Fireplace and chimney care for Oakdale's newer homes
Most Oakdale homes went up between the 1980s and the early 2000s, and townhomes make up about 21% of the housing. Homes from that period often have a factory-built fireplace with a metal flue, which needs different care than a brick chimney. We sweep, inspect and repair both kinds.
Metal flues and wood chases
A factory-built fireplace is a metal firebox and flue made to work as one tested system. The flue runs up through a wood-framed box on the roof called a chase. On top sits a metal chase cover and a cap. These parts are made to fit each other, and mixing in the wrong parts can create a fire risk.
After a few decades, the chase cover is a common weak point. Many were made of thin steel that rusts and sags, so water pools on top and drips inside. Rust streaks down the siding or a water stain near the fireplace are early warning signs. A replacement cover in stainless steel, shaped to shed water, usually fixes it.
Townhomes and shared rooflines
About one in five Oakdale homes is a townhome, most built from 1980 to 2000. In a townhome, the fireplace may sit on a shared wall or vent through a chase that is part of the building's roofline. If you live in one, check your association rules to see who handles the chase, cover and cap. We can inspect your unit's fireplace and flue and explain what we find.
Oakdale's older pockets
Oakdale stayed rural well into the 1900s, with small summer bungalows on its northern lakes. After World War II, farmland on the west edge near North St. Paul was split into single-family lots, and the Highway 36 and Stillwater Boulevard corridor saw the earliest home building. A house from those years is more likely to have a brick chimney, which calls for crown, flashing and mortar checks.
Oakdale fireplace checklist
- Chase cover checks for rust and pooling water
- Sweeping factory-built fireboxes and metal flues
- Caps and parts matched to the fireplace maker
- Crown and mortar checks on older brick chimneys
Townhome owners: check with your association before booking exterior work on a shared chase or roof.
Common Oakdale fireplace questions
Does a factory-built fireplace need sweeping?
Yes, if you burn wood in it. Creosote builds up in metal flues just as it does in brick ones. Gas units also need a yearly check for blocked vents, nests and worn parts.
I live in an Oakdale townhome. Can you work on my fireplace?
Yes. We can sweep and inspect the fireplace inside your unit. If the chase or roof is common property, your association may need to approve any outside repair.
Which parts of Oakdale do you serve?
All of it, in both 55128 and 55042. That includes the Tanners Lake area, the Highway 36 corridor and the old Northdale township, which rejoined Oakdale in 1968. Book online to set up a visit.
Set up chimney service in Oakdale
Cottage Grove and the east metro