Fireplace and chimney service in Lakewood
Lakewood took the worst of the 2017 hailstorm, and half its homes were built from 1950 to 1979. We inspect for free and photograph damage for your adjuster.
Lakewood is a mid-century city that incorporated late, in 1969. The Census Bureau's 2024 survey puts the median home at 1977, and about half of Lakewood's homes were built between 1950 and 1979, when the city filled in with ranches and split-levels on the plains east of Green Mountain. Gas heats about 71 percent of homes. Many of those houses have a brick chimney that is now 50 to 75 years old, often with its original clay liner.
Lakewood is also where the May 8, 2017 hailstorm did some of its worst damage. The storm caused about $2.3 billion in damage across the Denver area, with roughly 100,600 homeowner claims, and the Colorado Mills mall in Lakewood was badly hit. Hail damage to a chimney is easy to miss from the ground. At the free inspection we check the cap, crown and chase cover from the roof, take photos and write down the price of any repair.
What hail does to a chimney
On a brick chimney, hail cracks the concrete crown and dents or punctures the metal cap. On a factory-built one, it dents the sheet-metal chase cover so that it holds water and rusts. Either way the water shows up later, as stains on a ceiling, rust running down siding or damp in the firebox. Typical ranges: cap $250 to $850, chase cover $300 to $700, crown $600 to $2,200.
We photograph what we find for your insurance adjuster. Whether a claim is paid depends on your policy, so we leave that between you and your insurer.
Mid-century brick and clay liners
Chimneys from the 1950s to 1970s usually have clay tile liners laid in mortar. After decades of heat and about 135 freeze-thaw days a year, which is what NOAA's normals count at Denver-Stapleton, those joints open and tiles crack. Many also vent a gas furnace or water heater, whose moist exhaust wears at old mortar from the inside. A stainless liner typically runs $1,500 to $5,000, and a furnace or water-heater liner $625 to $2,250.
Where we work in Lakewood
Belmar · Eiber · Morse Park · Green Mountain · Bear Creek · Solterra · Westgate
FAQ
Lakewood chimney questions
Can hail damage a chimney even if the roof looks fine?
Yes. Caps and chase covers are thin metal and dent more easily than shingles, and a hairline crack in a crown can't be seen from the street. We check it at the free inspection and photograph anything we find.
Can I burn wood in Lakewood on a no-burn day?
Only in an approved device: an EPA Phase III stove or insert, an approved pellet stove or a masonry heater. Lakewood is inside the state's restricted area from November through March. Gas fireplaces aren't restricted.
Our Lakewood ranch has a gas furnace and a wood fireplace in one chimney. Do both flues need checking?
Yes. They wear differently. The furnace flue runs all winter and takes the most moisture. We check both at the free inspection and price each one separately.
How much does a chimney cleaning cost in Lakewood?
We price the cleaning at the free inspection, once we've seen the flue. You get the price in writing before we start. We book Sunday to Friday in 3-hour windows and call to confirm.
Book online
Book in Lakewood. The inspection is free.
Free inspection in a 3-hour window: 8 to 11, 11 to 2, or 2 to 5. We call to confirm before we arrive.