Our Chimney Sweep Blog

If your fireplace is sending smoke into your home, you wouldn’t be the first. This is a common problem for folks who regularly use their fireplaces. Fortunately, it’s often an easy problem to solve. Any time smoke is not moving properly up the chimney, you need to reverse the situation. In some cases, a professional Read more

Ask the average homeowner if they’ve had a chimney fire, and likely they’ll say no. They may be very wrong. Many chimney fires start and go out on their own without people in the home being aware of it. Here are some things you need to know about chimney fires and what they can do Read more

Getting your fireplace and chimney ready for another winter season involves making sure it’s clean and that the structure and components are all in good shape. For chimneys connected to wood-burning fireplaces and inserts, chimney sweeping is a necessary maintenance task that’s just as important as seeing to any minor repairs that might be needed. Here are four reasons to Read more

There’s no reason you should live with a fireplace that’s boring and does little or nothing to accent the décor of your home. A fireplace makeover – large-scale or small-scale – can make a stunning difference in the aesthetics of your room and give you yet another reason to enjoy your fireplace. What is a fireplace makeover? We’re not Read more

Chimneys should stand straight up and tall, never pitching to one side. If you’re noticing that your chimney is leaning, it may mean that there’s damage to the chimney itself or the footing beneath it. Because it’s not always easy to tell just by looking that a chimney is leaning slightly, here are some signs to look for. Tilting Leaky Read more

How much do you know about your fireplace and chimney? Here are some common words and terms you may have heard but weren’t sure of their meaning. ASH DUMP: A space beneath the fireplace where ash can be collected and then removed. BAFFLE: A device that manages the direction of flue gases and can cause fires to burn more Read more

If you use your wood-burning fireplace, the chimney is going to collect its fair share of creosote and soot. There’s nothing you can do about that. But there is something you can do about how much buildup is added to the chimney each burning season. The reason this is important is because creosote is highly Read more

Long Maryland winters mean a lot of fireplace use for many people. After months of running your fireplace, it’s not uncommon for minor damage to have occurred as well as the accumulation of excess creosote and soot. Let’s look at some of the reasons that chimneys become damaged and dirty over the winter. Creosote and Read more

Another brutal winter is over, and it’s time to forget all about your chimney and start getting ready for better weather with so much to do. Well, not exactly. Just because you aren’t regularly using your fireplace doesn’t mean that your chimney doesn’t need some attention. Here are some things that can happen to your chimney in the spring and how Read more

Is your fireplace starting to get boring? Could it do with an upgrade to bring the excitement back and add some elegance in the process? Is the big problem simply that it’s not producing enough heat? If you answered yes to any of these questions, read on for some good news. Upgrade the look of your hearth area There are Read more