Grass Roots Energy Inc — Fireplace Store in Wauconda, Illinois

• Julie Burton★★☆☆☆
  2 weeks ago

  We had an energy efficient wood burner installed by Grass Roots several years ago and at the time were very pleased with their work and would have happily given the 5 stars. We had owned one of these inserts in our previous home so know exactly how to use them and with the heating benefits that they give. We have had Grass Roots out to clean our Chimney yearly since installation including in the early summer 2025. When the technician came out he told us he could not get the top cap off to clean the chimney but not to worry as he cleaning it from below. He however said we were burning wet wood and needed to stop that. We were very surprised by his comments as we check our wood for moisture content. We started using our fire place when it snowed in December 2025 as it is a great source of heat for our home. It didn't seem to be burning well but we went out of town for the holidays and figured we would look more closely when we came back. On returning we tried to light the fire but all that happened was the smoke swirled around in the firebox. We decided to call another well-known local company to take a look at the chimney. They pulled almost 3 "gallons" of creosote out of our chimney. Once the fire was lit the difference was astounding. The company that came out stated the chimney was very dirty and they also checked our wood and said it was perfectly dry. We had barely burned the fire for 2 weeks. It would appear that the chimney cleaning in the Summer had been poor at best. The top cap should probably have been removed and replaced in the summer but that was never given to us as an option by the company that came out. Another reason for creosote buildup is poor burning due to lack of oxygen giving incomplete combustion. We have now had the chimney liner replaced in its entirety with a new top cap. The inside of the old liner has the appearance of burning extremely hot suggesting that there may have been a fire in the chimney. Not at all what you want to hear when you diligently have your chimney cleaned yearly. We wear many "hats" chimney sweep is not one of them, thus we rely on good work and service when we call out a professional. Very disappointed.

• Greg Davis★★★★★
  6 months ago

  Have purchased two wood-burning insert stoves and a cast iron gas-fired stove from Grass Roots Energy, the units have performed exceptionally well. The GRE team also does our annual stove and chimney cleaning. This year the guys told us it was time to consider replacing our 39 yr old chimney chase cap. A service GRE also provides, so we ordered one in dark brown to match the existing soffit/facia color. As these are custom made for your chase top, it took about 5 weeks, but the install went smoothly it looks great and they put a fresh coat of dark brown paint on the chimney cap housing too! These are the “go to” guys for wood-stoves and related products or setvices.

• Tom Rein★★★★★
  5 months ago

  Grass Roots Energy installed my wood insert and it wasn't an easy install! The crew was very patient and professional as they worked to install the insert. They took the time to go over the instructions and I am looking forward to winter. Thanks for a great job!

• Michael Dalton★★★★★
  a year ago

  Highly recommend this group. They know what they are doing and were very helpful replacing wood burner chimney after a creosote fire. Great service. Thanks!

• Patti Wuich★★★★★
  7 months ago

  I had Grass Roots Energy, Inc. out to perform my annual chimney sweep. John and Seth did a fabulous job, were complete gentlemen, kept me informed on what they were doing and took great care of my home. I would definitely recommend their services to anyone needing maintenance on their fireplace or wood burning stove.

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