by Lou Curley | Aug 17, 2014 | Fire Safety
Hello August! The final days of summer are upon us and many busy homeowners are quickly preparing for cooler weather. This is quite a busy time here in the chimney sweep business, especially in an area as inherently busy as Philadelphia. Today I wanted to take a few...
by Lou Curley | Aug 17, 2014 | Chimney Inspection
You’ve probably noticed by now that as a homeowner, every single part of your home is subject to routine maintenance at some point. Your chimney and dryer vent need to be inspected and cleaned once per year. Your pool needs to be cleaned often during the summer...
by Lou Curley | Aug 17, 2014 | Chimney Cleaning
We’ve seen quite a lot of rain this year in Philadelphia. In fact, most of 2014 was very wet, whether you’re talking snow, ice, or rain. Your chimney collected a good amount of water from each season this year. Waterproofing goes a long way in preventing...
by Lou Curley | Jul 17, 2014 | Chimney Inspection
Several homeowners ask me about waterproofing their masonry chimney and one of the most common questions is, “Can’t I just do that myself?” My reply is generally the same, “Sure you can as long as you have the right equipment, material, and aren’t afraid of heights.”...
by Lou Curley | Jul 17, 2014 | Fire Safety
Carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning is often called The Silent Killer, and for good reason. It is completely odorless, and you cannot see it floating in the air, mixing with your oxygen. You don’t feel it as you breathe it into your body. More than 500 Americans die every...
by Lou Curley | Jul 17, 2014 | Fireplace Cleaning
Your fireplace and chimney probably aren’t on the forefront of your mind with summer just settling in on us here in the City of Brotherly Love. We’re probably looking at temperatures in the 90s for the next month or so, depending on when fall decides to rescue us from...
by Lou Curley | Jul 17, 2014 | Chimney Cleaning
We see a lot of different weather patterns here in the Philadelphia area. Spring often brings high winds and a lot of rain; summer introduces high heats and evening thunderstorms; fall weather begins to cool and is often windy; and winter often brings a lot of ice,...
by Lou Curley | Jul 17, 2014 | Chimney Inspection
A damaged chimney isn’t necessarily doomed. Most damages are able to be repaired as long as you have the proper tools and equipment for the job and the damage isn’t extensive. Masonry chimney damage, when caught early, may be repaired relatively inexpensively...
by Lou Curley | Jul 17, 2014 | Fire Safety
Animals have an instinctual aversion to fire and naturally stay away from it. Unfortunately, accidents still happen every year. That thought is what brings me to write this blog post today. I’ve come up with six tips to help enforce fireplace safety with your pets. I...
by Lou Curley | Jul 17, 2014 | Fire Safety
We go through a lot of firewood each season in Philadelphia. Even if you only use your fireplace or wood burning stove for supplemental heat to cut down on power bills, you probably go through quite a bit of firewood. How do you choose your firewood? Where do you...
