Best Pick Reports Blog | Quality Home Care Articles and Maintenance Advice

Articles in Chimneys & Fireplaces

Total number of blog post(s): 30

JAN
8

Best Ways to Update a Brick Fireplace

Julia Clem

Fireplaces are wonderful for lending a cozy ambience to a family room, but what if your home’s fireplace just isn’t your style? What if it’s…kind of ugly? Old doesn’t automatically equal unattractive, of course. The midcentury modern aesthetic of the 1950s and 1960s, ...

JAN
16

Make “Winter Cleaning” the New “Spring Cleaning”

Ensley Caldwell

The cold weather may be keeping you inside, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get things done. Make your time inside productive, and start an annual tradition of winter cleaning. Your home will become even more of a refuge from the wintry conditions outside. Decluttering ...

NOV
22

Infographic on What Not to Burn In Your Fireplace

Vincent Ingram

Feet up, hot cocoa in hand, and the warm glow of the fire washing over you—there’s nothing quite like lounging in front of the fireplace. The quickest way to ruin this otherwise idyllic scene is by using the wrong kind of fuel on your fire. A room filling with thick ...

AUG
16

Responsible Burning Policies

Maggie Clendenin

Everyone loves a fun summer evening around the fire pit, but careless burning practices could cause much more serious harm than just a few burnt s’mores. By cultivating responsible burning habits and following local burning policies, you can ensure that your ...

AUG
5

How to Make Your Fireplace More Efficient

Ensley Caldwell

Since a fireplace is a seasonal item, it’s important to keep it clean and up to snuff even when it’s not in regular use. For whichever kind you have, use the following tips to make sure your fireplace is ready to go before the kids get busy with school and the holidays come around ...

AUG
4

Preparing Your Fireplace and Chimney for the Cold Season

Malone Walker

Winter is coming, and before it gets too cold, it’s a good idea to be sure your chimney and fireplace are in working order. From chimney maintenance to fuel sources, Lindemann Chimney Service, a Chicago Best Pick, knows what you need to do to prepare your ...

MAR
31

Chimney Protection: 3 Tips from a Best Pick

Ashley Parker

This article was crafted with the help of Michael Boudart of Lindemann Chimney Co. Unless you have a fireplace and use it often, you probably don’t spend a lot of time thinking about your chimney. Nevertheless, even homes without fireplaces have “chimneys,” and they’re a ...

DEC
21

4 Things You Didn’t Know about Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

Julia Clem

Although carbon monoxide differs only slightly in chemical structure from the benign carbon dioxide we exhale, this dangerous gas is a silent killer. Carbon monoxide can only be detected by monitors—it is odorless, tasteless, and colorless. If your home’s carbon monoxide ...

DEC
14

It’s Decembrrrr! Follow These Cozy Tips to Keep Safe and Warm

Ashley Parker

One of the most important winter safety tips is to keep yourself warm. Provided you have an indoor location to retreat to, it is fairly simple to maintain a safe body temperature even in the dead of winter. Avoid the cold this holiday season by observing some of the following ways...

NOV
23

Fireplace and Chimney Maintenance in the Winter

Brittani Banks

Fireplaces are a great source of heat, but they can also be very dangerous. According to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the heating and cooling equipment that causes the most residential structure fires are fireplaces, chimneys, and chimney...