Fall and winter mean a lot of cozy fires - and a lot of mess. But with a little TLC, your brick fireplace can stay clean and ...

Where to start with chimneys? Probably here: A chimney is not just an elongated window, not just a portal from inside to outside with deep, brick sills. A chimney, in fact, is a machine for generating ...

It’s the time of year when folks start migrating towards their fireplace in the evening, if they’re lucky enough to have one. There is something deep in us that finds warmth and comfort, not just in ...

Q. This week: The brick chimney on our 1930's era house looks like it needs repair. From the ground I can see cracks in the bricks, and some of the cement and pieces of the bricks have come off and ...

Our house has a family room that is primarily walled by double-pane windows. It also has an old-fashioned, open-hearth brick fireplace that goes floor to ceiling. The brickwork extends to the outside ...

A professional offers valuable insight into how to know whether your fireplace is truly ready for the colder months ahead.

Q: We had a fireplace built in our living room in 1976. It is a grayish brick, but the bricks are not flat; they’re bumpy to look more like stone. We have not used the fireplace in many years. Now the ...

Question: We recently purchased a house and converted the fireplace from wood-burning to gas. A curved screen stood in front of the fireplace when it burned wood. Now burn marks show on the hearth ...