Chimney sweep in Rochester, MN

Chimney care in the 507 area

Winters around Rochester, Mankato and Winona mean long, heavy heating seasons and deep freeze-thaw cycles. Wood stoves, inserts and fireplaces that run for months build creosote quickly, and ice and snow load test crowns, caps and flashing. Plan an inspection and sweep in late summer or early fall, before the busy season starts.

The Census Bureau counts about 363,800 homes and apartments in the 507 territory. 61% were built before 1980 and 22.2% before 1940, higher than the Minnesota figure of 53.3% built before 1980. The median home here dates from the 1970s, and 74.4% of homes are single-family detached houses.

59.3% of occupied homes heat mainly with utility gas and 18.7% with bottled, tank or LP gas. Wood is the main heating fuel in 1.8% of homes, higher than the national rate of 1.5%.

With 22.2% of homes built before 1940, many chimneys here are older masonry. Older flues can be unlined or have clay tile liners that have cracked over the years, which a camera inspection of the flue will show.

Under the 2021 International Energy Conservation Code, 89% of residents live in climate zone 6A (cold, humid), and the rest mostly in 5A (cool, humid).

The 507 territory (with overlay 924) is home to roughly 847,000 people across 251 ZIP codes in Olmsted County, Blue Earth County, Rice County, Winona County and 28 more counties.

Services in Rochester

• Chimney inspection in Rochester: Level 1, 2 and 3 to NFPA 211
• Chimney cleaning in Rochester: creosote and soot removal
• Dryer vent cleaning in Rochester: full vent run to the outside hood
• Chimney repairs, chimney relining and wood stove installs: ask your local company whether they offer them

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2018–2022 5-year estimates (tables B25034, B25040, B25024) for the ZIP codes in this territory; climate zones from PNNL, Guide to Determining Climate Zone by County (2022). Population from our ZIP code data.