by Nick Wagner | Apr 4, 2016 | Chimney Masonry
Winter weather can be brutally tough on masonry chimneys, especially here in the Chicago area. The bricks and mortar joints naturally absorb water, and when the temperature drops below 32 degrees Fahrenheit, any water that is trapped inside your bricks and mortar...
by Nick Wagner | Mar 21, 2016 | chimney maintenance
Here in the Chicago area, we have been seeing and hearing the first signs of spring: the birds chirping, the flowers blooming, the sun shining. To many people, spring is the season for cleaning and maintaining your home. The new signs of rebirth that come with spring...
by Nick Wagner | Mar 7, 2016 | Water Damage
Water can do so much expensive and destructive damage to a masonry chimney that the Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) has named water as the biggest enemy of masonry chimneys. Since the exterior of your chimney is constantly exposed to water from rain and...
by Nick Wagner | Feb 22, 2016 | chimney maintenance
When you light a fire and smoke fills the room, you most likely have a problem with your chimney draft. This type of problem is called backdrafting and results from the airflow in your chimney being reversed. Instead of smoke being pulled out of your home through the...
by Nick Wagner | Feb 7, 2016 | chimney maintenance
As residents of the Chicago area, we are accustomed to dealing with lots of snow and ice every winter. Knowing how to prepare your chimney from the damaging effects of this cold weather is essential, but if you neglected to take care of some preventive chimney...