White staining on chimney brick is salt left behind by moisture moving through masonry. What it tells Prairie Grove homeowners, and what to do next.

A cricket diverts water around a wide chimney where it meets the roof. Why Island Lake chimneys leak without one, and how the saddle is built.

Pilot and thermopile basics for a gas fireplace that will not light, what a Lakewood homeowner can safely check, and where a service call starts.

Glass doors cut heat loss when the fire is out and can hurt performance while it burns. How Fox River Grove homeowners should actually use them.

The wrong vent cover traps lint and the wrong guard blocks airflow. What belongs on the outside end of a McHenry dryer vent, and what does not.

Cardboard, treated lumber, wrapping paper and driftwood all damage a flue. The burn list every Woodstock household should keep near the fireplace.

Chimney waterproofing only works with a vapour-permeable sealer. Why the wrong product traps water and damages Cary brick faster than doing nothing.

A chimney fire can sound like a low roar or a freight train. What Algonquin homeowners should do in the first five minutes, and what happens after.

Run through this before the first fire of the year in a Lake in the Hills home: damper, flue, detectors, hearth clearance and the smell test.

What a chimney inspection should cover when you are buying or selling a home in Marengo, and why a general home inspector cannot tell you the flue is safe.