Chimney Service for Leavenworth, KS

With the opening of the fort in the early 1800s, the development of the community and the families that supported it began the style of chimney and fireplaces seen in the present day. Some of the most majestic homes in the Kansas City area, dating back to pre-1900, are found in Leavenworth. Many of these homes were constructed for the families of military officials, prominent businessmen, and the local government politicians. These mansions had multiple chimneys serving mutable fireplaces, as well as gas stove fireplaces in the master bedrooms, and the coal or oil fired boilers. Most chimneys were of an ornamental design, with corbeling of brickwork. Some even had limestone crowns. Almost all of them started out without chimney caps to keep the rain and animals out.

Due to so much of the town becoming developed prior to 1945, a number of these early chimneys did not have flue liner systems. They simply relied on the brickwork and parging for protection from the exhaust and excessive heat from the surrounding combustibles. The mortar of these early fireplaces and chimneys was a soft, lime mixture that had very narrow joints. Joints only a quarter inch wide make it challenging to tuck-point these homes in the event the mortar becomes loose. The fireplaces of early Leavenworth, Kansas were frequently open square shaped and ornamented with beautiful tile, hand-carved mantles, and trim. Almost all of these pre-WWII homes had the hearth at floor level.

Leavenworth fireplaces are some of the most challenging to restore to safe functioning. With the outside dimensions frequently being very rectangular, there often isn’t room to install a liner system of adequate size to service a large fireplace. Full Service Chimney is knowledgeable in the latest chimney and fireplace restoration techniques. We have restored many homes and hearths to allow the families to enjoy their fireplaces once more.

The elderly chimneys and flues in Leavenworth servicing the utility fireplaces in the basement are in current need of repair. Long gone are the coal-fired boilers. These chimneys service gas appliances, some even of the high-efficiency variety. Once a chimney has had oil or coal burned through it, it has a deposit of sulfur embedded in its mortar and tiles. When this sulfur residue is subject to the high moisture content of gas exhaust it is very corrosive to the bricks, mortar, and especially, flue tiles.