Practical notes from Jacob Dove and the crew: what we find on the job, what to watch for at home, and when to call.
A rusted chase cover above a University Park prefab fireplace, leaking into the framing. Why galvanised lids fail and what replacement involves.
An uncapped Crete chimney packed with nesting material and leaf litter. What comes out of a flue under heavy tree cover, and why a cap pays for itself.
A Braidwood fireplace began smoking after the house was air-sealed. Why tightening a house starves a fire of air, and how we test for it.
Spalling brick on a Wilmington chimney, close to the Kankakee River. How to tell failing masonry from ordinary weathering and what can be saved.
A Bonfield dryer vent that terminated in the crawl space instead of outdoors. What it does to the structure and how the run gets corrected.
A Limestone masonry chimney was oversized for its new furnace. Here is why a right-sized UL 1777 liner protects both the appliance and the brick.
A Clifton dryer taking two cycles per load had a long, lint-packed vent run under the house. Here is why length and elbows matter and the fire risk…
A Chebanse wood stove run low and slow overnight glazed its flue. Here is why smoldering fires build creosote and what a sweep can and cannot remove.
A cracked chimney crown in Monee was funneling rain into the brick. Here is how we tell a crown coat from a rebuild and when each is right.
A Beecher water heater left venting an oversized masonry flue after a furnace swap. Here is what a Level 1 inspection found and why it matters.
A Grant Park fireplace puffed smoke on windy days after an addition went up. The chimney now ended below the new roofline. Here is the fix.
An Aroma Park fireplace smelled sour every humid week. The cause was a flooded ash pit and a rusted cleanout door at the base of the chimney.