Our Blog

Chimney & Fireplace Tips And Articles

Practical, no-BS guides written by our CSIA-certified inspectors against the standards this trade is measured by — NFPA 211 and the IRC venting code.

Safety

May 9, 20267 min read

Chimney Fire Prevention, Written as a Checklist You Can Audit

Prevention is not a feeling. It is a short list of verifiable conditions — fuel moisture, deposit stage, cap integrity, clearance — each of which either passes or fails on inspection.

Read Full Article

Buying Guide

Apr 277 min

Chimney Caps: What the Standard Requires Before Anything About Style

Screening requirements, material choice, and the one specification that decides whether a cap protects the chimney or slowly destroys it — before any conversation about copper.

Maintenance

Apr 116 min

A Year of Fireplace Maintenance, Ordered by What the Standard Asks

What genuinely belongs in each part of the year, and which items are inspection findings rather than seasonal chores. Most maintenance calendars mix the two.

Repairs

Mar 208 min

Flue Liners: What the Standard Requires and How Compliance Is Actually Established

Why an unlined flue is not permitted in service, the two compliant routes to fixing one, and why the alloy choice is the specification that decides service life.

Repairs

Mar 76 min

Smoke Chamber Parging: The Defect Above the Damper Nobody Looks At

Corbelled brick left rough and stepped is both a draft problem and a deposit trap. What the standard expects the surface to be, and why it is so rarely met.

Repairs

Feb 237 min

A Leaning Chimney Is a Foundation Verdict, Not a Masonry One

Separation from the wall, stepped cracking and a visible tilt are symptoms with a cause below ground. Why repointing a leaning stack is money spent on the wrong problem.

DIY

Feb 106 min

Gas Pilot Won't Light: What You Can Check, and Where You Must Stop

Three checks a homeowner can make safely, the component that usually turns out to be the cause, and the clear line where this stops being a homeowner task.

DIY

Jan 296 min

Why an Unused Fireplace Smells — and Why It's Usually the House, Not the Chimney

Deposit provides the odour, but pressure decides whether you smell it. Which is why the smell arrives in summer with the AC on, and why masking it never works.

Repairs

Jan 156 min

Tuckpointing and Repointing: The Distinction, and Why Mortar Strength Matters More Than Either

The two terms are used interchangeably and mean different things. But the specification that actually determines whether the repair lasts is the mortar mix — and harder is worse.

Buying Guide

Jan 36 min

Chimney Waterproofing: A Real Treatment That Is Sold Wrongly More Often Than Not

Vapour-permeable water repellent on sound masonry is legitimate and effective. Applied over cracks, or with the wrong product, it traps moisture and accelerates the damage.

Buying Guide

Dec 187 min

Wood Stove or Insert: A Decision Governed by Listing and Venting, Not Preference

Both are certified appliances and both require a continuous listed liner. What actually differs is where they sit, what they need around them, and what your existing structure allows.

Real Estate

Dec 46 min

Pre-Purchase Chimney Inspection: What a General Home Inspection Does Not Cover

A standard home inspection looks at the fireplace from the room. The defects that cost the most are above the damper and inside the flue, and they need a different scope.

Repairs

Nov 216 min

Chimney Flashing: Why Most 'Chimney Leaks' Are Roof Details

A large share of water coming in near a chimney never passed through the chimney. Counter-flashing, step flashing and the cricket — and why sealant is not a repair.

Buying Guide

Nov 76 min

Realistic Gas Logs: What Creates the Look, and What It Costs in Performance

The appearance you want comes from a lower-temperature, sootier flame — which is a physics trade-off, not a product tier. Vented and vent-free differ on exactly this axis.

Buying Guide

Oct 257 min

Converting Wood to Gas: Three Routes, Ranked by What They Require

A log set, a vented insert, or a full direct-vent unit. They differ in cost, in efficiency, and — most importantly — in what each demands of your existing chimney.

DIY

Oct 116 min

Smoke in the Room: Working Through the Causes in the Order They Occur

A blocked flue, wrong proportions, insufficient height, or a house that cannot supply air. Four causes with four different fixes — and only one of them is the chimney being dirty.

15+

Years in the field

NFPA 211

Checklist

48h

Written report

< 2hr

Response

Ready when you are

Get it inspected. Get it in writing.

Flat fee confirmed when you book. Same-week scheduling. A pass/fail verdict within 48 hours.

Book an Inspection (469) 838-6843

Licensed & Insured Same-Week Scheduling Photo-Documented Findings

Emergency

24/7 Response

Chimney fire, storm hit, active leak, or a flue you're not sure about? We answer 7 AM to midnight and the assessment ends in a written safe-to-use verdict — including a do-not-use notice when the evidence supports one. After-hours dispatch runs subject to crew availability.

Emergency line