New Castle CountyLocal guide
Chimney Care in New Castle County, DE: What Homeowners Should Know
New Castle County holds Delaware's oldest streets and some of its newest subdivisions. Wilmington and old New Castle have brick and stone chimneys well over a century old, while Middletown, Bear and Pike Creek have many newer homes, where factory-built fireplaces and gas vents are more likely. Winters hover near freezing, so crowns, caps and liners need a yearly check.
Colonial towns, trolley suburbs and new developments
Wilmington's neighborhoods tell the county's story in brick. Happy Valley, on the slope down to Brandywine Park, is a small group of late 19th century row houses. Trinity Vicinity mixes row homes and detached houses, many from the late 1800s, and Trolley Square grew from the 1860s after the trolley reached old farmland. Brandywine Hills, with about 225 homes, was started in the 1930s. The city designates nine historic districts and one conservation district.
Old New Castle is older still: its historic district covers about four square blocks around the green the Dutch laid out, with roughly 500 historic buildings from 1700 to 1940. Newark dates from 1694 and Hockessin from 1688, though Newark, once ringed by farmland, is now surrounded by housing developments. Claymont, which covers the whole 19703 ZIP code, has subdivisions such as Worthland and Woodstream Gardens alongside the 1783 Grubb/Worth Mansion, and Glasgow, called Aikentown during the Revolution, keeps National Register homes such as La Grange. Pike Creek, about five miles from downtown Newark, mixes detached houses with townhouses and other attached homes. The newest growth lies south and west. Bear was a small farming crossroads until large developments went up along Route 40 in the late 1980s and 1990s, and Middletown's population grew by about 206 percent between 2000 and 2010, making it known as the fastest-growing area in Delaware.
Boilers, gas fireplaces and factory-built units
Older houses in Wilmington and New Castle usually have masonry chimneys, often first built for coal or wood fires, that now vent a gas or oil boiler or a water heater. Newer homes in Middletown, Bear and Pike Creek more often have factory-built fireplaces with metal chimneys, or gas fireplaces vented through the wall. These are different systems with different needs. Masonry flues need sound liners and mortar; metal chimneys need intact pipe sections, caps and chase covers, and gas units need their vents kept clear. If you are replacing a furnace in an older Wilmington house, have the chimney checked at the same time, because the old flue may no longer match the new equipment.
Where problems show up first
The NFPA 211 standard calls for chimneys, fireplaces and vents to be inspected at least once a year and cleaned when deposits build up.
- Rowhouse chimneys in Wilmington: shared masonry, loose top courses and old clay liners
- Colonial and 19th century chimneys in New Castle and Newark: soft mortar that needs a compatible repointing mix
- Newer homes: rusted chase covers on framed chimneys, which let water into the wood box below
- Townhouses: chimneys and vents can sit close together on one roof, so make sure each flue has its own sound cap
- Every home: a missing or damaged cap, which lets in rain, birds and animals
Winters near the freezing line
Almost all of the county has a humid subtropical climate, with the high ground around Ebright Azimuth, Delaware's highest point, a little colder. Wilmington's January daily average is 32.4 degrees, but passing fronts can drop it to 10 or lift it to 55, so freeze and thaw cycles come often. In summer the city averages 21 days with highs of 90 or more. Snowfall averages about 20 inches a season and varies widely, from almost none to several major storms. Summer brings frequent thunderstorms and driving rain that tests flashing and crowns.
Historic districts and permits
The New Castle Court House, the Green and the Sheriff's House are part of First State National Historical Park, and Wilmington's districts include Quaker Hill, Kentmere Parkway and Trinity Vicinity. If your home is in a historic district or is a designated landmark, ask the local historic preservation body whether chimney work that changes the exterior needs approval. Otherwise, check with your city, town or county building office. Pro 1 Chimney is family-owned and brings its own licensed and insured crew.
