Level 1 sweep and inspection to the NFPA 211 annual standard - flue, crown, cap, and flashing checked and photographed
Chimney sweep logs do not sweep chimneys. They loosen some creosote - which then falls where a brush and vacuum still have to collect it.
Before
After
Before
After
Before
AfterFamco Chimney Liner & Rebuild in Alexandria: What to Know First
We rebuild and reline Famco chimney systems throughout Alexandria, from Old Town rowhouses to the colonials out toward Seminary Hill and Beverley Hills. Most Famco liner replacements take us one full day once parts are in hand, and you’ll get a firm price before any tool comes off the truck. We’re an independent Famco service provider, not an authorized dealer, which means we tell you when a liner has life left in it and when it doesn’t.
If you own a home in Alexandria with a Famco liner that’s cracked, rusted through, or pulling away at the seams, this page is for you. Call (571) 521-4837 and Wendell or one of his crew will walk you through what you’re seeing before we ever schedule a visit.
How Famco Products Fail - and How We Fix Them
We’ve been inside enough Famco flues in Alexandria to know their habits. Here’s what we actually find, and what we do about it.
- Famco flexible liners separating at the seam welds. We see this most on older Famco 316L flex runs in Alexandria homes where the liner was installed without proper insulation wrap. The thermal cycling from hot fires to cold Virginia winters works those seam welds until they pop. The fix is a full liner pull and replacement. Patching a separated flex liner is a temporary bandage, not a repair.
- Teardrop distortion at the liner cap connection. Famco’s flex liners can oval out where they meet the cap assembly, especially on taller Alexandia chimneys that catch steady wind off the Potomac. That gap lets rain in, which rusts the liner from the top down. We see it often on three-story colonials in Del Ray. The fix is a new liner section with a properly fitted Famco-compatible cap, not just caulking around the old one.
- Pinhole rust-through on Famco rigid sections. Famco’s rigid stainless sections hold up well, but when a chimney crown cracks and water runs down the outside of the liner, you get pinholes within a few seasons. Alexandria’s freeze-thaw cycles speed this up. We replace the compromised sections and fix the crown while we’re up there, because a new liner under a cracked crown just rusts again.
- Liner sizing mismatches from previous installs. A lot of Alexandria homes got Famco liners sized for the old oil furnace, then someone swapped in a gas insert. The liner’s too big, the draft goes lazy, and creosote builds up fast. We measure the actual BTU output and flue diameter, then downsize or adjust with the correct Famco liner size. That’s an afternoon of work that fixes a decade of poor burning.
- Corrosion where Famco liners pass through the smoke shelf. In older Alexandria chimneys with tight smoke shelves, we find corrosion where the liner rubs against masonry during expansion. The stainless wears thin right at that contact point. We sleeve that section with a proper Famco-compatible connector and restrain the liner so it doesn’t rub again.
Our Famco Chimney Liner & Rebuild Process
Here’s how a Famco liner or rebuild job goes when we do it in Alexandria.
- 1
You call, a person answers. That’s Wendell or one of his crew. We ask what you’re seeing, what the chimney serves, and when it was last inspected. Then we book a time and give you a real arrival window.
- 2
We inspect with a camera. Every Famco liner job starts with a camera run down the flue. You see the footage. We point to what’s wrong. If the liner is fine and you just needed a sweep, that’s what we tell you. If it doesn’t need doing, we’ll tell you.
- 3
We quote the exact work. The number we give you is the number on the invoice. We decide together whether OEM Famco parts make sense or whether a quality aftermarket liner from DuraFlex or Gelco is the better call for your setup. Warranty implications get explained in plain English.
- 4
We do the job. The old liner comes out, the flue gets cleared, and the new liner goes in with proper insulation and top and bottom plates. For rebuilds, we match the brick or stone as close as the house and the supply yard allow. Wendell’s crew has worked Alexandria rowhouses long enough to know the brick blends in Old Town and Rosemont.
- 5
We test and document. Draft test, visual verification, and a photo report. You get the before and after camera footage for your records.
- 6
We hand you the 90-Day Done Right Promise in writing. If something isn’t right, one call brings us back at no charge. Wendell puts his name on every job. You’ll see him again at the hardware store on Saturday.
What Famco Chimney Liner & Rebuild Costs in Alexandria
Famco liner work in Alexandria falls into four general price bands. These are honest ranges, not phone quotes, and the final number depends on your chimney height, liner diameter, and what we find once we’re inside.
- Liner repair or partial section replacement: $450-$900
- Full Famco flexible liner replacement (single story, straight run): $1,600-$2,400
- Full liner replacement on a two- or three-story Alexandria chimney: $2,400-$3,800
- Partial chimney rebuild with new Famco liner: $3,500-$6,500
What moves the price most is access. Steep roofs, tight chimneys between rowhouse walls, and scaffolding on older Alexandria homes all add labor hours. Call (571) 521-4837 and we’ll give you a straight answer on your specific setup. The estimate is free.
Why Alexandria Homeowners Call Top Hat Chimney for Famco Work
We’ve been working Alexandria chimneys since 1999, and Wendell Pike has been inside more Famco flues in this city than he can count. When a national outfit sells you a liner you might not need, that’s their problem. When one of Wendell’s crew tells you the liner has another five years in it, you can take that to the bank. It doesn’t need doing, we’ll tell you.
We stock and work with Famco components, and because we’re an independent shop, we also carry DuraFlex, HeatShield, and Gelco. That matters when a Famco part is backordered and your chimney needs attention before the next cold snap. No trip charge inside the county. $40 off any repair over $200. A free second opinion on any written estimate you got from another company. And 10% off for seniors and veterans, always.
Every job gets the 90-Day Done Right Promise in writing. A live person answers the phone around the clock. And the sweep who shows up at your door works for Wendell, not a call center two time zones away. Ask anyone on your street.
FAQs
If your Famco liner is still under the original manufacturer warranty, we’ll walk through the claim process with you before any work begins. In most cases we can source OEM Famco parts for warranty-covered replacements. But here’s what we tell every Alexandria homeowner: a liner that’s already failed at the seams or rusted through won’t get better by waiting on paperwork. We’ll give you the honest read on whether a warranty claim is worth pursuing or whether a quality aftermarket replacement is the smarter, faster fix.
The short answer is camera inspection. A sweep tells you what’s on the liner surface. A camera tells you what’s wrong inside it. If we see seam separation, pinholes, or distortion, the liner is done. If we see surface creosote, it’s a brush job. You’ll see the footage yourself before any repair is recommended, and if a sweep is all you need, that’s all we’ll sell you. Call (571) 521-4837 to schedule an inspection.
We can sometimes replace just a damaged section of Famco flex liner, but only if the rest of the run is sound. On most Alexandria installs over 10 years old, the seam stress that tore one section has already weakened the rest. Patching a liner that’s going to tear again in two seasons is money wasted. We’ll show you the footage and tell you straight which way to go.
Common Famco flex and rigid sections are usually available within a few days through our regional suppliers. When a specific Famco component is backordered, we offer equivalent DuraFlex or Gelco alternatives that match or exceed the original spec. Your fireplace doesn’t care whose name is stamped on the liner. It cares how it breathes.
We do both. Full chimney rebuilds, partial rebuilds from the roofline up, crown repair, cap replacement, and complete liner installs. Alexandria’s older rowhouses and colonials put us on a lot of chimneys that need more than a liner. We’ll handle the masonry and the liner as one job, with one crew, and one guarantee.
Written by Wendell Pike, Owner, Top Hat Chimney at Top Hat Chimney, serving Alexandria and nearby areas.