Our Chimney Sweep Blog

Chimney Health Hazards: Things You Should Know Our chimneys, in conjunction with the fireplaces they support, help to provide us with much warmth during the colder months. They can, however, have various adverse effects on our health. Of course, one shouldn’t live in fear of this, though it is wise to have a working knowledge Read more

Regular maintenance on your masonry chimney will keep it looking great for years. In reality, though, regular maintenance falls through the cracks while you juggle work, life and family. Sometimes, even the most proactive homeowners will be surprised by damage left by previous owners. So while in a perfect world, repointing would be the only Read more

Five Reasons for Chimney Leaks and What to Do About Them Causes of leaking chimneys can usually be narrowed down to five reasons. If your problem isn’t solved from addressing the items on this list, your leak probably isn’t from the chimney! #1 The Simplest Cause of Chimney Leaking: Rain Going Straight In from the Read more

Understanding chimney draft problems is not necessary for most people. Usually, if you notice smoke not rising from your chimney, you can call on a professional to fix the issues. This information is for those who really like to understand; it may be too much information for many people. I’ll do my best to keep Read more

Asking what’s the best way to waterproof a chimney or what are the best waterproofing products are both understandable enough questions, but they’re also too broad for a simple answer. Best way to waterproof what kind of chimney? Are we waterproofing a vertical wall or the breast of the brickwork? There are brick, concrete block, 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

Welcome to the end of your frustration over not being able to light good fires in your fireplace! We have the answers–and you are certainly not alone if this situation applies to you. Here we are in a high-tech, instant-everything society and yet lighting a fire is quite literally a prehistoric activity. The actual same Read more

The question about cold air coming from the fireplace is a question many homeowners have. Fortunately, there are only a few possible causes and several very effective remedies. Fireplace and chimney basics The basic structure and operation of a fireplace and chimney is something most homeowners readily understand. There’s a firebox, where fires burn, and Read more

Many homeowners depend on wood-burning stoves for heat. And if your heating stove is more than 15 years old, you are probably wondering when it will need to be replaced. Keep an eye out for one or more of the following warn signs that indicate it’s time to replace your wood stove. It was manufactured Read more