Ace Chimney Service covers everything a chimney, fireplace, and venting system needs — sweeping, inspection, masonry repair, relining, caps and crowns, gas appliance service, dryer vents, and ductwork. Based in Crystal Lake, open 7am to 7pm, seven days a week.
Our services
Chimney Sweeping
Removal of soot and creosote from wood-burning fireplaces, inserts, and stoves, with the fireplace sealed and a HEPA vacuum running throughout. Includes a Level 1 inspection.
Chimney Inspection
Level 1 and Level 2 inspections with written documentation. Level 2 includes a video scan of the flue and is what a property sale normally requires.
Chimney Repair & Masonry
Tuckpointing, brick replacement, partial rebuilds, flashing, and waterproofing — the repairs that follow years of freeze-thaw damage on exposed masonry.
Chimney Relining
Stainless steel liners sized to the appliance, for cracked clay tile flues and for chimneys serving modern high-efficiency equipment.
Chimney Caps & Crowns
Stainless caps, recast and sealed crowns, chase covers, and top-sealing dampers. The cheapest protection a chimney has, and the most commonly neglected.
Gas Fireplace Service
Annual tune-ups for gas fireplaces, inserts, and log sets: burner and pilot cleaning, safety control testing, venting checks, and glass service.
Dryer Vent Cleaning
Full-length rotary cleaning of the dryer exhaust duct. Lint buildup is the leading cause of clothes dryer fires and one of the simplest risks to remove.
Air Duct Cleaning
Source-removal cleaning of heating and cooling ductwork — done when there is an actual reason for it, such as mould, vermin, heavy debris, or a recent renovation.
How we work
Three things shape how we run jobs, and they are worth stating because they are what people tell us is different.
You see the evidence. Recommendations come with photographs. If we say a crown is cracked or a liner has failed, you get to look at it rather than take our word for it.
Pricing is published. Every service has its price listed on the pricing page, before anyone comes out. You will not find out what the job costs only once a technician is in your living room.
We will tell you when you do not need work. The clearest example is air duct cleaning, where the EPA does not recommend routine cleaning and we say so on the page itself rather than sell against it.
Where we work
We are based at 230 W Virginia St in Crystal Lake and serve roughly a ten-mile radius across McHenry County, including Lake in the Hills, Algonquin, Cary, Fox River Grove, McHenry, Woodstock, Huntley, Lakewood, and Island Lake.
Call (815) 320-0883, or request an appointment online. If you would rather work on something yourself first, our DIY chimney care guide covers what a homeowner can sensibly do and where the line is.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which service do I need if I just want the fireplace ready for winter?
A sweep with a Level 1 inspection. That cleans the flue and establishes whether anything needs repair before you start burning.
Do you handle both wood and gas appliances?
Yes. Wood-burning fireplaces, inserts, and stoves, plus gas fireplaces, gas inserts, and gas log sets.
Can several services be done in one visit?
Usually. A sweep and a dryer vent cleaning on the same trip is a common combination. Masonry repair is normally scheduled separately because it takes longer and depends on weather.
Do you charge to come out and look?
We quote before any work begins, and pricing for every service is published openly on our pricing page rather than kept back until a technician is standing in your living room.
How far do you travel from Crystal Lake?
We cover roughly a ten-mile radius, which takes in Lake in the Hills, Algonquin, Cary, Fox River Grove, McHenry, Woodstock, Huntley, Lakewood and the towns between.
Are you available at weekends?
Yes. We work 7am to 7pm, seven days a week, including weekends.
What is the best time of year to book?
Late spring through early autumn. Schedules across McHenry County tighten sharply from October onward, and repairs discovered in December can leave a fireplace unusable for weeks.
How do I know which repair I actually need?
You should not have to guess. Every recommendation we make comes with photographs of what we found and an explanation of what it means, so you can judge for yourself.
Published: July 24, 2026