Straight-talk chimney guides for Wilmington homeowners covering sweep frequency, flue safety, chimney leaks, caps, masonry, and hiring smart.
An honest look at what is a chimney crown for Wilmington homes, from a local chimney crew.
Read more →Creosote is the flammable residue that wood smoke leaves behind in a flue, and a damp Delaware winter is built to make it pile up. Here is what it is, why it forms quickly here, and how to keep it in check.
Read more →The crown is the slab of masonry that sheds water off the top of your chimney, and a New Castle County winter is built to crack it. Here is why crowns fail and why a small crack should never be ignored.
Read more →A chimney cap is a small piece of stainless steel that does an outsized job: keeping water, animals, and stray embers out of your flue. Here is why an uncapped chimney is asking for trouble in New Castle County.
Read more →A chimney rarely fails all at once, but it does give warnings. Here are the seven signs that tell a Wilmington homeowner the flue needs a look before the next fire.
Read more →When an old clay tile liner fails, the usual replacement is stainless steel. Here is how the two compare, why old liners crack, and how to know when a reline is genuinely needed.
Read more →A chimney is a safety system, not just a feature, and the trade has its share of bad actors. Here is how to tell an honest Wilmington chimney sweep from one selling fear, and the questions that keep you covered.
Read more →One call reaches a real Wilmington chimney crew that inspects it, quotes in writing, with no manufactured urgency.