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Finding the source of a chimney leak can be tricky. It isn’t just a matter of looking up the chimney and spotting the cause of a chimney leak.  Homeowners don’t realize there are many working parts to a chimney.  Professionals in chimney services should do the detection of a leak.  Felgemacher Masonry & Chimney is Read more

There is something so wonderfully relaxing about a fire in a fireplace.  It’s warming on a chilly evening, it’s romantic on a Saturday night, and it is a lifesaver when the power goes out. Of all the fantastic things a fireplace can do to improve your life, there are as many that are detrimental to Read more

After a long, cold winter, most homeowners look forward to the warmer spring weather. While the springtime showers are just what our lawns and flowers need, the rainy weather can also sprout chimney leaks. While masonry chimneys are strong and durable, long-term exposure to rain, ice, wind, and heat can weaken the masonry and other Read more

One thing we can count on during our New York winters is plenty of snow. We also can count on that snow melting and then refreezing. When this happens in recessed areas of your roof where your chimney sits, ice dams are formed and can eventually cause damage to the chimney’s masonry and flashing. Masonry Read more

Keeping your chimney and fireplace safe and in good condition during the winter burning season isn’t difficult. Here are five fireplace and chimney care tips you can use every winter. 1. Solve backdraft problems Because of the drastically different temperatures between the heavy, cold outside air and the warmer, lighter air inside your flue when Read more

The chimney breast wall is the material surrounding your fireplace inside your home. It is typically made of concrete or brickwork and is an integral part of the fireplace/chimney system if it serves to house the flue. Some chimney breast walls are built more for cosmetic appeal, and these can be made of various materials Read more

This is a question asked by a lot of people who live in cold-weather cities. A damaged chimney needs to be repaired – no matter what time of year the issue happens. Yet repairing a chimney during a fierce blizzard seems counterintuitive. So what’s the answer? The answer is two-fold: Schedule all known chimney repairs Read more

When you think of a “chimney fire,” you’re probably thinking of a big, blazing event – the kind that brings neighbors running over and saying, “Hey, did you know your chimney’s on fire?”  But that’s just one kind of chimney fire. Smaller fires that nobody knows about happen more often than you might realize, and Read more

There’s a lot to love about wood-burning fireplaces – especially if yours is powerful and efficient and produces all the heat and ambience you need. The best way to get all this and more is with a new zero-clearance (ZC) fireplace or high-performing fireplace insert. ZC fireplaces are factory-made and ready to install in virtually Read more

Chimney flashing often is one of those “out of sight, out of mind” things. You never see it unless you climb up on your roof, it doesn’t make noise, and as long as it works as it should, you don’t even know it’s there. When it stops working as it should, that’s when some serious problems Read more