Ramsey County · Shoreview, MN
Masonry chimney repair in Shoreview, MN
Most of the houses out here went up in the 70s and 80s, so these chimneys have forty and fifty winters on them, and the top few feet above the roof is where it shows.
Tuckpointing, crown rebuilds, rebuilds above the roof, new liners, sweeps and inspections, in Shoreview and across Ramsey County.
We work weekdays, 9 to 5. Pick any time on the form and Kari will call you to set the exact one.
Tuckpointing, crown repair and chimney restoration in Shoreview
On most Shoreview chimneys the brick is still good and it's the mortar and the crown that have given out. The joints above the roof get soft and start sinking in behind the face of the brick, the crown has hairline cracks running across it, and once water gets in behind either one, every freeze pushes a little more of it apart.
Tuckpointing, when the brick is still sound
If the brick is solid, the soft joints get cut out until we hit good mortar, and new mortar gets packed back in and finished to match the joints around it, so the chimney sheds water again. On a chimney this age that's usually the right call before anything bigger.
A rebuild, when it isn't
If the brick faces are flaking off, the top is loose or the chimney is starting to lean, new mortar alone won't hold. Then we take it down to solid brick, lay it back up above the roof, and pour a new crown that sticks out past the brick with a drip edge, so the water sheds away from the brick. We'll show you in the pictures which one yours is.
Brick, or a framed chase
Plenty of the 80s houses here were built with a factory-built fireplace in a framed chase instead of a brick chimney. That one has its own weak spots, the cover on top, the storm collar, the flashing and the metal flue, and we go over every one of them just as closely.
Chimney inspection in Shoreview
Up on the roof we check the crown, the joints above the roofline, the flashing and the cap. If it's a factory-built chimney in a framed chase, it's the chase cover, the storm collar and the flashing instead. After that our camera runs down each flue, the furnace and water heater flue too, and every picture gets emailed to you.
Chimney relining in Shoreview
Most brick chimneys in Shoreview were lined with clay tile when the house went up. Forty-some years of heating up and freezing cracks those tiles and opens the joints between them, and then the heat and exhaust are working on the brick from the inside. If that's what the camera finds, we break out the old clay and put in an insulated stainless steel liner, sized for whatever's hooked up to it. More on chimney relining.
Chimney repair across Ramsey County
Shoreview is one of our regular stops in Ramsey County, along with Arden Hills, Mounds View and New Brighton, with the same crew and the same inspection in all of them.
Our own work
Crowns, start to finish.
From the old crown to the new pour, on our own jobs. It's the same job we'd do on yours.
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Chimney sweep and cleaning in Shoreview
Nobody makes a second trip out for the sweep. Our camera looks at the flue first, and if it shows more than an eighth of an inch of creosote, that flue gets swept before we pack up. We look at the damper on the way through, too. When a damper's rusted, water has been getting down the flue, and that usually traces back to the crown or the cap.
Whether you call it a chimney cleaning, a fireplace cleaning or a sweep, in Shoreview it's one visit. The firebox, the damper, the smoke chamber, the whole flue and the cap all get cleaned, and the hearth gets vacuumed so there's no ash left on your floor. If it's a factory-built fireplace in a framed chase, the metal flue gets cleaned the same way, top to bottom. What a chimney cleaning covers.
Talk to Kari
Kari runs the schedule.
Give Kari a call at 320.414.0191. Tell her what you're noticing and how many flues the house has. She'll go over the price with you and put you on a day the crew is already in Shoreview.
We work weekdays, 9 to 5. Pick any time on the form and Kari will call you to set the exact one.
Google reviews
What people wrote after we left.
“Good job on repair work. Replaced 2 flues and cap. Reattached several face stones that likely fell off because cap had deteriorated. Seemed to have proper equipment for the job. The boss checked in daily. Contractor did a good job of letting me know what was happening before and during work.”
“Showed up on time, very Profession and courteous. They made sure not to make a mess when cleaning. When they were done with the inspection they explained everything very well. I highly recommend.”
“Clean, professional and thorough! I had Element service my fireplace, they cleaned and inspected it, walked me through the state of my fireplace and options for repairing.”
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Questions we get about Shoreview chimneys
Can you just patch a cracked chimney crown?
If it's a hairline crack, yes, it can be sealed. If it's cracked all the way through or coming apart, it gets torn off and a new one is poured.
There's a water stain by the fireplace after it rains. Is it the chimney?
A lot of the time, yes. It's usually getting in at the crown, the flashing or the joints just under the crown, then running down inside the brick until it shows up on the ceiling or the wall by the fireplace. We track down where it's coming in and send you a picture of it.
We're selling our house in Shoreview. Does the chimney need an inspection?
The national chimney standard, NFPA 211, calls for a Level II inspection when a house is sold. Buyers ask about the crown and the joints above the roof before anything else, so we get close-up pictures of those, then the flashing, the attic and the basement, and our camera runs down each flue. The written report and all the pictures come to you.
Does my chimney need a new liner?
From inside the house you usually can't tell. Bits of clay tile in the firebox, or a smoky smell when the furnace kicks on, are the signs you might notice, but most of the time it's the camera that finds it. It runs down each flue on the inspection, the furnace and water heater flue included, and you get the pictures.
How much is a chimney inspection in Shoreview?
That's Kari's department. Call 320.414.0191, let her know how many flues you've got, and she'll tell you what it runs and set up a day.
Nearby, too
Same crew, same inspection, all over the north metro.
Got a chimney in Shoreview?
Mortar going soft, a crack in the crown, a wet spot by the fireplace after a storm? Call Kari or book online, and you'll get pictures of exactly what's going on up there.
We work weekdays, 9 to 5. Pick any time on the form and Kari will call you to set the exact one.
Got pictures of your chimney? Email them to info@elementhearthandhome.com with your name and number, and Kari will take it from there.