How superstitious are you? Do you go out of your way to avoid walking under ladders? Do you take care to never open an umbrella indoors? Do you avoid potentially dangerous activities on Friday the 13th? […]
Have you ever looked at a fire burning away in a fireplace, assumed it was wood-fueled, and then suddenly realized that the “wood” wasn’t actually burning? If you have, then congratulations: you’ve encountered a gas log. These little pieces of hearth hardware often go unrecognized when the topic of fireplace maintenance comes up, so today’s post is all about them. Read on for a gas log crash course. […]
Picture this: you’re taking a walk through your neighborhood, your backyard, or a local nature trail, and you find a baby songbird lying on the ground. The bird doesn’t look sick or injured, it’s just…on the ground. It doesn’t fly away when you approach it, and you get a distinct impression that it can’t fly. Maybe it’s making a lot of noise, or maybe it’s standing perfectly still and trying to hide. […]
Here’s a fun fact: when set ablaze, certain substances can produce unusual colors of fire. No, we’re not talking about the bright blue flames of a gas stove or fireplace; nearly everyone’s seen that. But, have you ever seen a fire that’s green, vivid red, or even purple? […]
Longtime readers of this blog may notice that we talk about creosote on a fairly regular basis. Creosote is bad: creosote can cause chimney fires, creosote can compound if you neglect your annual inspections, etc. But if you’re going to avoid a toxic substance (or situation), it’s best to know as much as possible about the threat. So here’s an in-depth guide to creosote, as well as a more detailed explanation as to why you really shouldn’t mess with it: […]
In case it’s not obvious, at Chimney and Wildlife Specialists, we’re big fans of safety. It’s why we encourage homeowners to have their chimneys inspected annually, and it’s why we tell folks to not mess with wild animals. We want for people to be able to enjoy using their fireplaces and admiring wildlife, but not if it’s going to put their health and wellbeing at risk! […]
It stands to reason that, if a structure is going to encounter fire, smoke, and extreme heat on a regular basis, then it needs to be built from materials that can stand up to these threats and come out relatively unscathed. This is definitely true for chimneys; if you tried to make one entirely out of wood or plastic, it probably wouldn’t last very long. […]
Over the last few millennia, humans have come up with a variety of ways to keep warm when it’s cold outside. We bundle up in jackets and scarves, we consume warm foods and drinks, and we even build fires inside of our homes to keep our temperatures—and our spirits—up. But while some people couldn’t imagine surviving the winter without these comforts, wild animals manage to do so year after year. How? […]
Back in the days before central heating, a wood-burning fireplace or stove was often a house’s only source of heat. Thus, during the winter months, families would usually keep a fire blazing whenever possible, and everyone would stay comfortable by spending as much time as possible near the fire. In small, simply-designed dwellings, this setup was all you needed to warm the entire house. […]
Regular readers of this blog may recall that, a few months ago, we discussed keeping dogs outside in hot weather. More specifically, we talked about how to tell when it’s too hot for your dog to be outside. […]