4800 Meadows Rd Suite 346 Lake Oswego OR 97035 – in person inquiry by appointment only
Apartment & Condominium Chimney Cleanings
APARTMENT AND CONDOMINIUM MANAGEMENT CHIMNEY CLEANING
Metro Chimney offers attractive volume discounts on chimney cleaning services for multi-unit dwellings. If you are an Apartment Manager or Property Management Company, get in touch with us for a comprehensive quote on chimney maintenance for your complex. We even offer a demonstration cleaning of our services upon request.
When you choose us, we provide thorough roof inspections to determine which units require cleaning and which ones don’t, unless you prefer a full property-wide cleaning. We can also arrange to service units within a designated block to streamline the process. Please inform us whether your lease stipulates that chimney cleanings are to be paid in a lump sum by you or if the responsibility falls on the individual tenants/condo owners.
Additionally, we conduct a detailed inspection of each unit and provide a comprehensive report on any necessary repairs. For Zero Clearance/Prefabricated fireplace units commonly found in Apartment/Condominium complexes, we exclusively use manufacturer-approved replacement parts (if available*) to ensure that repairs meet United Laboratory tested qualifications for each unit.
Please see either our Standard Fireplace Cleaning page, Free Standing Wood Stove page, and Zero Clearance Fireplace page to determine what system you have in your complexes and to learn more about our process of cleaning them.
Note: We will send you a concise bid via email, providing a comprehensive overview of any issues with each unit’s system and the necessary repairs, if any. We prefer email communication to ensure you have all the detailed information required to make an informed decision.
Most Apartments/Condominiums in Portland are equipped with zero clearance fireplaces as part of their wood-burning system. These systems undergo rigorous testing by United Laboratories for each new model produced by manufacturers. Units that pass U.L. testing and receive clearance for mass production are manufactured with a placard displaying essential details such as Manufacturer, Model Number, Serial Number, and Date of Manufacture. This placard is typically affixed somewhere at the front of the unit and may vary in appearance (silver with black or copper with black) but generally resembles the example picture below.
The unit is tested as one unit (with liner, damper, cap and everything installed as one complete unit that makes up that model number) for safety rating and insurance purposes. If a part has gone bad, it needs to be replaced with the original Manufacturer’s Part (if available) to comply with UL testing and for insurance purposes.
Only if the manufacturer is no longer in existence, or they no longer make the original replacement part can we replace it with an after-market part ON SOME PARTS ONLY – Caps, chase covers, dampers, storm collars and refractory panel (ceramic heat shield panels) in the fireplace IF AVAILABLE. If the liner needs repair or replacing we will refer you to contact a Licensed Wood Stove Installer as The Construction Contractors Board separated Chimney Contractors from performing any liner repair or replacement work back in the 90′s.
Note – IF the liner requires repair or replacement, we will advise you to contact a Licensed Wood Stove Installer. The Construction Contractors Board made the distinction to prevent Chimney Contractors from conducting liner repair or replacement work in the 90s.
Additionally, it’s worth mentioning that locating the original manufacturer may require some effort, as many have undergone changes in ownership or merged with larger heating companies, making them challenging to track down. Depending on the unit’s age, some manufacturers may no longer carry replacement parts for that particular model.
Some manufacturers have ceased operations but transferred their existing replacement parts inventory to other companies, and these parts may only be available based on their warehouse stock. Unfortunately, some manufacturers have gone out of business entirely, leaving no replacement parts accessible. In such cases, only certain components, such as caps, chase covers, and storm collars, may be substituted with aftermarket parts.