by Dennis Lamb | Mar 30, 2015 | Chimney Information
If you want your wood-burning fireplace to burn cleaner and more efficiently, using seasoned firewood ranks high in importance. If you are not familiar with what this type of wood is, the term “seasoned” simply means dried. According to the Chimney Safety Institute of...
by Dennis Lamb | Feb 28, 2015 | Chimney Information
Have you noticed loose bricks on the exterior of your chimney? Or maybe you have seen other repair needs to your chimney. To be sure your fireplace and chimney are in tip-top shape, The Mad Hatter suggests you take care of repairing those loose bricks and any other...
by Dennis Lamb | Nov 28, 2014 | Chimney Information
One of the most important parts of your fireplace and chimney system, chimney liners are required by most local fire safety codes and regulations. Whether you have a wood-burning, gas, or oil heating appliance, your chimney needs to be lined to work efficiently and...
by Dennis Lamb | Oct 27, 2014 | Chimney Information
One of the best tools to prevent water penetration of your chimney, a chimney cap keeps water from rain and melted snow out of your chimney flue. Not only does a chimney cap stop water from getting into your chimney, but it also prohibits birds and animals from...
by Dennis Lamb | Jul 9, 2014 | Chimney Information, Chimney Maintenance, Fireplace Maintenance
Parging 101: All You Need to Know First things first. Let’s define parging. What is it really? Parging is the age-old way of protecting, caring for, or the decorating of any wooden or masonry layer with a stucco material. To parge enables the structure to last years....
by Dennis Lamb | Jun 13, 2014 | Chimney Information, Chimney Maintenance, Chimney Sweeping, Fire Safety
It is important to keep animals out of your chimney for many reasons, but we find that most of our customers don’t truly understand this until they have an animal that lives—or one that has died—inside their chimney. Not only are animals a nuisance in terms of the...