Restoring a Bedroom Fireplace

Who wants to lug wood up the stairs or tote ashes down? We're often asked about installing or renovating fireplaces in bedrooms so they can burn gas. It is a controversial issue as building inspectors sometimes don't like the idea due to safety concerns.

Is it time to replace that old prefabricated fireplace?

Learn about the primary safety concerns with old wood burning prefabricated fireplaces

How to Hire a Chimney Sweep

We don't hire out as chimney sweeps any more, so here's some advice on how to find the right company to take care of your chimney cleaning.

WHY DOES MY FIREPLACE SMOKE?

Smoke stains on the outside of your fireplace are proof of a smoking problem. This is a primary safety concern because soot stains are CARBON particles. If you have soot stains inside your home, you have  also had CARBON MONOXIDE fumes in your home.

Understanding Pilot Lights on Gas Fireplaces

Has a pilot light become obsolete on gas fireplace products?

The Problem with Floating Hearths in Historic Homes

Historic homes were not built like they are today, with a solid masonry base below. Over time the weight of the hearth combined with the house settling over the decades can lead to serious fire safety issues.

Understanding Gas Efficiency: Gas Logs vs. Gas Inserts

Confused about the difference in gas logs versus gas inserts? Vented gas logs are just a pretty fire that provide little to no real heat gain while a gas insert can use your fireplace to heat your house! Learn more.

Create a New Vintage Fireplace

Yes, you CAN have an electric fireplace with vintage style!

Protecting a Mantel from Heat Damage

Sometimes a gas insert will produce too much heat and can damage the finish on the mantel. Here's how we address that.

Why See-Through Fireplaces Don't Work

It may seem like a good idea to remove the rear wall of a fireplace to make it a see-through, but here's why it doesn't work.

Expert tip: Paint the Fireplace Black

Expert tip on how and why to paint a fireplace black

1911 Building Code

1911 Building codes specified that chimney liners shall be used, but other specifications offer unsound advice. Get a link to the code and some further information from us.

Vintage Decor: Define Your Style

Luckily, there are many different directions you can take with home decor to personalize your own vintage style. 

Where Can I Put a Propane Tank?

Making the Windsor Arch work when a brick fireplace is too tall

How to make a brick fireplace work with the Windsor Arch gas insert

Can I convert my wood stove to burn gas?

Here's the reason you CANNOT convert your wood stove to burn gas.

About Vent-Free Gas Appliances

Why a vent-free gas appliance is a bad idea in an unlined chimney

Looking for a Chimney Sweep?

Here's our highest recommendation for a chimney sweep in the Richmond, VA area.

Cleaning & Restoring Antique Fireplace Accessories

I've found some great old antique fireplace accessories, now how do I clean and restore them?

Victorian Housemaids and their Fireplace Duties

Before central heating, all rooms were warmed with a fireplace or, in the latter part of the Victorian era, with wood or coal stoves. So who kept all those fires going? 

Install a fireplace any where!

How do you fit a fireplace into a room that's just 12' x 12'?

Choose a small model and mount it farther up the wall! Here's how we did it.

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Creating a "Vintage" Tile Fireplace Surround

Laying tile on a fireplace wall - especially an old fireplace that isn't flat and level - can be a challenge. Let us share our secret method with you.Save

Versatile Direct Vent Options

Direct vent stoves and fireplaces offer versatile venting options for a fire in nearly any room

Cleaning Soot Stains From Brick

How to clean soot stains from brick (and how to prevent that soot from happening again!)

Aldine Style Fireplaces

In many turn of the century homes it's common to see a coal fireplace with a door that's an open grate. Usually this was never a proper fireplace but was a passive heating system that made use of the hot vented air from a downstairs fireplace.