When most people think of a chimney sweep, they picture Dick Van Dyke in the movie Mary Poppins. Chimney sweeps existed long before this 1964 musical film. Their history traces back hundreds of years with legend of a chimney sweep who saved the life of King William of...
The NCSG (National Chimney Sweep Guild) is a non-profit trade association whose goal is to advance the chimney industry. This is accomplished through increasing public awareness, providing progressive services, and encouraging ethical accountability and...
How can something so ordinary be so complicated? This is the case for a dryer vent as people use quite a variety of materials, but not all of them are safe. If you are installing a new dryer vent or are having problems with your current vent, what is the best material...
From 2008 to 2010, there have been over 365,500 residential building fires. The cost of damaged related to these fires exceeds $7.4 billion. Almost 13,000 people have died in these fires and over 65,000 have been injured. Would all of these fires have been avoided if...
The type of firewood burned determines how well a chimney system performs. Kiln dried and seasoned are two common types of firewood. Homeowners should learn about the differences between these so they understand how to get the most from their chimney systems. Soon,...
Many of our father's taught us how to build a fire. They were probably adamant regarding a "log cabin" style build to make sure the fire was sturdy and would burn properly. Unfortunately, for a top down burn, that style is no longer useful. If you are like me, when...
Creosote is a term that every homeowner with a fireplace should know. If one were to look up inside of their chimney, they would likely see creosote buildup, at least if it has not been cleaned in some time. That nasty, black, tar-like goo that is starting to buildup...
