Most New Chicago homes pair an older masonry fireplace with a newer gas insert, or burn wood in a flue lined with clay tile that has seen decades of heat. Our techs service both — creosote, cracked liners, tired igniters — and test-fire before we leave.
Your information is kept private and used only for your fireplace service request.
From fall inspections before the first fire to midwinter repairs when a pilot gives out, these are the six fireplace services New Chicago homeowners book with us.
Repair
Fireplace Repair
Any fireplace, any failure — diagnosed first, then fixed with the right parts. In New Chicago that usually means a worn thermocouple found in deep cold, cracked clay tile, or mortar that freeze and thaw worked loose.
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Repair
Gas Fireplace Repair
Our specialty — and a common fireplace in New Chicago homes, where many wood fireboxes have been converted to gas. Pilot that won't stay lit, dead remote, weak or lazy flame: gas systems diagnosed safely and repaired to code.
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Cleaning & Care
Fireplace Cleaning
Soot, dust and that stale closed-up smell removed from the firebox, glass and burner — the deep clean for a gas unit that sat shut through a humid summer and smells stale when opened.
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Cleaning & Care
Fireplace Inspection
Firebox, flue, venting and controls checked end to end, with a plain-language report. Buying, selling, or just moved into an older New Chicago home? The inspection is where the facts come from.
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Install & Replace
Fireplace Installation
A new gas fireplace or an outdoor fire feature, done right: sizing, venting, gas and electric runs, finishing — one crew, start to first fire. Older homes across Lake County are where most of our insert conversions land.
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Cleaning & Care
Fireplace Service & Maintenance
The annual service that keeps a New Chicago gas fireplace lighting first try: full clean, burner and pilot service, safety sensors tested, and a test fire before we leave. Built for New Chicago's pattern: a long working season from October to April, then idle humid months.
Get a free estimateNeed something else — a damper, a blower, a smoke problem, a bird in the flue? We cover all 27 fireplace specialties. Call (888) 257-9181 and describe it.
A fireplace in New Chicago works from October to April, then sits idle through humid summer months. Freeze and thaw, wood smoke and deep cold do the damage here. This is what we actually find, and what we check on every visit.
Water gets into a chimney crown, a mortar joint or a hairline crack, then freezes, expands, and pries the masonry wider. Repeat that cycle all winter in New Chicago and bricks start to spall, crowns split, and mortar crumbles. We check the crown, joints and flashing on every inspection and point out damage early.
Homes in the lake-effect belts — downwind of the Great Lakes in Michigan, Wisconsin, and northern Illinois and Indiana — can get heavy snow while towns an hour away stay clear. Snow buries caps, adds freeze load to masonry, and melts down open flues in a thaw. A sound, screened cap matters more here.
The coldest nights are when a gas fireplace in Indiana is needed most — and when a weak thermocouple, a tired thermopile, or a pilot orifice narrowed by dust finally gives out. The pilot lights, holds for a minute, then drops. We test each part in order and replace only the one that failed.
On a bitter morning, a chimney full of cold, heavy air can push down instead of drawing up, so the first fire in a New Chicago home spills smoke into the room until the flue warms. A blocked cap, a cracked liner, or a house sealed tight for winter makes it worse. We diagnose the cause in order.
New Chicago sits in Lake County, and the ZIP list at the bottom of this page covers 1 serviceable ZIP codes — 46342 through 46342. The closest served neighbors are Hobart, Lake Station, Ogden Dunes, and every one of them is covered by the same crews, the same day, under the same number: (888) 257-9181.
Same-day service, free estimates, licensed & insured — and a fireplace that lights when you click the remote.
Deep cold is when the fireplace works hardest and when a marginal part finally fails. A thermocouple worn thin, a thermopile putting out too little voltage, or a pilot orifice narrowed by dust can all hold through a mild week and drop out in a cold snap. We test each part in order and replace only what failed.
Water soaks into a crown, a mortar joint or porous brick, then freezes and expands, prying the opening wider each time. Over a few Midwest winters that cycle spalls brick faces, splits crowns, and crumbles mortar joints, and the gaps let more water in. Catching it early is a repair; ignoring it becomes a rebuild.
Idle months are the usual cause. Dust settles in the pilot orifice, insects reach the burner ports, and a thermocouple that was already tired gives up while the unit sits through humid summer weather. Most fall no-light calls are one small part or a thorough service — cleaning, pilot and burner checks, and a test fire before we leave.
Yes — that conversion is one of the most common jobs in New Chicago, where many homes have a sound masonry firebox and are tired of hauling wood. A sealed gas insert uses the existing chimney as its chase, lights by remote, and ends creosote worries for that fireplace. Start with a free estimate and we will measure the firebox.
Be careful. In the lake-effect belts a heavy snowfall can bury a cap or block a vent termination, and a fireplace that cannot vent properly can spill exhaust into the room. If the cap is buried or the fireplace burns oddly after a big snow, leave it off until the cap and vent are checked and cleared.
No — and be wary of anyone who does. Every fireplace fails differently, so a phone price is a guess that changes at your door. Our estimates are free: a tech looks at the actual problem, then gives you one clear price before any work starts.
Fireplace Team is a national company with local technicians serving New Chicago street addresses across the ZIP codes below — same-day service and free estimates, every day 8 AM – 8 PM. More of Indiana is covered from our Indiana page. The New Chicago list below covers 1 ZIP codes, 46342 through 46342.
Don't see your ZIP? New Chicago also uses P.O. Box and single-organization ZIP codes that have no street addresses — call (888) 257-9181 and we will confirm coverage for your street address on the call.
Also serving nearby: Hobart, IN · Lake Station, IN · Ogden Dunes, IN · Portage, IN · Gary, IN · Merrillville, IN.
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