Temperature Changes Causes Our Chimney’s to Feel Sick
We look forward to the time of year when the consistent cold temperatures move on and Spring begins to show itself with the early signs of green and tulips peeking through the ground. However, Spring is also the time of year that causes homeowners to find areas of the home that need repair, especially the […]
Leaves in the Chimney, Can It Be Dangerous?
I just came inside from blowing leaves off of the lawn. It was crazy how I had to pick leaves out of the bushes, stuck inside the fence, sitting on the window sill and out of the filled gutters. Even if you have gutter guards, the leaves are still stuck on top of the guards […]
Tuckpointing Bricks on the Chimney
We are coming to an end of summer. This is when our weather begins to change and our focus turns to a nice fire in the fireplace. Did you know that most tuckpointing repairs are done during warm weather? Meaning spring, summer and fall. This is important as the mortar needs to fully dry and […]
Cicada Crawling Up the Chimney
This past weekend, for most homeowners, was the time to cut your grass. We’ve had plenty of rain to have the grass grow quite long. After opening the garage door and pulling out the mower, I was greeted by cicadas sitting on both garbage cans. They are definitely a good size bug. Okay, no big […]
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 […]
What do Homeowners Need to Know About the Art of Chimney Tuckpointing
We all know what tuckpointing is all about. You can check your brick or stone home at anytime searching for missing mortar. That’s fairly easy. However, how often do you check the chimney, the highest point on your home? With the chimney braving all of the Chicago elements such as rain, high wind, hail, snow, […]
Causes & Fixes for a Chimney Leak
Chimney leaks. Every time it rains, and we’ve had plenty, Superior Chimney experiences an increase in calls about chimney leaks. One of the reasons that it is important to call us versus writing a message on Facebook is to determine if the chimney leak is coming from the chimney or from the roof. To determine […]
Plenty of Rain, High Humidity, and You’re Wondering Why the Fireplace Smells
Some homeowners might shrug-off the fireplace smells as most households have air conditioning. If you have the air conditioning on, then the fireplace won’t smell…right? Not so fast. First, glass doors are frequently found in front of the fireplace. How does the fresh air get in there? It doesn’t. Also, let’s say you have a […]
Do I Need to Waterproof the Chimney?
There are a lot of questions being asked about waterproof chimney. Many think it’s a ‘nice to have’ versus a necessity. We decided to ask the certified technicians about waterproof chimney, and here’s what they had to say. Q: Should bricks be waterproofed? I thought that bricks need to ‘breathe’? Bricks are a porous material […]
Giving Your Old Chimney New Life
As you drive around any of the suburbs or within the City of Chicago, you will quickly find many homes that were built prior to 1960. Although older homes are beautiful and exhibit characteristics of the time, it also lacks the safety codes that are standard in newer homes built after 1960. Sadly, these codes […]
