Blog
Activities to Enjoy Around the Fireplace During the Holidays
New Hampshire winters can be foreboding, and while the weather outside is frightful, the fire is so delightful – so get the family together and maybe invite a few friends over to enjoy some special holiday activities around the fireplace. Here are ideas to get you started. Read a Christmas story Everybody loves a Christmas […] Read more
Preparing Your Chimney for a Visit from Santa Claus
The chances of an actual Santa Claus visiting your home and sliding down your chimney on Christmas Eve this year are pretty slim. But if you take care of your chimney with the idea that Santa will, in fact, visit, you’ll be doing the exact things necessary to ensure a very safe and high-performing chimney. […] Read more
How to Heat Your Home with Your Fireplace or Stove
Here are a few quick tips on getting the most out of your fireplace, stove or fireplace insert. Open Masonry Fireplaces Traditional masonry fireplaces bring wonderful ambience to a home, but they’re not high-powered heat producers. If you have one of these fireplaces and want to increase its heat production, you have a few options. […] Read more
Do Chimney-Cleaning Logs Really Work?
The fact that there’s such a product as chimney-cleaning logs tells you that cleaning built-up creosote out of chimneys is an important job. Chimney-cleaning logs are burned like any other logs but have special ingredients that are said to remove creosote. Sounds easy and simple. But do the logs actually work? Look for CSIA-approval Just […] Read more
What You Need to Know Before Using Your Fireplace the First Time
Is this your first winter with a fireplace? Maybe you just had one installed or moved into a new home with a beautiful hearth. You are in for some fabulous evenings around the fire. But, before you use it, follow these tips to make sure your experience is as enjoyable and safe as it […] Read more
Know Your Chimney System
Just to look at it, you wouldn’t think a chimney is all that complicated. It’s just a brick-housed channel for smoke to go up, right? Well, partially right. The fact is, a chimney system contains many parts and components that must work properly to prevent water and other types of damage including fires. Here are […] Read more
How to Prepare for a Chimney Sweep Visit
A CSIA-certified chimney sweep is your best friend when it comes to keeping your chimney safe and ensuring that it operates the way it’s supposed to. Next time you have a chimney cleaning visit scheduled, here are a few things you can do ahead of time to make the job as simple, mess-free and productive […] Read more
What Do Inspectors Find During Routine Chimney Inspections?
The ideal chimney inspection turns up no problems, and the chimney inspector gives it a complete bill of health. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case. Many things can happen to a chimney over time, especially one that’s used regularly. Here are some chimney issues inspectors often uncover during routine chimney inspections. Leaky chimney Chimney leaks […] Read more
Repair Your Chimney for Winter Warmth & Safety
As southern New Hampshire gets ready for another unpredictable winter with its ice storms and blizzards and sub-zero weather, the fall is a good time to make sure your chimney is ready to perform predictably to get you through the season safely. Here’s a checklist of “must-do’s” for your chimney and fireplace this fall. Visually […] Read more
Why Does My Chimney Have White Stains?
White staining, or efflorescence, is caused when excess moisture within the chimney structure seeps through the bricks and evaporates on the outer surface. The white discoloration is caused by naturally occurring salts that have been washed out of the bricks. Water and bricks don’t mix White stains on a chimney aren’t a huge problem in […] Read more
