Chimney and fireplace work in Golden Valley
Golden Valley nearly tripled in the 1950s, and a third of its homes date from 1940 to 1959. We inspect the chimney for free and give you photos and a written price.
Golden Valley incorporated on December 17, 1886, and stayed mostly farmland into the 20th century. Then it filled in fast: the census counted 5,551 residents in 1950, 14,559 in 1960 and 24,246 in 1970. The 2024 American Community Survey shows 33.8 percent of the city's 10,367 housing units built from 1940 to 1959, only 3.3 percent earlier, and a median year built of 1966. Six in ten homes are single-family detached.
The midcentury houses here often have a brick fireplace chimney with a second flue for the furnace and water heater. Gas heats 77.1 percent of homes. Those chimneys are now 55 to 75 years old, and the parts that wear out are predictable: the crown, the top courses of mortar, the flashing and the clay liner.
Carbon monoxide and the old appliance flue
In November 2025 the City of Golden Valley put out a notice urging residents to install carbon monoxide detectors, describing the gas as odorless, colorless and tasteless and listing headache, nausea and lethargy among the symptoms. Minnesota law (Minn. Stat. 299F.51) already requires a working CO alarm within 10 feet of every room used for sleeping.
A cracked or oversized furnace flue is one way CO ends up indoors. Minnesota's fuel gas rules call for a metal liner in masonry chimneys that vent gas, and when a new furnace vents out the side, IFGC 501.15 says the chimney left for the water heater must be resized. An aluminum gas liner typically runs $625 to $2,250, and stainless $900 to $3,800.
- CO alarm going off in the basement
- Water heater flame rolling out at the draft hood
- Rust or white crust at the chimney base
Freeze-thaw on a 1950s crown
NOAA's 1991–2020 normals at the MSP airport show about 147 nights a year at or below freezing and roughly 90 days with an inch or more of snow on the ground. A crown troweled flat with no overhang, common on older chimneys, lets meltwater sit and soak in. Crown crack repair typically runs $200 to $700+, a new crown $1,000 to $3,000, and waterproofing $150 to $820+.
FAQ
Golden Valley chimney questions
Where should CO alarms go in a Golden Valley home?
Minnesota law requires one within 10 feet of every room used for sleeping. On a split-level, that can mean an alarm on each sleeping floor.
My chimney leaks only when snow melts. Is it the chimney or an ice dam?
If the stain is right at the chimney, look at the crown and flashing. If it is along the eaves, it is more likely an ice dam, which the University of Minnesota Extension ties to heat leaking into the attic. We check both at the free inspection.
Can I switch my wood fireplace to gas?
Yes, with a gas insert ($2,000 to $5,000 installed) or a gas log set ($300 to $2,000). The chimney has to be in good shape and properly lined first.
Do you print a price for cleaning?
No. We price any cleaning at the free inspection, once we have seen the flue.
Book online
Book in Golden Valley. 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.