Where to start with chimneys? Probably here: A chimney is not just an elongated window, not just a portal from inside to outside with deep, brick sills. A chimney, in fact, is a machine for generating ...

Jeff Somers is a freelancer who has been writing about writing, books, personal finance, and home maintenance since 2012. When not writing, Jeff spends his free time fixing up his old house. He has ...

Q. I have a brick chimney on the west side of the home. My problem is the bricks on the outside of the chimney are flaking and falling off. Do you have any idea what is causing this or what can be ...

Q:I have a 50-year-old one-story freestanding brick chimney with one flue (see photo). A chimney sweep recently did an inspection and noted the part of the chimney extending above the roofline could ...

Q. My question is about chimney bricks. In 1987, I bought a twenty year old brick house. The furnace, gas water heater, and fireplace are all in the basement so the double flue chimney rises from ...

Three years ago I had to replace half my chimney at a cost of thousands of dollars because of crumbling mortar and cracked bricks. The mason who finished the job told me I needed to have the chimney ...

Q: We have two chimneys, both painted white. The one for the furnace is fine, but bricks keep popping out of the other chimney, which is for two fireplaces that we do not even use. The flues for these ...

What Can I Do About A Leaning Brick Chimney? A leaning chimney is not an optical illusion. It is a reality that needs to be addressed sooner, rather than later. If you look at the side of your home ...

Q: How can I know if my chimney needs cleaning? Is there a way I can check this? A: If you notice a sour smell around your fireplace, it is caused by the buildup of creosote in your chimney, according ...

If you hear something that sounds like gremlins chattering in your old brick chimney this July, don't panic — you probably just have baby chimney swifts. After a long day spent snapping up insects and ...

Q: I have a brick chimney on the west side of the home. My problem is the bricks on the outside of the chimney are flaking and falling off. Do you have any idea what is causing this or what can be ...