Chimney sweep in St. Louis Park, MN St. Louis Park chimneys from the postwar building boom
About 60% of St. Louis Park's homes were built in one burst from the late 1940s into the early 1950s. Their chimneys are about the same age, so they tend to need the same things: crown repair, new flashing and liners that fit today's furnaces. We sweep, inspect and fix them across the city.
About 2,700 homes in six years
Between 1950 and 1956, 66 new subdivisions were recorded in St. Louis Park for about 2,700 new homes. That pace shaped the city's chimneys. When most chimneys on a street go up together, their mortar, crowns and flue tiles age on the same clock.
By now, many of those chimneys show cracked crowns, loose bricks near the top and gaps in the flashing. Small cracks are simple to seal. Left alone, they let water reach the flue tiles and the attic. A yearly sweep is a good time to catch them, because we look at the top of the chimney while we clean.
Houses from the late 1930s
Homebuilding in St. Louis Park picked up in the late 1930s before it stopped during World War II. Those prewar houses have chimneys a bit older than the postwar ones. They are more likely to have cracked clay liners or mortar that has worn deep into the joints. If your home is from the 1930s, ask for a camera inspection of the full flue.
What a furnace swap does to the flue
Postwar homes were built with a brick chimney that served the furnace and water heater together. Newer furnaces often vent out the side wall. Then the water heater is left venting into a flue that is too large, and the cooler exhaust leaves moisture inside the chimney. A stainless steel liner sized to the water heater restores a safe draft.
St. Louis Park chimney care
- Crown sealing on late-1940s and 1950s chimneys
- Flashing check after a new roof
- Liner sizing after a furnace swap
- Full-flue camera check on 1930s homes
Fall is the busy season
Fall is when most people remember the chimney. Book your sweep and inspection before the first cold night, not after it.
Common St. Louis Park chimney questions
Why do so many St. Louis Park chimneys need crown work?
Most homes here were built in the same short stretch after the war, so their crowns have aged the same amount. Crowns from that era were often thin mortar caps, and they crack as they weather. Sealing small cracks early keeps water out of the brick.
Our 1930s house has a fireplace we never use. Should it be checked?
Yes, before you ever light it. Unused flues collect leaves, nests and broken tile. A camera inspection shows whether the liner is whole and whether the fireplace is safe to use.
Do you serve Aquila, the West End and Shelard Park?
Yes. All of St. Louis Park is in our service area, from Aquila to the West End and Shelard Park. Pick a time online or call us.
What you can count on
- Yearly inspection to NFPA 211The fire code standard for chimneys, fireplaces and vents
- A clean living roomDrop cloths, the opening sealed, a vacuum running the whole time
- A straight answerWe show you what we found, and repairs are your call
- Arrival windows you pickBook online and we call before we arrive
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Services in St. Louis Park
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Sources for the local facts on this page