Fire Prevention Week is October 8-14, and it’s a great time for everyone to re-familiarize themselves with fire safety tips that could save their lives.  Sponsored by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), the 2017 Fire Prevention Week theme is “Every Second Counts – Plan 2 Ways Out.” It is highly advised to have an Annual Chimney Cleaning to be sure that any Read more…

When you think of a chimney sweep, a mental picture of a soot-covered Dick VanDyke from Mary Poppins might come to mind. If you don’t know much more about chimney sweeps beyond that, don’t worry, you aren’t alone. Many homeowners don’t realize that chimney sweeps are qualified to do a lot more than just clean out soot and dangerous deposits of creosote. Chimney Read more…

Chimneys do an amazing job in filtering smoke from a fireplace out into the outside air.  To accomplish this, there’s a lot going on behind the scenes with chimneys that most people aren’t aware of.  Many parts work together to provide efficient and safe operation.  When any of these chimney parts is damaged or worn out or not working optimally, problems are sure to pop up. Fortunately the Read more…

Cold weather’s right around the corner, and in Wisconsin that means there’s plenty to do to get ready for another winter.  If you run a fireplace in your home, one task that must be seen to is making sure your chimney is clean and ready for the burning season. Having your chimney inspected and cleaned before the winter season really sets in is smart for several reasons. Read more…

When it comes to fireplace and chimney safety, the chimney liner is one of the most important protective components. It stops carbon monoxide from seeping through porous bricks and mortar into your home. It prevents hot embers in the smoke from slipping through a crack in the flue and igniting combustible materials around the chimney. It also absorbs high temperatures and harsh chemicals produced by the Read more…

Older chimneys built entirely of masonry were sturdy and nice-looking, but they did little in the way of protection from the devastating effects of chimney fires once the flames saturated the units’ building material.  The advent of metal chimney liners was a great breakthrough in safety as this material is much more resilient than traditional masonry. Increased resiliency, however, doesn’t negate the need Read more…

Do you have living or dead animals in your chimney?  That’s probably not something you get asked every day, but it’s a question well worth asking, because open chimneys are regularly inhabited by pests that cause serious problems. The animals commonly found in chimneys are smaller ones like squirrels, raccoons, birds, bats and similar species.  They go there to build nests and Read more…

Have you ever had a leaky chimney? If you have, you know how important it is to keep water out of the chimney system. Excess moisture in a chimney can cause a wide range of problems from corroding the damper and disintegrating flue tiles to creating an ideal environment for toxic black mold to grow and deteriorating the structural integrity of the Read more…

Chimneys are amazing structures.  Because of them, you can burn fire after fire in your fireplace and always be safe from smoke and carbon monoxide inhalation as all of that gets channeled up the chimney and away from you.  However, when chimneys aren’t working properly, serious problems can result. How can you make sure your chimney is healthy and efficient?  Here are some tips. Smart burning Read more…

If you’ve been operating your fireplace without a chimney cap, you’re not alone.  Many homeowners bypass this piece of equipment, not realizing how important it is for the safety and proper operation of their fireplaces.  Chimney caps perform two critical functions:   ·      They prevent sparks and embers from flying out the top of the chimney and igniting the roof or nearby trees Read more…