Home Improvement Tips & Ideas
Nothing beats an amazing wood fire on a chilly evening! Learn how to maintain and safely enjoy fireplaces and wood stoves, get tips for cleaning chimneys and fireplaces, plus options in gas and pellet stoves
Chimney repair and cleaning tips. Regular chimney repair and cleaning is an important way to prevent a chimney fire or carbon monoxide poisoning.
Chimney Cleaning and Repair | How to Hire a Chimney SweepRead More
I have an old chimney that use to vent the furnace. It has now developed a leak at the lower junction of the chimney and the basement floor. Do I seal i from the inside or to I have to dig down from the outside to seal the leak area?
Using firewood for heat is more and more popular but it is not a very efficient way to heat your home. Here are tips on how to get the most heat out of your firewood, along with advice on choosing the most efficient wood burning stoves or pellet stove.
Burning Wood: How to Get the Most out of Your Wood Stove or FireplaceRead More
Pellet heat, used in free-standing pellet stoves and fireplace inserts, is gaining popularity as an approach to renewable home energy. Learn how this affordable green heating method might qualify you for a tax credit by using pellet heat.
This heating season, I had a fireplace insert installed to provide most of our house heat. I would now like to minimize our boiler's oil consumption, as it merely provides hot water (and serves as a back up heat source). I would be most appreciative for any/ all suggestions. Thanks, Dave NOTE: We do not …
My chimney leaks badly during heavy rain. I've been unable to find a person who can tell me how to fix it. Since I have unvented gas logs, I had the top of the chimney sealed. It's therefore not leaking from the top. Since I can't find the leak, is there a product on …
What type and how do I install a wood burning stove insert in my 1999 PalmHarbor home. My pre-fab fireplace is worthless for heating my home. Any help or suggestions would be appreciated
Wood buring inserts and prefab fireplace: OK to install?Read More
What is an inexpensive way to stop my basement fireplace from leaking all over my basement floor, destroying everything in its path????
I like to have a fire in our fireplace. I use plenty of kindling and dry hardwood, but I have difficulty getting and keeping a fire going. I open the flue all the way; I've tried opening a door to create a draft; fanning the flames, etc, but it soon dies out. I've tried using …
How can I remove smoke stains from the white brick face of my indoor fireplace?
I live in an old farmhouse in Virginia built in 1900. I am having spalling with my bricks (coming from a chimney used for a 10-year-old boiler) and have been told by a company that the water damage on my ceiling and continued spalling on the chimney is due to the gaps/damage on the bricks. …
We discovered a leak from the chimney down to our brick-in fireplace. The brick on the inside is now dark brown and white. I have tried drying the brick with a heater but it seems to be making it worse with the white. I believe the white is efflorescence. Other than an efflorescence cleaner how …
I live in a house that has a fireplace insert. One of the panels are cracked. I take it that it is concrete. I tried to find the maker of the fireplace, but no luck. I would love to burn a fire but I'm too afraid that I'll burn the house down. Any suggestions on how to …
I have water leaking from my chimney, through the flue, and into my basement. This has happened twice – both times we had rain and heavy winds. The first time I had about 1-2 gallons leak in, whereas last week i had only about 1/2 gallon. Any idea what's causing this – and a possible …
Twelve years ago we had a gas log fireplace added to our home. The contractor did an inadequate job on the flashing, so earlier this year I had to replace the flashing, shingles and rotten wood on the chimney. Everything was fine until today, when I noticed what looks like a small amount of water …
I had a vent-free gas fireplace installed a few years ago, after an extended power outage. Since then condensation develops on the windows whenever the fireplace is used and the outside temperature drops into the 30s. How can I keep this from happening? Thanks!
My house has a mudroom and it also has a fireplace. Could I keep a little ash can with the ashes for the fireplace in the mudroom?
Find out how to add vintage charm to a home with a fireplace mantel for those who rent a house or apartment and don’t have the freedom to make changes to the property,can transform the feel of an entire room with one simple project.
Fireplace Mantels: Add Vintage Charm with Salvaged SurroundsRead More
We have an “A-frame” gas fireplace in our family room. Thinking of updating and replacing with an electric fireplace. Space footprint would be less; would energy be more efficient?
What maintenance, if any, is required for a gas fireplace?
Get tips for seasonal fireplace maintenance. Learn what to do to prevent chimney fires caused by creosote, how to store firewood, and how to keep pests out of your chimney through seasonal fireplace maintenance.
I have a standard wood burning fireplace with no perks like a blower system. It really is not meant to heat the house but I would like to have it supply a little supplemental heat. I have heard that a fireplace like this is not the most efficent in the world. Is there some kind …
Learn how pine cones make great fire starters. Find out how to dry pine cones or dip them in wax to use as firestarters in your fireplace or wood stove.
Filed under: Exteriors & Facades, Outdoors Richard Matore of Pillar to Post Home Inspection in Newington, Connecticut (via The Money Pit). Courtesy of ASHI Reporter Remember the Chia Pet, that early ’80s craze that revolutionized indoor gardening? Well, I’m pretty sure they never offered a Chia Chimney — yet we seem to be looking at …
