Your home is likely your largest investment, and it’s a place in this world that’s all your own. When you’re ready for an upgrade, an outdoor fireplace is a great feature worth considering. The same type of cozy warmth and architectural transformation a fireplace provides indoors is equally appreciated in outdoor living spaces. Fires provide a unique primitive enjoyment that never grows old with time. More and more homeowners […]

Along with bringing down trees and powerlines, strong storms often damage chimneys. Sitting at the top of the roof, the chimney is especially vulnerable to damage from heavy rain and high winds. We have even seen chimneys that were struck by lightning. Whether or not your use your fireplace, it is important to take action quickly if your chimney has been damaged. Black mold, interior water damage and insect […]

A wood-burning fireplace is a pleasant addition to any home, and it’s a great gathering place for family and friends in winter. Safety should always be the chief consideration, however. Potential dangers are associated with fires from wood fireplaces and wood stoves. Precautions are needed. Among the safety steps is using interior and exterior spark arrestors. One stray ember is all it could take […]

Do you have a wood-burning fireplace or stove? If so, you have one of the most attractive and popular home features—but you are probably well aware. The ambiance of a crackling fire inside when ice is forming on the trees outside is a special pleasure that nothing else can quite duplicate. It’s important to maintain awareness, however, that a dirty chimney can affect the operation of […]

The popular saying “knowledge is power” is especially true about fireplace safety. Learning about the hidden dangerous a fireplace poses is the best way to protect yourself and your property. Unintentional carelessness is the leading cause of deaths from residential fires in the U.S. according to our nation’s Fire Administration’s (USFA’s) National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS). When you use a fireplace, live flames […]

A fireplace has special appeal and is unlike any other feature in the home. A wood fire is a throwback to primitive cooking and heating methods. There’s something very natural about a fire, with the crackling wood and outdoorsy scent. On cold winter days, the best place to be is near a warm fire. The fireplace is even a great place to gather with family and […]

A chimney that has provided plenty of heat and pleasurable moments in winter is in need of maintenance in the spring. Experts say that a chimney inspection should be done annually, even if the fireplace has rarely been used. Chimney cleaning reduces the possibility of unpleasant smells being emitted when the weather is warm. Less obvious matters also require attention, to ensure that […]

Imagine your perfect fireplace or wood burning stove. Aside from how it looks, think about how you would want it to operate. Most likely, the ideal wood-burning system you imagined didn’t let in a smelly draft of cold air or vent smoke into your home. You probably imagined that lighting a fire in it was easy and it produced enough heat […]

No one wants to be the victim of a scam. It can be hard to figure out who is trying to scam you and who is legitimate when you are collecting quotes for chimney repairs. Many homeowners don’t know very much about chimney maintenance or how to spot the signs of costly damage. Unfortunately, there are many scam artists who try […]

Your fireplace is an important heating appliance your family depends on to stay warm and cozy throughout those long cold winters. And just like any other heating appliance, it needs to be periodically maintained. When you understand the typical chimney problems and ways to avoid them, you will keep it in good working order and your family safe, year after year. Black or […]