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Chimney & Fireplace Tips And Articles

Straight guides written by our CSIA-certified team against the standards this trade is actually measured by — NFPA 211 and the IRC venting code. No filler, no scare copy, and we'll tell you when a job is a DIY.

Safety

May 9, 20267 min read

Chimney Fire Prevention Is a Habit Problem, Not an Equipment Problem

Four of the five things that prevent chimney fires cost nothing and happen between visits. Here is what actually falls to you, and the one item that doesn't.

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Buying Guide

Apr 277 min

Chimney Caps Priced Over a Decade Instead of Over an Invoice

A cheap cap is a consumable you replace two or three times. Stainless and copper are not. Here is what each option actually costs across ten years of ownership.

Maintenance

Apr 116 min

The Maintenance Year: What Recurs, What Doesn't, and What We Cover

Most calendars mix two different things — things that genuinely repeat, and defects you fix once. Confusing them is how homeowners end up sealing the same crown every year forever.

Repairs

Mar 208 min

What a Liner Costs You Over Twenty Years, Depending on What You Specify

Liners are a once-in-decades purchase, which is exactly why the specification matters so much. The wrong alloy is the most expensive saving available in this trade.

Repairs

Mar 76 min

The Repair Above Your Damper That Makes Every Future Sweep Cheaper

Rough corbelled brick in the smoke chamber traps deposit and costs draft. Parging it is a one-time repair that quietly reduces what you spend on the chimney for years.

Repairs

Feb 237 min

A Leaning Chimney: Why We Won't Quote Masonry Until It Stops Moving

We turn this work down more often than we take it, because repointing a stack that is still moving means doing it twice. What has to happen first, and in what order.

DIY

Feb 106 min

Pilot Won't Light: What to Try Before Calling, and When Not To

Three checks that resolve a good share of these calls at no cost, the part that is usually responsible, and the absolute stop condition.

DIY

Jan 296 min

The Summer Smell: One Cleaning, One Component, and It's Over

The odour comes back every warm season because cleaning treats the source and not the path. Fixing the path is a single component and it stops recurring.

Repairs

Jan 156 min

Repointing: How to Buy It Once Instead of Every Few Years

Two specifications decide whether joint repair lasts thirty years or three: the mortar mix and the raking depth. Neither is visible at handover.

Buying Guide

Jan 36 min

Waterproofing: A Real Treatment With an Expiry Date Nobody Mentions

On sound masonry with the right product it genuinely extends service life. It is also not permanent — and applied over defects it makes things worse.

Buying Guide

Dec 187 min

Stove or Insert: Comparing Them by What They Cost to Run and Service

The purchase prices are similar enough. The differences that matter over ten years are the liner, the clearances, and how much fuel handling you are signing up for.

Real Estate

Dec 46 min

Buying a House: The Chimney Inspection That Pays for Itself or Doesn't Matter

It is a small cost against a purchase, and it has exactly two outcomes — a finding you negotiate with, or peace of mind and a baseline record. Both are worth having.

Repairs

Nov 216 min

Water Near the Chimney: Four Possible Sources, Four Different Bills

Crown, flashing, masonry face, or flue. Getting the diagnosis right is the whole job — treating the wrong one means paying twice and still having a leak.

Buying Guide

Nov 76 min

Gas Logs: Choosing Between the Look and the Heat, With the Upkeep Attached

Vented gives you the wood-fire appearance and keeps an annual chimney inspection. Vent-free gives you heat with the flue shut and a sensor that must be serviced. Pick your trade.

Buying Guide

Oct 257 min

Wood to Gas: Three Routes, Costed Including What Your Chimney Needs First

The cheapest conversion is only cheap if your flue passes. Here is what each route actually requires, and why the inspection comes before the appliance decision.

DIY

Oct 116 min

A Fireplace That Smokes: Four Causes, and Only One Is Fixed by Cleaning

Booking a sweep for a fireplace that has always smoked is the most common wasted spend in this trade. Work the four causes in order and you will not make it.

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