Chimney repair for Duluth and the Twin Ports

How it works

1. Call or send a request

   Tell us your town and what you're seeing on or around the chimney.

2. We connect you

   Your call goes to an independent chimney or masonry company that serves Duluth and the Twin Ports.

3. They call you back

   They inspect the chimney and quote the work directly.

Who is this for?

Homeowners, landlords and buyers in Duluth, Hermantown, Proctor, Cloquet and Superior, Wisconsin who have a brick chimney, a fireplace, a wood or pellet stove, or a furnace or boiler that vents through a chimney. That's a lot of houses here. The City of Duluth's own housing analysis found that roughly 44 percent of the city's homes were built before 1940, so many chimneys in neighborhoods like Lakeside, Hunters Park, Chester Park, the East Hillside and West Duluth are close to a century old or older.

Why are Duluth chimneys so hard on masonry?

Water and cold. A chimney is the most exposed piece of masonry on a house, and Duluth gives it a long season to work on. The city averages about 90 inches of snow a year, around 100 days when the high never gets above freezing, and a first fall freeze that usually arrives near the end of September. Lake-effect snow off Lake Superior can bury the hillside while inland towns get much less.

Brick and mortar soak up rain and melting snow. When that water freezes, it expands and pushes the masonry apart a little at a time. Over enough winters, mortar joints wash out, brick faces pop off (spalling), and the concrete crown on top cracks and lets more water straight into the chimney. Once water gets inside, it rusts dampers and fireboxes, stains ceilings, and in the worst cases loosens brick high on the stack.

Warning signs to watch for

• Mortar joints that are recessed, sandy or missing
• Brick faces flaking, cracking or falling onto the roof or yard
• White, chalky staining on the outside of the chimney
• Water stains on the ceiling or wall beside the chimney, or in the attic
• Rust on the damper, firebox or a metal cap
• A leaning stack, or a chimney that has pulled away from the house
• Smoke or a strong smoky smell coming into the room when the fireplace or stove is used
• Pieces of clay flue tile in the firebox or at the cleanout

How often should a chimney be inspected?

Once a year. NFPA 211, the national fire-safety standard for chimneys, fireplaces and vents, says chimneys should be inspected at least once a year for soundness, freedom from deposits and correct clearances, and the Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) points homeowners to the same standard. Sweeping is done when the inspection shows it's needed. A chimney that's used lightly still deserves a look, because animal nests, fallen tile or water damage can make it unsafe even without much soot. Late summer is a good time to book in the Northland, before the first cold snap fills everyone's schedule.

What does chimney work usually involve here?

• Tuckpointing and masonry repair for washed-out joints and spalled brick, including partial rebuilds above the roofline
• Crowns and caps to keep snow, rain and animals out of the top of the chimney
• Chimney liners when old clay tile is cracked or a new furnace, boiler or stove needs a properly sized flue
• Leak repair at flashing, crowns and porous brick
• Inspections and sweeping before heating season, after a chimney fire, and before buying a home

Does chimney work need a permit in Duluth?

Some of it does. Permits in Duluth go through the City's Construction Services and Inspections division, which handles building and mechanical permits, including fireplaces. Rebuilding a chimney, installing a new fireplace or stove, or relining a flue for a new appliance is the kind of work that commonly needs one, while routine sweeping doesn't. Ask your contractor what your job needs and who will pull the permit. In Superior and the rest of Wisconsin, local and state rules are different, so ask a Wisconsin contractor about those.

Buying an older home?

A general home inspection usually looks at the chimney from the ground or the roof edge. It doesn't look down the flue. If the house you're buying has a fireplace, wood stove or a furnace venting into masonry, a separate chimney inspection with a camera can show cracked tile, missing mortar or an unlined flue before you close. More on chimney inspections.

Are you a chimney company?

No. Duluth Chimney Repair is a referral service. We connect you with an independent chimney or masonry company that serves your address, and that company inspects, quotes, performs and stands behind the work. Read our tips for hiring a chimney contractor and the Duluth chimney guide before you hire anyone.

Areas we cover

• Duluth
• Hermantown and Proctor
• Superior, Wisconsin
• Cloquet and Carlton County

Planning ahead? Read our Duluth chimney guide.