Afton fireplaces work a real season — October through April of wood smoke, gas heat and cold snaps that find every weak pilot and cracked flue tile. Our techs diagnose yours on the spot, fix it with real parts, and leave it lighting first try.
Your information is kept private and used only for your fireplace service request.
The six services Afton homeowners call us for most — from a wood fireplace laying creosote through a long heating season, to a gas insert that will not light on the coldest night.
Repair
Fireplace Repair
Any fireplace, any failure — diagnosed first, then fixed with the right parts. In Afton that usually means a worn thermocouple found in deep cold, cracked clay tile, or mortar that freeze and thaw worked loose.
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Repair
Gas Fireplace Repair
The first-light failure after a humid idle summer is the call we know best in Afton. Pilot that won't stay lit, dead remote, weak or lazy flame: gas systems diagnosed safely and repaired to code.
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Cleaning & Care
Fireplace Cleaning
Soot, dust and that stale closed-up smell removed from the firebox, glass and burner — the deep clean for a gas unit that sat shut through a humid summer and smells stale when opened.
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Cleaning & Care
Fireplace Inspection
Firebox, flue, venting and controls checked end to end, with a plain-language report. The right call before the first fire in October — or before lighting a fireplace that is new to you.
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Install & Replace
Fireplace Installation
A new gas fireplace or an outdoor fire feature, done right: sizing, venting, gas and electric runs, finishing — one crew, start to first fire. Gas inserts in existing masonry fireboxes are the Afton favorite — sealed, remote-lit, and done with creosote for that fireplace.
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Cleaning & Care
Fireplace Service & Maintenance
The annual service that keeps a Afton gas fireplace lighting first try: full clean, burner and pilot service, safety sensors tested, and a test fire before we leave.
Get a free estimateNeed something else — a damper, a blower, a smoke problem, a bird in the flue? We cover all 27 fireplace specialties. Call (888) 257-9181 and describe it.
A fireplace in Afton works from October to April, then sits idle through humid summer months. Freeze and thaw, wood smoke and deep cold do the damage here. This is what we actually find, and what we check on every visit.
Water gets into a chimney crown, a mortar joint or a hairline crack, then freezes, expands, and pries the masonry wider. Repeat that cycle all winter in Afton and bricks start to spall, crowns split, and mortar crumbles. We check the crown, joints and flashing on every inspection and point out damage early.
Many older Afton homes were built with clay tile flue liners. The tiles work for decades, then crack from age, repeated heat, and the thermal shock of a very cold flue meeting a hot fire. A cracked liner lets heat and gases reach the masonry and framing, which is exactly what an inspection is for.
The coldest nights are when a gas fireplace in Minnesota is needed most — and when a weak thermocouple, a tired thermopile, or a pilot orifice narrowed by dust finally gives out. The pilot lights, holds for a minute, then drops. We test each part in order and replace only the one that failed.
An open flue in the off-season is shelter. Raccoons, birds and squirrels nest in chimneys across Washington County in spring and summer, and a nest blocks draft, holds moisture, and can push smoke and carbon monoxide into the room if a fire is lit under it. We clear blockages and fit screened caps.
Afton sits in Washington County, and the ZIP list at the bottom of this page covers 1 serviceable ZIP codes — 55001 through 55001. The closest served neighbors are Lake St. Croix Beach, Lakeland, Lakeland Shores, and every one of them is covered by the same crews, the same day, under the same number: (888) 257-9181.
Same-day service, free estimates, licensed & insured — and a fireplace that lights when you click the remote.
At least once a year if you burn regularly — and sooner if you burn most evenings through a Afton heating season. Steady wood fires lay down creosote, and the glazed kind builds fastest from slow, smoldering fires. Cleaning removes that buildup before it can ignite, and the visit also checks the liner, cap and damper.
Water soaks into a crown, a mortar joint or porous brick, then freezes and expands, prying the opening wider each time. Over a few Midwest winters that cycle spalls brick faces, splits crowns, and crumbles mortar joints, and the gaps let more water in. Catching it early is a repair; ignoring it becomes a rebuild.
Usually the thermocouple or thermopile. Those sensors sit in the pilot flame and prove heat before the main burner is allowed gas; when they wear out, the valve shuts the pilot down as a safety measure. Dust in the pilot orifice can starve the flame and cause the same symptom, so we clean and test before replacing parts.
Do not light a fire. Raccoons and birds nest in open flues through spring and summer in Minnesota, and a nest blocks the draft and holds moisture against the liner. Lighting under a blockage pushes smoke and carbon monoxide into the room. We remove the blockage, check the flue for damage, and fit a screened cap.
Idle months are the usual cause. Dust settles in the pilot orifice, insects reach the burner ports, and a thermocouple that was already tired gives up while the unit sits through humid summer weather. Most fall no-light calls are one small part or a thorough service — cleaning, pilot and burner checks, and a test fire before we leave.
No — and be wary of anyone who does. Every fireplace fails differently, so a phone price is a guess that changes at your door. Our estimates are free: a tech looks at the actual problem, then gives you one clear price before any work starts.
Fireplace Team is a national company with local technicians serving Afton street addresses across the ZIP codes below — same-day service and free estimates, every day 8 AM – 8 PM. More of Minnesota is covered from our Minnesota page. The Afton list below covers 1 ZIP codes, 55001 through 55001.
Don't see your ZIP? Afton also uses P.O. Box and single-organization ZIP codes that have no street addresses — call (888) 257-9181 and we will confirm coverage for your street address on the call.
Also serving nearby: Lake St. Croix Beach, MN · Lakeland, MN · Lakeland Shores, MN · St. Marys Point, MN · Woodbury, MN · Cottage Grove, MN.
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