Chimney and Fireplace Service in Bloomington, Minnesota
Bloomington went from about 9,900 people in 1950 to more than 50,000 in 1960, and many of the brick chimneys from that decade are still venting furnaces. Our inspection is free.
Few places in the state grew as fast as Bloomington did after the war. Wikipedia's history of the city counts 9,902 residents in 1950 and 50,498 in 1960, with work on Interstate 35W and Metropolitan Stadium starting in 1956. Today it is the fourth-largest city in Minnesota, with 89,987 people in 2020, stretching along the north bank of the Minnesota River from the Hyland and Bush Lake parks to the South Loop around Mall of America.
Census ACS figures (2024 five-year) show about a quarter of Bloomington's 39,261 homes were built between 1940 and 1959, and the median year built is 1972. Gas heats 75 percent of occupied homes. The result is a city of postwar ramblers and split-levels with real masonry chimneys, many now 65 years or older, mixed with newer townhomes that use gas fireplaces. East of I-35W, where Wikipedia says most of the less expensive housing sits, the rambler share runs especially high.
The furnace flue in a 1950s rambler
A typical Bloomington rambler has one brick chimney with two flues: the fireplace on one side, the gas furnace and water heater on the other. Minnesota's fuel gas code, Minn. R. 1346.5501, says an approved metal liner shall be installed in masonry chimneys used to vent gas appliances, and it bars connecting any appliance to a flue that serves a fireplace. Many of these chimneys were never lined to that standard.
The common trouble starts when a high-efficiency furnace is installed and vented out the side wall. The water heater is left alone in a flue sized for two appliances, its exhaust cools before it reaches the top, and the condensation soaks the clay tile and mortar. The fuel gas code Minnesota adopts (IFGC 501.15) says a chimney left in that state must be resized to control condensation. An aluminum liner for gas appliances typically runs $625 to $2,250, and a stainless liner $900 to $3,800.
Crowns and mortar on an older stack
Bloomington chimneys sit right next to the airport weather station. NOAA's 1991–2020 normals for MSP show about 147 nights a year at or below freezing and about 51 inches of snow, and by our arithmetic on those normals roughly 75 days a year freeze at night and thaw by afternoon. Each cycle works water deeper into a cracked crown or an open mortar joint.
The current Minnesota Residential Code describes the top of a masonry chimney as a concrete, metal or stone cap, sloped to shed water, with a drip edge and a caulked bond break around the flue liner. Typical ranges: crown crack repair $200 to $700 and up, a new crown $1,000 to $3,000, tuckpointing $500 to $2,500.
- Crumbling mortar on the top few courses
- White staining or flaking brick faces
- A crown with no overhang or drip edge
- Rusted or missing cap on the furnace flue
Where we work in Bloomington
West Bloomington · East Bloomington · Penn-American District · Normandale Lake District · South Loop · Hyland Park area · Bush Lake area
FAQ
Bloomington chimney questions
Does my Bloomington furnace chimney need a liner?
If it is a masonry chimney venting a gas furnace or water heater, Minnesota's fuel gas code (Minn. R. 1346.5501) calls for an approved metal liner. We check what is in the flue at the free inspection and tell you whether it meets that rule.
We replaced our furnace and now the basement chimney has white crust. Why?
That is usually condensation from the water heater, which is now venting alone into an oversized clay flue. The exhaust cools, condenses and leaves mineral deposits. A liner sized to the water heater is the usual fix, at $625 to $2,250 for aluminum or $900 to $3,800 for stainless.
How much is a chimney cleaning in Bloomington?
We price it at the free inspection, once we have seen the fireplace and the flue. The price is written down before any work starts.
Do you work on both sides of I-35W?
Yes, all of Bloomington, from the Normandale Lake offices to the ramblers east of the freeway and the river bluffs. We book Sunday through Friday in 3-hour windows and call ahead to confirm.
Book online
Book in Bloomington. The inspection is free.
Free inspection in a 3-hour arrival window: 8 to 11, 11 to 2, or 2 to 5, Sunday through Friday. We phone to confirm before we come.