Chimney sweep in Saint Paul, MN

Chimney care in the 651 area

Winters around Saint Paul, Cottage Grove and Farmington 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 491,300 homes and apartments in the 651 territory. 52.7% were built before 1980 and 15.8% before 1940, close to the Minnesota figure of 53.3% built before 1980. The median home here dates from the 1970s, and 60.3% of homes are single-family detached houses.

75.7% of occupied homes heat mainly with utility gas and 18.5% with electricity. Wood is the main heating fuel in 0.4% of homes, lower than the national rate of 1.5%.

With 15.8% 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, the territory is in climate zone 6A (cold, humid).

The 651 territory is home to roughly 1,213,000 people across 83 ZIP codes in Ramsey County, Dakota County, Washington County, Anoka County and 4 more counties.

Services in Saint Paul

• Chimney inspection in Saint Paul: Level 1, 2 and 3 to NFPA 211
• Chimney cleaning in Saint Paul: creosote and soot removal
• Dryer vent cleaning in Saint Paul: 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.