A Beginning Season Fireplace Guide for Your Fireplace and Chimney
We’re heading in that time of year where homeowners are opting for hot chocolate over an iced tea. The sound of a crackling fireplace becomes more and more desirable as the cool nights settle in. Nothing is better than the sound of a warm, cozy fireplace. As you want to get the fireplace started, you’ll […]
Can You Keep Your Fireplace Closed This Summer?
You may have heard from friends or family about keeping your fireplace open during the summer, so long as you have a chimney cap to keep the debris and animals out. Keeping the fireplace open all summer is known as “airing out” the fireplace. It makes sense, keep the stale air out and let fresh […]
What’s “Bugging” You This Summer?
Let’s face it, chimney tuckpointing isn’t at the top of your mind this summer. Spring cleaning is over, it’s time for a vacation. Maybe spending time at Lake Michigan or the pool took over your to-do list! But, have you noticed some familiar critters falling from the trees (and into your pool…) all over the […]
Can You Pass the Chimney Inspection This Year?
It’s summertime in the Chicagoland area! The birds are out, making nests in chimneys, rain soaking into the bricks, heat and humidity wearing away slowly on the outside of your chimney. As the sun beats down on the chimney cap, you might notice some small bits of rust tucked away underneath the cap’s edges and […]
What Type of Chimney Do You Have?
Stone or brick masonry, gas or wood burning…There are many types of chimneys out there! Are you wondering what type of chimney you have in your home? Knowing the type of chimney you have is important for proper maintenance. In this article, we will discuss the different types of chimneys, their characteristics, and how to […]
Now’s the Time to Get the Chimney Repaired
When you get a bigger project done such as tuckpointing the chimney, or partially rebuilding the chimney, it seems like it was just completed yesterday. A customer recently called and asked for one of our masonry tech experts to inspect the chimney. When we looked up the customer’s name and address, we found that the […]
What To Do About a Chimney Leak?!
A chimney can be an obvious place where a chimney leak can occur. The chimney extends to the sky, many times as the highest point of your home. Not to mention, there’s a hole at the top that needs to be covered, and cement and bricks that are porous! It’s pretty obvious that chimney leaks […]
Wind Storms and the Chimney: With or Without Rain
Wind storms and the chimney: it’s not a pair made in paradise. The wind storms that we’ve had lately in the Chicagoland area have been challenging. Not only has debris from the trees been thick all over the grass and driveway, but has also blown off roofing materials, gutters and of course some things associated […]
A Flammable Chimney
A chimney without a chimney liner (firewall) or a damaged chimney liner is in need of a chimney liner replacement. Take a brief walk around your neighborhood and look to the very top of each home’s chimney. Do you notice any black smears covering the bricks? It looks like someone spilled a can of black […]
Chimney vs. Water
Every blog post, video and chimney professional will tell you water damage to a chimney is the worst and the most common damage your chimney will go through. Plants, our bodies and animals are made up of at least 70% water! Yet, our chimneys are not. Chimneys are heavily affected by rain, wind and everyday […]