Clean Sweep 317

09/02/2026

Most Indianapolis homeowners think about their chimney in the dead of winter: the first cold snap, the first fire, the question of whether it is safe to use. The instinct makes sense, but it creates a problem. By the time you actually want to use the fireplace, the calendar is the worst possible time to discover you need a new liner. Summer is the opposite. The fireplace is cold, the schedule is open, and the conditions for the work are close to ideal. So if a recent inspection flagged a cracked, deteriorated, or missing liner, the warm months are exactly when you want to handle it, not the coldest weekend of the year while the fireplace sits unusable. We explain the reasoning here.

Summer is the best time to reline your chimney in Indianapolis. Learn why the off-season suits stainless steel relining, plus the signs your liner needs work.

07/25/2026

The question that worries homeowners most about an aging chimney: is this damage just cosmetic, or is it structural? It is not always obvious from the ground. As a general guide, surface wear like eroded mortar joints, minor spalling, and staining is routine aging. It should be repaired, but it is not an emergency. The more urgent signs are cracks running continuously through both brick and mortar, a chimney visibly leaning or pulling away from the house, large stair-step cracks, or movement that keeps getting worse. The hard part is that a real structural problem can hide behind what looks like ordinary wear, which is why a professional inspection is worth it even when the damage looks minor. More on telling them apart here.

A homeowner guide to historic masonry and chimney restoration in Indianapolis: IHPC districts and the Certificate of Appropriateness, mortar and brick matching, costs, and available grants and tax credits.

07/21/2026

Restoring a historic home is an investment, and there is a program that can offset part of the cost. The Indiana Residential Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit gives homeowners an income-tax credit worth the lesser of $10,000 or 20 percent of qualified rehabilitation expenses. To qualify, the home generally needs to be in Indiana, at least 50 years old, owned by you, and either individually listed or a contributing building in a listed historic district. One catch worth knowing: the program has a limited annual statewide cap and is allocated first-come, so timing and early application really matter. Eligibility hinges on your home's exact designation, which is worth sorting out early. We cover the available programs here.

A homeowner guide to historic masonry and chimney restoration in Indianapolis: IHPC districts and the Certificate of Appropriateness, mortar and brick matching, costs, and available grants and tax credits.

07/17/2026

Here is the single most damaging mistake in historic masonry repair, and it happens all the time. Older homes were built with soft mortar on purpose. The mortar is meant to be the sacrificial part: it wears and moves so the brick stays sound. When someone repoints a historic chimney with hard modern Portland-based mortar, it traps moisture and stress inside the softer brick, and the brick faces start to spall and crumble. The repair ends up destroying the very thing it was supposed to protect. Matching the original mortar, sometimes with lab analysis of a sample, is the heart of doing this work right. If your old chimney needs pointing, the mortar matters more than the color. We explain why here.

A homeowner guide to historic masonry and chimney restoration in Indianapolis: IHPC districts and the Certificate of Appropriateness, mortar and brick matching, costs, and available grants and tax credits.

07/13/2026

Own an older home in Lockerbie Square, the Old Northside, Herron-Morton, Irvington, or Fountain Square? Here is something that catches homeowners off guard: before you repair exterior masonry, even something as routine as repointing a chimney or rebuilding a crown, you may need a Certificate of Appropriateness from the Indianapolis Historic Preservation Commission. In an IHPC-regulated district, if the work changes the exterior, assume approval is required and confirm before you start. Doing the work first and asking later can mean being ordered to undo it. The tricky part is that a home one block inside the boundary plays by different rules than a near-identical one just outside it. We explain how to check your status and navigate the process here.

A homeowner guide to historic masonry and chimney restoration in Indianapolis: IHPC districts and the Certificate of Appropriateness, mortar and brick matching, costs, and available grants and tax credits.

07/04/2026

Happy 4th of July! 🇺🇸

As our country marks 250 years, we're taking a moment to be thankful. Grateful for this nation and the freedom we get to enjoy. Grateful for the men and women who served and sacrificed to protect it. And grateful for the opportunity to wake up every day and serve our own community right here in central Indiana.

We don't take it for granted. Getting to care for your homes and earn your trust is a privilege, and it's one we owe to every person who came before us and made days like this possible.

To our veterans and those still serving: thank you. To our neighbors and customers: thank you. Happy Independence Day from our family to yours. 🎆

07/03/2026

Gas Fireplace Log Set Replacement — Before & After 🔥

We recently replaced a worn-out gas log set with a fresh one, and the difference was night and day. Same firebox, a whole new fire.

Many homeowners don't realize gas fireplace logs don't last forever. Over time they crack, ash over, and stop looking like real wood.

Clean Sweep 317 services and repairs gas fireplaces across Carmel, Fishers, Noblesville, Zionsville, Westfield, and the greater Indianapolis area, in addition to chimney sweeps and inspections. If your gas fireplace needs a repair or a refresh, we can help.

📞 Call 317-643-1128 to book.

07/02/2026

Meet Nick Anderson - Certified Chimney & Masonry Specialist

Nick is one of the guys keeping Central Indiana chimneys safe. On any given day you'll find him performing Level II and chimney sweep inspections, crawling through attics, climbing onto roofs, flying the drone overhead - whatever it takes to get the full picture before we recommend anything.

And customers notice. From a recent 5-star Google review:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Nick and Daniel did a great job, were very thorough, and we look forward to having them back. Two very nice guys!"

That's the Clean Sweep 317 way - diagnose first, then do it right.

📞 Call 317-643-1128 to book your inspection today.

06/29/2026

Nobody.
Absolutely nobody.
This chimney crown: "what if I let ALL the water in" 💦🧱

Spoiler: it did.

What you are looking at is a failed mortar wash — not a real chimney crown. A mortar wash is a thin layer of mortar slapped over the top of the chimney. It cracks. It lets water in. And then the freeze thaw cycle does the rest.

The result? Spalling brick faces popping off and cracks running down the side of the chimney. Every winter that goes untreated it gets worse — and more expensive.

Finding brick on the ground near your chimney is your sign. Do not ignore it. 📞

A real chimney crown is poured concrete — properly formed, sloped to shed water, and sealed at the flue tile joint. That is what we install. That is what lasts.

📞 Call or text 317-643-1128 to schedule your FREE exterior inspection — serving Indianapolis, Carmel, Zionsville, Meridian Hills, and all of Central Indiana.

06/27/2026

A quick myth to clear up: flashing problems are not just a brick chimney issue. Plenty of Indianapolis homes have framed chimney chases finished in vinyl, LP siding, Hardie fiber-cement, or synthetic stucco, and every one of those still passes through the roof, still has a seam that has to be sealed, and still leaks when the flashing is wrong. The good news is that flashing trouble is far easier to catch early than to repair after water damage spreads. Have the chimney inspected each year, and after any roof work, ask specifically whether the flashing and the kick-out flashing were reset correctly. A faint stain that only shows up after heavy rain is the chimney warning you while the problem is still small. Full guide here.

Chimney flashing is the most common source of chimney leaks. How to spot flashing problems on an Indianapolis home, why sealant fixes fail, and what a code-compliant repair involves.