2nd Generation Chimneys, Inc. Blog: Posts Tagged ‘St. Paul’

3 Common Problems Found in Old Chimneys

Friday, March 21st, 2014

It’s not uncommon for chimneys to endure beyond the buildings in which they stand; a solid masonry chimney can survive for over a hundred years with the right care and attention to problems that might develop. If you live in a home with an older chimney, take care to look for repairs that it may need. We’ll list three of the more common troubles that can afflict a chimney that has vented smoke for many decades.

2nd Generation Chimneys, Inc. is your one-stop service for all your needs for chimney restoration in St. Paul, MN. We handle fireplace installation, repair, and maintenance as well.

Here Are 3 Problems We See With Old Chimneys

  1. Leaning chimney:
    No, it’s not an optical illusion. The strange slant you see on the chimney that you never noticed before is the chimney beginning to lean away from the house. The cause of this is usually deterioration in the chimney’s foundation, and it will require masonry work to prop it back up. This is an urgent job: a leaning chimney places enormous stress on the side of your home, and when the chimney does fall, it can take large chunk of the wall with it. Of course, a collapsing chimney is immensely dangerous as well to anyone who might be nearby when it happens.
  2. Cracking in bricks and masonry:
    No matter how sturdy bricks or masonry may appear, the ravages of weather, heat, and moisture can damage them. The most insidious problem they encounter, especially in Minnesota with our snow-covered winters, is moisture entering into the flue and seeping between bricks. Even without sub-freezing temperatures, water can cause cracking in bricks; but it’s much worse when the water turns to ice and expands, forcing gaps in the bricks and masonry. Make sure you have regular maintenance on your old chimney to see if it needs restoration due to cracked bricks. You should also invest in a chimney cap to keep away moisture.
  3. Cracks in the chimney liner:
    The liner of the inside of a chimney is crucial for how it vents. Older chimneys often do not have liners, and you should have installers put one in. As the chimney ages, older liners can fall apart because of creosote damage, and this can lead to heat getting through the exposed bricks and into places it shouldn’t. Have certified chimney reliners take care of this for you.

Our staff at 2nd Generation Chimneys, Inc. has extensive experience and the proper certification to relieve your worries about chimney restoration or chimney repairs in St. Paul, MN. We are certified chimney reliners and members of the Chimney Safety Institute of America. Call us today for any concerns you have about your home’s chimney or fireplace.

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Benefits of Chimney Sweeping

Friday, November 15th, 2013

Chimney sweeping evokes images of cockney street urchins, stovepipe hats and Dick Van Dyke. But the principles involved haven’t changed in 150 years, and while today’s chimney sweeps use modern equipment and techniques, the work they do isn’t all that different from those of their predecessors. Chimney sweeping in St. Paul is a particular necessity, owing to our numerous older homes with fine brick fireplaces.

The benefits of chimney sweeping are numerous and obvious.

  • Safety. Smoke from your fireplace carries creosote into the chimney, which can coat the walls and ultimately become a fire hazard (it will ignite very easily). Creosote build-up can also prevent carbon monoxide from escaping your home, constituting another hazard.
  • Comfort. Build up inside the chimney can prevent smoke from escaping as quickly as it should, meaning that more of it could back up into your home. Clean chimneys also improve the amount of heat your fireplace projects into your home, making it more efficient as well as comfortable.
  • Longevity. Over time, the acidic qualities of soot and other debris can damage your chimney, forcing expensive and unnecessary repairs. A regular cleaning session can prevent that damage and extend the life of your chimney.

A good chimney sweeper understands the benefits of chimney sweeping, but also knows who to deliver them safely and effectively. That means paying close attention to new methods and techniques. Qualified chimney sweeps are licensed, bonded and insured to protect against accidents. They also work with the cleanliness of your home in mind, and guarantee their work once it’s completed.

For chimney sweeping in St. Paul, the professionals at 2nd Generation Chimneys, Inc. are ready to help. We’ve served the Twin Cities area since 2001 and offer complete programs for inspecting, installing and maintaining your chimney. We’re available 24 hours a day in the event of emergencies, and our trained experts have earned the trusted of over 52,000 loyal customers. If you understand the benefits of chimney sweeping and want to set up a regular maintenance session to help keep yours clean, pick up the phone and give us a call today.

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All I Know About Chimney Sweeping I Learned from Mary Poppins: What Else Should I Know?

Friday, November 8th, 2013

The romanticized image of the chimney sweep comes to us from the Disney movie Mary Poppins, where we learn that chimney sweeps are always coated from head to toe with soot, know fantastic dance moves, and say “guv’ner” at the end of every sentence. That’s all good to know if you live in a fantasy version of Victorian London. But if you live in contemporary Minnesota, you need to know the more practical side of keeping a chimney clean so you can enjoy it all through the winter in comfort and safety.

At 2nd Generation Chimneys, Inc. we have decades of experience with chimney sweeping in St. Paul, MN. When you want to go past thinking about getting your chimney cleaned and actually get it clean, contact us.

Here are some jobs that chimney sweeps—well, chimney technicians—perform that you won’t learn about from Disney movies:

Creosote cleaning

The black shiny substance that will start to cover the bricks of your chimney after burning wood and coal in the hearth is called creosote. Basically, it’s unburned wood or coal energy. It is highly combustible and poses a serious fire hazard to your home because it can cause flames to vault up the chimney to the upper floors of your home and the roof. Thick creosote (level 3 creosote) requires special equipment and techniques to remove. You need chimney technicians armed with more than brooms to take care of this problem.

Chimney flue cleaning

The flue serves an important safety and comfort function: it allows smoke from a fire to escape out the chimney when it’s open, and it keeps drafts from entering your home when closed. Damage and soot build-up can become a major issue for the flue, and so it’s one of the important components that technicians inspect when they come to clean your chimney.

Animal removal

Mary Poppins has some adorable animated animals in it: remember the penguins? However, you don’t want animals getting inside your chimney. Penguins shouldn’t be an issue, but birds, squirrels, chipmunks, and raccoons can create serious hazards. You don’t want to try to “smoke out” animals from your chimney (especially raccoons; this just makes them mad). Rely on technicians to do this job safely. You should also have the technicians install a chimney cap to help prevent this problem from returning in the future.

Here’s something else Mary Poppins won’t tell you: how often you should have your chimney inspected and cleaned. We recommend you schedule annual cleaning, even if you don’t use the fireplace often (cracks and animal infiltration can occur regardless of how much use the chimney gets). Contact 2nd Generation Chimneys, Inc. when you want quality chimney sweeping in St. Paul, MN. We can’t sing and dance as well as Dick Van Dyke, but you’ll have a clean and safe fireplace in your home after we leave.

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When is the Best Time to Have My Chimney Inspected?

Tuesday, October 1st, 2013

A fireplace with a chimney carries an air of romanticism to it: summoning images of a warm and cozy home on a cold winter’s night. Fireplaces are efficient and atmospheric, as well as providing a way to heat your home without costing you an arm and a leg in monthly energy bills. But in order for a fireplace to do its job safely, you need to plan for regular inspections and occasional repair. We provide St. Paul chimney inspection services, so don’t hesitate to contact us when you find yourself asking, “When is the best time to have my chimney inspected?”

Here in St. Paul, every significant home improvement project depends on the weather. In the summer, we face warm temperatures, high humidity, and even thunderstorms and tornados. In the winter, the temperature drops well below freezing, making outdoor repairs difficult in the extreme. When it doesn’t see much use, a chimney can build up plenty of debris such as leaves and birds’ nests, while existing damage can go undetected since you aren’t likely to use the fireplace in the muggy heat of summer.

At the same time, winter makes outdoor repair work extremely difficult, both in terms of its effects on the repair personnel and on the chimney itself. Slippery roofs, icy surfaces and other conditions make such operations extremely hazardous, as well as increasing the possibility of further damage to your chimney.

In light of all that, the best time to have your chimney inspected is the early autumn, when summer temperatures have diminished, but the first snows have not yet begun to fall. That gives the inspector time to perform a thorough examination, then schedule any repairs or upgrades well before you need to use the fireplace. It’s safer, it’s easier on the workmen and it usually results in a more effective repair session.

For St. Paul chimney inspections, it pays to consult the best. 2nd Generation Chimneys, Inc. can answer the question “When is the best time to have my chimney inspected?” then go about the task with professionalism and care. Contact us today to schedule an appointment.

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Why Isn’t My Fireplace Venting Smoke Properly?

Monday, September 9th, 2013

Fireplaces are a comforting part of any home, as well as savings providers on heating bills in the cold of winter. If you have a fireplace, it helps to have a trained expert come in for a regular chimney inspection. St. Paul, MN has too much snow and cold weather to chance a problem. In addition to regular maintenance, you should learn to spot signs of trouble when they appear, particularly if your fireplace isn’t venting smoke properly. There are numerous possible causes, many of which can be addressed by a trained professional.

Common Causes of Improperly Vented Fireplaces

  • Blocked flue. Soot and creosote can built up in your flue, as can leaves and other debris. Birds may make nests in it – especially in the summertime when you’re not using the fireplace – and bricks can come loose as well. All of that can partially or totally block your flue, preventing it from venting smoke properly.
  • Improper flue sizing or chimney height. Chimneys and flues need to be a certain size, depending on the size of the opening to the fireplace. If it was improperly measured during the chimney’s construction, you may experience smoke backing up into your house. Similarly, chimneys need to be a certain height in order to pull smoke upward: the difference in pressure between the top and the bottom of the shaft helps pull up smoke. If the chimney isn’t high enough, it won’t pull up any air.
  • A cold flue. Sometimes, if the flue is cold and hasn’t been used in a while, the air inside becomes dense, preventing smoke from rising. You can correct the problem with the addition of insulated liner within the chimney. (You can sometimes prime the flue by lighting balls of newspaper in the chimney, but in the cold of St. Paul, even that might not be enough.)

If your fireplace isn’t venting properly, contact the experts at 2nd Generation Chimneys for a chimney inspection. St. Paul and the whole of the Twin Cities are part of our regular service area, and we have the experience to address the problem properly.

Give us a call today! 

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What Is the Process for Restoring My Chimney?

Friday, August 30th, 2013

Does your fireplace no longer work as it once did? Do you find that your heated air does not effectively radiate into your living space, but escapes through the cracks in the chimney? Has your chimney been damaged by fire? There are various ways in which your chimney can be damaged over the years, whether by wear and tear or by fire and water damage. As an integral part of your fireplace, and therefore directly linked to the comfort of your home during the heating season, your chimney needs to be serviced by a professional. While routine fireplace maintenance tasks like chimney sweeping can be helpful, some problems are so severe as to warrant complete chimney restoration. The scale of this job depends on what the problems are, but we can find a unique solution for your home.

Call 2nd Generation Chimneys today for all of your masonry service needs in St. Paul.

Here are some aspects to consider when dealing with chimney restoration in St. Paul.

  • Crown. The crown or mortar cap as it also known is the top of the chimney that prevents water from seeping into the chimney over time and down into the firebox. It is critical to ensure that your crown is in good condition at all times. Whether yours has been damaged by fire or water, it can be detrimental to the integrity of your entire chimney, thus putting your home and your comfort at risk.
  • Mortar damage. The mortar is the material that holds your chimney together. Without it, your dry bricks would simply collapse and the chimney would not be properly sealed. While it tends to last a long time when professionally pointed, it will not last forever. Moisture, as well as fire, can both damage the condition of your mortar joints. When this occurs, your entire chimney is at risk. We can provide comprehensive inspection and repointing as well as sealing to prevent the wear and tear of water over time.

Let 2nd Generation Chimneys take care of your masonry services so that your fireplace and chimney are restored to full functionality and energy efficiency.

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Small Repairs now Save Money in the Long Run

Friday, June 28th, 2013

We know the weather doesn’t always cooperate year round in St. Paul, MN, even during the summer. But at 2nd Generation Chimneys, staying on track and doing the job right is our top priority. Our certified and experienced technicians provide outstanding customer service and work hard to meet our deadlines despite the summer showers. Whether your chimney requires a minor repair, masonry repairs, or a partial replacement, you can rely on us to get your chimney in top shape for this winter.

St. Paul’s extreme weather conditions make chimneys susceptible to structural wear and potential long term damage to the chimney’s lining from extensive use. Repairs such as chimney relining and sealing are more cost-effective than having to replace the entire chimney. Keep in mind that routine inspections and annual cleanings can help catch little cracks or other problems early to prevent extensive damage and costly repairs.

To request an estimate or to schedule service, call 2nd Generation Chimneys today!

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Getting to Know Your Minneapolis Chimney: What is a Chimney Crown?

Monday, March 11th, 2013

Using a fireplace or wooden stove to heat a home is an antiquated notion to some. To others, though, there is simply nothing more comforting, relaxing and charming than a fire or wood burning stove keeping your home warm. If you are anything like the Minneapolis chimney experts at 2nd Generation Chimneys, the sound and feeling of a comfortable fire is something to really look forward to.

Of course, the condition of your chimney is integral to the safe, successful operation of your fireplace or wood stove. We believe that homeowners should have some general idea of how their chimneys work and what function the different components serve. Here is some information about the chimney crown that sits atop your chimney and the important job that it performs.

Your chimney is exposed all year long to extreme heat and the iciest cold. That can really take a toll over the years. The function of your chimney crown is to protect the structural integrity of your chimney. Generally speaking, the mortar at the top of your chimney is weaker than at other points. To prevent your chimney from degrading from the top down, your chimney crown protects this vulnerable area from the weather throughout the year.

Many homeowners also opt to include a chimney cap on their chimney. Oftentimes the chimney and cap and chimney crown are confused. While the chimney crown is a mortared section of your chimney, the chimney cap is a roofed addition. The function of this chimney component is to prevent rain, snow, leaves and even vermin from entering your chimney. Ideally, a chimney crown and chimney cap will both be utilized in an effort to fully protect your chimney, both inside and out, from any debris or critters that may compromise its integrity.

For more information about the parts and function of your chimney, call the Minneapolis chimney cleaning and sweeping experts at 2nd Generation Chimneys. Our chimney specialists have the answers to any questions you may still have about the importance of your chimney crown. Contact us today for more information.

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What is Tuckpointing and Why Do I need it for my Brick Chimney?

Monday, November 12th, 2012

If you’ve never owned a brick chimney or if you’ve never paid any attention to the one that you have, you may not know what tuckpointing is. But if your chimney has started to crack, lean or deteriorate, you may have started to hear about tuckpointing. We thought it would be helpful for our customers in St. Paul to learn more about this process and why it is necessary for chimney repairs. Below we’ve put together a brief description of what tuckpointing is and why you need it for your chimney repairs.

What is Tuckpointing?

Tuckpointing is the process of repairing the mortar joints between bricks. While the actual bricks in your chimney can last up to 100 years, the mortar joints between them can last around 25 years or more. The tuckpointing process involves routing out the old mortar and then replacing it with new, fresh mortar. Here is how the process works for a typical red brick chimney:

  • The old mortar is ground or routed out at a uniform depth.
  • After that, red mortar is filled in to the newly routed grooves.
  • Thin strips are cut out down the middle of the red mortar to form thin grooves.
  • A contrasting color of mortar, normally white, is then filled into the grooves.

In this way, the original clean shape of the bricks and the mortar are recreated.

Why You Need Tuckpointing On Your Chimney

As the mortar joints in your chimney deteriorate they can start to cause some serious problems.

  • Water proofing – As the mortar joints in your chimney deteriorate they can start to let water into your home. You might not even detect this water which could cause mold, mildew and wood rot.
  • Structural stability – Obviously, if the mortar joints start to deteriorate, your chimney won’t be as sturdy.
  • Avoid rebuilding – If you let the mortar joints in your chimney deteriorate too much, you may have to end up tearing it down and rebuilding it.

Chimney Maintenance

Your chimney should be inspected and maintained every 2 to 3 years. With proper maintenance and repair, including tuckpointing, your chimney should potentially have a long life.

If you have any questions about tuckpointing or chimney repair, call the experts at 2nd Generation Chimney. If you think that your chimney needs tuckpointing, call us and we’ll send one of our technicians out to your home to take a look. about this process and why it is necessary for chimney repairs. Below we’ve put together a brief description of what tuckpointing is and why you need it for your chimney repairs.

What is Tuckpointing?

Tuckpointing is the process of repairing the mortar joints between bricks. While the actual bricks in your chimney can last up to 100 years, the mortar joints between them can last around 25 years or more. The tuckpointing process involves routing out the old mortar and then replacing it with new, fresh mortar. Here is how the process works for a typical red brick chimney:

  • The old mortar is ground or routed out at a uniform depth.
  • After that, red mortar is filled in to the newly routed grooves.
  • Thin strips are cut out down the middle of the red mortar to form thin grooves.
  • A contrasting color of mortar, normally white, is then filled into the grooves.

In this way, the original clean shape of the bricks and the mortar are recreated.

Why You Need Tuckpointing On Your Chimney

As the mortar joints in your chimney deteriorate they can start to cause some serious problems.

  • Water proofing – As the mortar joints in your chimney deteriorate they can start to let water into your home. You might not even detect this water which could cause mold, mildew and wood rot.
  • Structural stability – Obviously, if the mortar joints start to deteriorate, your chimney won’t be as sturdy.
  • Avoid rebuilding – If you let the mortar joints in your chimney deteriorate too much, you may have to end up tearing it down and rebuilding it.

Chimney Maintenance

Your chimney should be inspected and maintained every 2 to 3 years. With proper maintenance and repair, including tuckpointing, your chimney should potentially have a long life.

If you have any questions about tuckpointing or chimney repair, call the experts at 2nd Generation Chimney. If you think that your chimney needs tuckpointing, call us and we’ll send one of our technicians out to your home to take a look.

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We Sweep Chimneys!

Friday, October 26th, 2012

2nd Generation Chimneys is out and about in your neighborhood sweeping chimneys and getting households ready for the winter season. Our crew is ready for you, so give us a call today and we will come prepared for all your chimney needs. 1-888-PIXLEYS

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