Why Does Your Chimney Smell?
A fireplace smell in the Chicagoland area is often caused by creosote build-up in the chimney. Wood burning fireplaces get this build up and the chimney smell becomes activated by summer humidity and rain. The chimney odor enters your home when air pressure pulls air down the flue instead of pushing it up and out […]
Fireplace Smoke Smell? Here’s Why It’s Happening and How to Fix It
We have had enough rain in the Chicagoland area to last us the rest of the spring and summer season! Although the grass got greener quite quickly and the tulips are at its peak, not everything is smelling fresh and new. It’s the fireplace smoke smell. This past week, family came into town for a […]
Stop the Stink: Humidity and the Chimney
As the Chicagoland area continues to reach hot temperatures, we’ve had some very uncomfortable humid days. Simply working in the garden or walking down the driveway to get the mail, you’ll experience drips of sweat due to the high humidity. Your chimney is going through similar experiences. Humidity can intensify unwanted smoke smells from the […]
Your Fireplace Smells Like Fireworks!
Have you noticed that odor in the fireplace sometimes smells similar to the residue of fireworks? Every New Years Eve across the world, and Fourth of July in the US, fireworks explode into a concoction of bright, beautiful colors of various shapes and movements. After the celebrations, the smoke from the sky sinks into the […]
Get Your Fireplace Swept and Inspected for the Gobble Gobble
It’s that time of year, and many of you will be hosting Thanksgiving. If your house is like mine, everyone will gravitate to the room where the fireplace is located. Why? Who doesn’t want to sit by the fireplace and enjoy good conversation and a glass of your favorite beverage. Be sure to get your […]
Help, My Fireplace Stinks!
Fireplace smell is no secret to a chimney professional. Though you may want to hide a smelly living room from friends or neighbors, we are used to it! We hear this complaint about smelly fireplaces all the time. Superior Chimney is called throughout Chicago and the Chicago area to help inspect, clean and repair chimneys, […]
Chasing Out the Fireplace Smell

Fireplace smell can be an easily fixable problem in the home. Recently, I was at a dinner party with some friends, and upon entering their beautiful home, came an unpleasant smell. It was musty and smelled like a campfire. I remember it being a humid evening in Illinois, (certainly not uncommon), and unfortunately my friends […]
Chimney Odors: An Unhealthy Campfire Like Smell

What are those campfire like smells? We all like a good campfire, but to smell it indoors? Not so much. Campfire like smells, damp, rotting, sulfuric smells, and so on, can be an indication something unusual is going on in your chimney. The smell of a wood burning fireplace can be a comfort to many, […]
Winter Humidity Causes Smelly Chimneys

Smelly chimneys can occur year round, even in winter. Lately, Illinois has been experiencing some high humidity levels. The quantity of water in the air determines the humidity. The air expands up to four or five times its normal size, which is why it’s sometimes hard to breathe in high humidity. Humid air traps in […]
Letter From a New Customer on Fireplace Smoke
Dear Superior Chimney, I’m concerned about the fireplace smoke that came into my family room. With the cooler temperatures, I was excited to get started with the use of my fireplace. Why was the fireplace smoking? And how can I be sure it doesn’t happen again? Answer: These are great questions that many others can […]