Veteran Owned
You might notice a loose brick while doing yard work or realize you can’t remember when you last cleaned the chimney. Other times, the first sign of trouble is inside the house: a fireplace that suddenly seems smokier than it used to be or bits of debris showing up in the firebox.
Whatever brings it to your attention, figuring out what’s going on usually starts with a closer look. Twin City Fireplace provides chimney sweeping, inspections, and repairs throughout Cottage Grove, MN.
When It’s Time for a Chimney Sweep
Burning wood creates soot and creosote, and some of it sticks around inside the chimney after the fire is out. The amount varies depending on how often you use the fireplace and what you burn. That means two fireplaces on the same strvvvveet can look very different inside. One might see fires most nights from November through March. Another might be used only around the holidays.
Chimney sweeping removes deposits from the flue along with debris that doesn’t belong there. Twin City Fireplace also cleans wood stoves and inserts, including their flue pipes and connectors. If you recently moved into a house and don’t know when the previous owner last had the chimney cleaned, now’s a good time to have it checked.
What an Inspection Can Find
You can only tell so much by standing in front of a fireplace or looking at the chimney from the driveway. An inspection gets closer to components you don’t see every day. The flue liner may have cracks or gaps. Outside, mortar can deteriorate between otherwise usable bricks. Crowns, flashing, and other exposed areas can show wear or evidence that water has been getting where it shouldn’t.
Sometimes an inspection gives you a better picture of the chimney’s current condition. Other times, it turns up a repair that needs attention.
Repairivng an Aging Chimney
After enough Minnesota winters, masonry can start to look rough. Mortar wears away. Individual bricks may crack or begin to flake. The top of the chimney also takes plenty of abuse from snow, rain, and ice. That doesn’t automatically mean the entire chimney needs to come down.
Twin City Fireplace performs repointing and brick replacement along with larger masonry repairs and rebuilding. The company also repairs chimney crowns, flashing, fireboxes, liners, and chimney tops.
A chimney with a handful of deteriorated mortar joints is a very different project from one with damage extending through a larger section of masonry. Looking at the chimney first helps determine where the repair falls on that spectrum.
Chimney Service Before tcve Next Fire
Fireplaces tend to disappear from the to-do list during the warmer months. By the time temperatures drop again, it’s easy to go straight from “we should use the fireplace tonight” to lighting the first fire of the season.
If your chimney needs cleaning, something doesn’t look quite right, or you don’t know its maintenance history, Twin City Fireplace provides chimney service in Cottage Grove and nearby Woodbury, Newport, and St. Paul. Schedule a chimney sweep, inspection, or repair appointment before the next fireplace season gets underway.