Shoreview chimney service for lake homes and 1980s houses
Most Shoreview homes were built in the 1970s and 1980s, when it was one of Minnesota's fastest-growing suburbs. Chimneys on lakeshore lots near Turtle, Snail and Owasso lakes also face open wind and blowing rain. We sweep, inspect and cap chimneys across 55126.
Wind off the lakes
A chimney on an open shoreline takes more weather than one tucked between trees and houses. Wind drives rain sideways into the top of the flue and against the crown. In winter, that water freezes in small cracks and widens them a little more each time.
A sturdy cap with a mesh screen keeps rain, snow, birds and leaves out of the flue. A crown that slopes water away from the brick keeps the top of the chimney sound. On a lake home, those two parts do most of the work.
From cabins to year-round homes
Shoreview was once farmland and a lake getaway for wealthy St. Paul residents. Over time, small cabins on lakeshore lots gave way to larger executive homes, often on narrow streets. When a home like that changes hands or is remodeled, a Level 2 chimney inspection is the standard check. It looks at the full length of the flue, the firebox and the outside of the chimney.
Postwar homes and the 1980s boom
Edgetown Acres was built for Korean War-era jobs at the nearby Twin Cities Army Ammunition Plant. If one of those homes still has its original brick chimney, the crown, flashing and mortar joints deserve a close look. Then the city boomed, growing from 7,157 people in 1960 to 24,587 in 1990. Homes from the 1970s and 1980s may have a brick chimney or a factory-built fireplace with a metal flue and a chase cover.
For Shoreview homes
- Sturdy caps with screens for lakeshore chimneys
- Crown sealing against freeze and thaw
- Level 2 inspections when a home is sold or remodeled
- Chase cover checks on 1980s factory-built fireplaces
Shoreview chimney questions, answered
Why does my lake home's chimney need a cap?
Without one, wind off the lake pushes rain and snow straight into the flue. Water rusts dampers and metal parts and wears down mortar from the inside. A cap also keeps birds and animals from nesting in the flue.
I live on Horseshoe Drive by Lake Owasso. Should my chimney be checked more often?
Every chimney should be inspected once a year. On an exposed shoreline, it also helps to look at the cap and crown after a hard winter or a big windstorm, since those parts take the most weather.
Do you serve my part of Shoreview?
Yes. We cover Shoreview's 55126 ZIP code, from Edgetown Acres to the Shamrock Park area and the lakeshore streets. Book online to get on the schedule.