Chimney Liner. A Short Order.
Wow, doesn’t this look nice…light color brick, a smooth finish to the masonry, concrete top in a bright white color. Wait… What’s that coming out of the top? Coming out of the chimney crown or that bright white color in the picture, is a standard single flue gas appliance liner cap. The intention was to […]
Roller Coaster of Spring Temperatures
You know summer is coming when Six Flags opens its doors…which starts on the 14th…FYI. The roller coasters are the favorite with the twist and turns, gaining speed until you feel out of breath. I know this past week was like a preview to a roller coaster ride with temperatures ranging from summer to mid-winter, […]
Spring Storms – Chimney
The storm that passed through this week made a mess. I went outside to begin working on the clean-up. I walked around the house picking up numerous branches, twigs and debris to find a piece of steel and some steel netting. Right away, I thought that it had come from my neighbor’s house. Fortunately, many […]
Crates as a Chimney Cap? Doesn’t really help.
Got your attention? Thought so. It’s not fake, it’s not stock photography. There are homes in Chicago and the surrounding areas with crates, and even shopping carts placed over the top of the chimney. The main reason for the extreme creativity is to keep the animals out especially with the unseasonably warm weather. Do you […]
Rain, Freeze, Thaw…Repeat
The absence of snow these past 3 weeks was a well needed break. Certainly, didn’t think rain would be taking its place, especially in January. But it did. Not only did it rain, but the rain turned to sleet, froze, thawed and the water found its way into my friend’s house. They described it as, […]
Put a Damper On It!
A little chimney humor. Many of you probably figured it out. I’m talking about chimney dampers. If you’re like me, I love the fireplace, but not the cold breeze. Sitting in the family room watching TV with the family, as I’m sure most are, the last thing you want to feel is a chill in the […]
Pre-Season for Fireplaces & Chimneys
It’s that time of year where pre-season fireplaces & chimneys is all the rage! Never heard of pre-season fireplaces & chimneys? It’s similar to pre-season football. It’s the 4 weeks prior to the start of the regular season where the coaches make their decisions about fine tuning the team…who to keep and who to cut. […]
Dryer Vent. I Never Really Think About It.
I’ve lived in the same house for the past 12 years, raising a couple of kids and washed just about 4,000 loads of laundry. That’s only in this house. I never thought about the dryer vent. I always cleaned the lint trap after every load of wash…another 4,000 cleans. A few months ago, I was […]