Chimney freeze thaw cycle is a regular occurrence in Illinois, even with the mild winter we’ve been experiencing. Now with the week ahead, temperatures hovering around the 30 degree mark during the day, chance of snow multiple times and in the 20’s at night, is a perfect recipe for the chimney to have to endure […]
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 […]
Why Does the Fireplace Let Cold Air into the Home?
Whenever we think of a cold winter’s day, our minds drift to a warm fireplace. There’s nothing like sitting in an oversized chair with my favorite ‘drink’ while I close my eyes to enjoy the warmth and crackling sound of the fire. The fireplace can certainly serve as a place of solace and relaxation. Clearly, […]
The 5 Signs of a Chimney Water Leak
After many days of rain, I spent time last night dining outside at a local restaurant. Even though it was a bit chilly, it felt great getting some fresh air. As all of our tables were ‘socially distant’, my ears are always aware of interesting conversations around me. The one that caught my attention was […]
The Hardships of Being Chimney Tall. It’s Always First.
Our team of chimney technicians continue to be hard at work cleaning and inspecting chimney’s after the winter months. Winter can be hard on all of us, but it’s hardest on the chimney. The chimney is the tallest point on the house, it’s the first to get rained on, the first to break the wind, […]
Have You Ever Experienced Rain in 4D?
Saturday’s rain was never ending. We pushed through and went to a friend’s house to watch an evening of college football. As the football game played on the vast flat screen right over the mantel of the fireplace, we can see and hear the rain coming down…both outside and on the TV. The severity of […]
5 Ways to prepare Your Fireplace for the Cold Weather
I took a quick poll asking family, friends and even strangers, “Did you turn on your furnace?” It was an impressive 80% that answered, “No.” Then I asked a follow up question, “Did you use your fireplace?” That was more interesting with a 50% “Yes” 50% ”No”. Surprised by the results? I found the reasons […]
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. […]
An Unconventional Chimney Leak Produces an Unconventional Response
It seems obvious that when you have a An Unconventional Chimney Leak Produces an Unconventional Response It seems obvious that when you have a chimney leak, water drips from the outside chimney and ends up in the fireplace inside your home. This particular fireplace leak happened next to the fireplace. Take a look at the […]
Chimney Saver: Is it worth the investment?
A neighbor recently hired Superior Chimney to repair their chimney. Fortunately, the masonry didn’t deteriorate where it would need to be rebuilt. Instead it needed extensive repair. The mortar had disappeared well into the bricks and the concrete chimney cap had removed itself from the chimney. In addition, the flashing had come away from the […]
