What to Do if You Have a Crumbling or Spalling Chimney

Do the bricks on your chimney look cracked and worn? Maybe there are chunks of brick missing, or pieces are littering the ground around your home. If that sounds familiar, you might be dealing with a spalling chimney. This is a common issue where bricks begin to flake, peel, or break off the structure, often […]

What Is Tuckpointing and Why Does Your Chimney Need It?

It’s an undeniable truth that a brick chimney adds charm to any home. Unfortunately, even though brick is fairly durable, it can’t remain in pristine condition forever, especially when exposed to the sun, wind, rain, and snow day after day. Eventually, the brickwork, especially the mortar joints that keep your chimney solid and upright, will […]

Why Does My Fireplace Smell?

Few things make a home homier than a warm, crackling fire. And if there’s anything that can ruin that experience, it’s a smelly fireplace. Let’s look at why your fireplace might make your home smell like an ashtray and how to prevent it. What Causes Fireplace Odors? Because foul odors come from the fireplace, it’s […]

Gas Fireplace Troubleshooting Tips

Gas fireplaces have become increasingly popular in homes throughout the Kansas City KS/MO area. It’s not just a feature found in newer homes. Many homeowners residing in older homes are  converting to gas fireplaces for their cleaner-burning, energy-efficiency, and lower maintenance features. Although a gas fireplace will provide many years of use, they require routine […]

Why Is My Chimney So Smelly?

In spite of all that goes on inside your fireplace and chimney, both should be virtually odorless; a normal working fireplace will send the smell up and out of the chimney with the draft long before it ever has the chance to creep into your home. In addition, the room in which your fireplace or […]

Tips for Maintaining your Chimney Cap Screen

A chimney cap is an essential accessory for every home with a chimney. It plays an important role in protecting your house from water damage and fire. It also prevents critters from nesting in your chimney or getting into your home. While many homeowners are aware of the benefits of a chimney cap, often they […]

How to remove wasps from your chimney

Winter is coming, temperatures are dropping and wasps are looking for a new home. Unfortunately for some homeowners, chimneys are a popular destination for wasps to nest and make their home. If your home is one that does have wasps in its chimney, don’t worry you’re not alone. The Fluesbrothers office has seen a huge […]

Keeping wasps out of your chimney

Perhaps nothing can cause shrieks of terror and scurrying outside like a swarming wasp. Even worse is the terror caused by a wasp flying around inside your home. Most people abhor the thought of bees or wasps nesting in their home, and if you have a home with a chimney, your home has an ideal […]

Common Exterior Chimney Repairs

If your home has a chimney, a time likely will come that that chimney needs to be repaired. It can be intimidating to hear that your chimney needs work. In addition, seeing the chimney deteriorating before your eyes. However, it can help to know and be on the lookout for some common chimney repairs. To […]

Learning About Chimney Swifts

When asked to think of warmer months, the sound of birds chirping probably comes to mind. The sound, when heard out in nature, can be quite soothing. However, one can imagine how hearing those same sounds coming from the inside your chimney could get old quickly. Let’s face it—these sounds aren’t music to everyone’s ears. […]