by Joe Shear | May 8, 2017 | Chimney Maintenance
Let’s play alphabet soup. DIY. FYI. CSIA. NMAC. FRACAS. What do these acronyms or initialisms stand for? Do it yourself. For your information. Chimney Safety Institute of America. Northeastern Masonry & Chimney. Failure reporting, analysis, and corrective action...
by Joe Shear | Jan 26, 2017 | Hiring a Chimney Sweep
Despite popular culture, the chimney sweep you hire does not need to know how to spell “supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.” Nor does your chimney sweep have to know how to sing “Chim Chim Cher-ee” from “Mary Poppins”. More seriously, though, several...
by Joe Shear | Jul 15, 2015 | annual chimney inspection, Chimney Maintenance, Chimney Repair
You’re sitting by the pool, with not a care in the world. Summer, for many, can be an incredibly relaxing time. You’ve endured the harsh northeastern winter, so why shouldn’t you pamper yourself and live it up a bit during the warmer months of the year (after all,...
by Joe Shear | Aug 28, 2014 | annual chimney inspection, Chimney Maintenance
Mark Twain was a phenomenal writer; his writings should serve as guiding principles for us all. One of my high school English teachers browbeat us with this little biased “tidbit of wisdom” (her words, not mine). My life since Mrs. Smith’s class has been shaped by...
by Joe Shear | Aug 14, 2014 | Chimney Maintenance
The majority of homeowners with a wood-burning stove or fireplace understand the need for an annual chimney cleaning and inspection. On the contrary, many don’t realize that their gas heating appliances—be it a furnace, boiler or even a hot water heater—also rely on a...
