A Maplewood, MN chimney sweep for houses that need an honest inspection first
If nobody has checked your chimney in years, a Maplewood, MN chimney sweep should look before sweeping. We start with an inspection, Level 1 or Level 2, tell you what is urgent and what can wait, and then clear the flue. Call, describe the house, and we find you a time this week.
Open 7 days, 8am-8pm
Moved in and never had the chimney checked? That is a good reason to call.
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- Open 7 days, 8am-8pm
- 10+ years
- Licensed, bonded & insured
- Same-week, evenings & weekends
Chimney sweep in Maplewood for established homes
In an established house, the chimney is easy to forget until something shows up. Maplewood was mostly prairie and oak savanna when it was organized, and from the 1950s its farmsteads gave way to suburban neighborhoods. It was incorporated in 1957. A chimney with no recent history gets a look before it gets a brush, because a sweep alone cannot tell you whether the flue is sound.
The visit runs in a plain order. We look at what we can reach, go deeper with a camera if the flue calls for it, then sweep with drop cloths down and an industrial vacuum running. Whatever the look turned up is sorted into three piles, and you choose what happens to each.
Do these before the next fire
A cracked or missing flue tile, because heat and smoke can reach the wall behind it. A leaning stack or a loose cap, where you also keep clear of the base.
Plan these for this season
Water stains near the chimney, since water entry keeps doing damage until it is stopped.
Let these wait
Worn mortar on a sound stack, which lets water in slowly, and surface soot staining, which is only cosmetic. Both go on a list with your say in when.
Chimney inspection in Maplewood: which level for a house with no history?
Pick a Level 2 when you do not know what is inside the flue: you bought the house recently, the fireplace has sat unused, or you changed the furnace, water heater or an insert. Pick a Level 1 when you have had the fireplace in regular use and want to confirm it is still sound. Not sure? Tell us the history you do have, and we recommend one. How long a chimney inspection takes depends on the chimney, not on the level alone.
US 61, MN 36, I-35E, I-94, I-694 and I-494 all serve the city, and we cover all of it. Starting prices for each job are on the services page.
What Maplewood homeowners ask before the first visit
Levels, old chimneys and a few trees.
Our house is older and nobody knows the chimney's history. Level 1 or Level 2?
Level 2 is the safer choice when the history is unknown. A camera shows the inside of the flue, including cracks and blockages that a Level 1 cannot reach. If you have used the fireplace regularly, a Level 1 may be enough.
The new furnace is in. Does the old chimney still matter?
It can. When a furnace or water heater changes, the old flue may carry different gases at a different temperature, and it may not suit them. We check that the flue still matches what is connected to it, and we say so plainly if a liner is the answer.
There are no maple trees here, so what falls into the flue?
A local historical society director once said there are no maple trees in Maplewood. What lands on a chimney depends on your street, though: leaves, seed pods and twigs drop onto an open flue from whatever trees stand nearby. A cap with a screen keeps them out.
I only want a sweep. Do I still need an inspection?
If the fireplace is in regular use, a sweep may be all you need. For one that has sat unused or has no history, we start with the look, because a sweep can hide a problem rather than find it. Tell us the situation and we recommend one.
We seldom light it. Is a yearly look still worth it?
Yes. Fire-safety guidance calls for a yearly look at chimneys, fireplaces and vents, used or not, and a flue can fail while it sits idle. The NFPA's heating safety guidance says the same.
Tell us what you know about the house.
Even a little history helps us choose the right look.