Chimney sweep in Burnsville, MN Burnsville chimney service for boom-era homes above the river

How Burnsville filled in

William Byrne settled here in 1855. His name was likely written down as Burns and never fixed, which is how the town got its name. The township was set up in 1858. In 1964 Burnsville became a city after fending off an annexation attempt by Bloomington, and mass housing followed. The city neared build-out in the late 1990s and was fully built by the late 2000s. The Heart of the City area downtown now adds modern condos near Nicollet Commons Park.

Chimneys from the 1960s and 1970s

Homes from this period may have a masonry chimney, a factory-built fireplace, or both styles on the same street. A brick chimney from the boom years is now old enough that the crown and mortar joints often need attention. A factory-built fireplace from the 1970s may still have original parts, and some of those parts can be hard to find, so we check the model before planning any repair.

Boom-era homes often vent the furnace or water heater through a masonry chimney too. If either one was swapped for a newer model, the old flue may now be the wrong size. Poor draft and damp, crumbling brick inside the stack are the warning signs, and a correctly sized liner usually solves both.

If you burn wood often, creosote builds up in either kind of chimney. Thick, shiny glazed creosote can catch fire. A yearly chimney sweeping removes it before it turns into a hazard.

Bluff wind and freeze-thaw

If your home sits on high ground near the Minnesota River or by Crystal Lake, the chimney top gets more wind and blowing snow. Water that soaks into a cracked crown freezes and pushes the brick apart. A sloped crown with a drip edge and a full-width cap help shed that water before it does damage.