Q: I used my masonry fireplace as often as possible during winter to cut my utility bills. A: Tens of thousands of chimney fires occur every year due to creosote buildup and other problems with ...

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 ...

What sits quietly on top of a chimney yet carries a big job in keeping a home safe, dry, and comfortable? A small metal guard called a chimney cap works harder than it looks. When that little ...

I never owned a house with a working fireplace until this one, so I've tried to learn as much as I can about how they function. One of my major concerns was the condition of the chimney. We had it ...

Q: My question concerns the chimney and flue arrangement in my house. The house was built in 1963. It is a one story ranch with no basement. The house originally used electric radiant heat in the ...