Fireplace and Chimney Service in Englewood, Colorado
Most of Englewood was built between the war and 1960, and many of its brick chimneys are now 65 to 85 years old. We inspect them for free, before any work.
Englewood started as Orchard Place, the home of Thomas Skerritt, who is considered the city's founder, near the spot where gold was found in 1858 at the mouth of what became Little Dry Creek. The Town of Englewood incorporated on May 9, 1903. After World War II the city went through a huge building boom: the population doubled from 16,869 in 1950 to 33,398 in 1960, and most of Englewood was built up by then. Cinderella City, once the largest mall west of the Mississippi, went up on the old City Park site, and CityCenter Englewood later replaced it.
Census figures (ACS 2024) bear that history out. About 35 percent of Englewood homes were built from 1940 to 1959 and another 11 percent before 1940, against 9 and 7 percent statewide. The median home dates from 1964, eleven years older than Denver's median. Gas heats about 61 percent of homes. For chimneys, that means a lot of brick, clay flue tiles, steel dampers and mortar that has been through more than sixty Colorado winters. That is what we look at first.
Postwar brick and 135 freeze-thaw days
NOAA's 1991–2020 normals put Denver at about 135 freeze-thaw days a year. Water soaks into a cracked crown or an open mortar joint, freezes overnight and pushes the masonry apart, then the sun thaws it the next day. After 70 years that shows up as a cracked crown, loose or flaking brick near the top of the stack, and white staining. A new crown typically runs $600 to $2,200, repointing $500 to $2,500, replacing spalled brick $1,000 to $3,500, and rebuilding the top few courses $1,000 to $3,500.
Inside, we look at the clay tiles. A cracked or gapped flue lets heat and smoke reach places they shouldn't, and many postwar flues have never been relined. A stainless liner typically runs $1,500 to $5,000 and a cast-in-place liner $2,000 to $7,000.
Arapahoe Acres
Arapahoe Acres, roughly between Bates and Dartmouth avenues and Marion and Franklin streets, was built from 1949 to 1957 by developer Edward Hawkins, with houses designed by Hawkins, Eugene Sternberg and Joseph Dion. It has about 124 homes, and in 1998 it became the first postwar subdivision listed as a National Register historic district. If you own one of these houses, we match brick and mortar color, and we talk through any change to the chimney's shape before we make it.
Furnace and water-heater flues
With gas heating most Englewood homes, many old chimneys now carry a furnace or water heater instead of a fire. A large, unlined masonry flue can let that exhaust cool and condense, and the moisture wears at the mortar from inside. A liner sized for the furnace or water heater typically runs $625 to $2,250. Colorado also requires a carbon monoxide alarm within 15 feet of every bedroom after permitted work such as replacing a gas appliance, and when a home with a fireplace or gas appliance is sold.
Where we work in Englewood
Arapahoe Acres · Hampden Hills · CityCenter Englewood · Downtown Englewood on Broadway · Belleview Park area · Swedish Medical Center area · Northwest Englewood
FAQ
Englewood chimney questions
My Englewood house is from the 1950s. Does the chimney need a liner?
Not always. Some original clay liners are still sound; others are cracked or open at the joints. We look at the flue at the free inspection, and if a hidden problem is suspected, a camera scan is priced at that visit.
Why is there white staining on my brick chimney?
It is usually efflorescence, salt left behind as water moves through the masonry. It isn't dangerous in itself, but it means water is getting in, often through the crown, the flashing or open joints. We find the source at the inspection.
Can I still use my wood fireplace in Englewood?
On most days, yes. On air-quality Action Days, November through March, open wood fireplaces can't be used in the metro restricted area. Gas logs, an EPA Phase III insert, an approved pellet insert or an electric device make it usable on those days.
Do you charge to look at my chimney?
No. The inspection is free: roof and inside, with photos and a written price for anything that needs doing. Cleaning is priced at that visit too.
Book online
Book in Englewood. 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.