlight only the appliance(s) or only where vent pipes enter the chimney wall provides no useful information.
DRYER VENTS (EXTERIOR)
Similarly for heating systems and stoves, I need to better understand if I can safely access the vent termination for a dryer appliance on the 2nd floor. Roof access is dependent on the weather and the time of year. Roof-borne services are typically rescinded through out the winter months.
Homeowners are NOT being asked to access their own roofs.
Both NFPA-211 regulation and IRC R1003.12 building code require this application to have a stainless, insulated chimney lining system installed throughout the entirety of the chimney height.
Not permitted under NFPA-211 regulation and IRC R1004.1 and R1005.1, as UL-1777 compliance for the lining system isn't achieved and UL-127 is violated according to both the fireplace and liner manufacturers.
Not permitted under NFPA-211 regulation and IRC R1004.1 and R1005.1, as UL-1777 compliance for the lining system isn't achieved and UL-127 is violated according to both the fireplace and liner manufacturers.
The installation of any insert or stove inside a heat-form style fireplace violates UL-1390 and NFPA-211. Correct installation requires the entire steel box assembly to be cut and removed, and high-heat rated fire brick used to reconstruct.
MFC is a one-person chimney sweeping company. Services, scheduling, and customer relations are performed & completed by Adam Rincon, the company owner.