6 Reasons Why You Should Be Remodeling Your Fireplace… Now

There are few activities that are more relaxing than enjoying a warm fire in your home.  In fact, more than half of all homes in the United States (52% of homes in 20111) have at least one fireplace in their residence.  That is a huge number considering many of the states do not experience a very harsh winter season.   With all these fireplaces in the home, I am sure many of them are in need of some serious attention. 

Why is now the best time to start your Evanston fireplace remodeling project?  Browse some of the reasons below on why you should be renovating… now.

Perfect Timing – Winter is just around the corner and soon a chill will fill the air in the Evanston area.  If you want to enjoy a new, updated fireplace in December there is no better time than now to complete it.  Additionally you will want to complete all that roof work before the surface becomes slippery from snow and ice making it virtually impossible for your contractor to work.

Energy Savings – Whether you have a traditional wood-burning hearth or a gas unit, maintaining and remodeling your fireplace can translate to cost savings on your energy bill.  Not thrilled with carrying in logs for a fire, you may be able to convert your fireplace to gas and save on your utility bill.  Gas or electric units are more efficient at heating the room equating into reduced energy costs for you.

Add Value to Your Home – In the Evanston area, many homeowners can see a great return on investment after they undergo a fireplace modeling project.   Potential buyers will be looking for this luxurious staple when researching prospects. Having a new and updated living area can set your home apart from the competition getting it sold quicker.

Create some Serious Style – Are you in a style rut?  With a vast number of decorative gas fireplace inserts and mantels in the industry, updating your Evanston home with a fireplace remodeling project is a great way to incorporate some new decorative features into your home.

Simple Fix to Many Problems – Updating your fireplace can also help you address other problems in the home.  While renovating this area, you can also add storage in the fireplace surrounds or additional seating around the hearth.  Another option is to mount a flat-screen TV above the fireplace to free up a whole section of the room.

 Low Interest Rates – Many banks and credit unions have money to lend and, if you have the credit to qualify, are ready to borrow out that money at some enticingly low interest rates.  With the cost of a fireplace remodel being lower than a kitchen or bath remodel, you may also be able to finance the project yourself enjoying even greater cost savings.

Yes, it is the perfect time to start your Evanston fireplace remodeling project.  Creating beauty, saving money, and adding value to your property, renovating this “heart of the home” may be just what you need to fall in love with your house all over again.

Lindemann Chimney Service is pleased to begin offering Fireplace Remodeling and refinishing, installation services to their customers. To find out more about Fireplace Refinishing click here.

Fireplace Remodeling: 10 Tips Every Homeowner Should Know

Are you considering a fireplace remodel for your home?  Many homeowners find this remodeling project to be on of the easiest and most affordable ways to breathe life back into their family room or living space.  But buyers beware"poor planning, hasty decisions, and undefined goals can all lead to disaster in the hearth.  Follow these 10 tips for a successful fireplace remodeling project in your home.
 

Partner with a Professional: Having both the right tools and proven experience, hiring a professional to complete your fireplace remodeling project will save you time, energy, and lots of headaches.
 

Time it Right: Knowing the best season to complete your project will help you secure a quality contractor that can complete the job in a timely fashion.  For those in the Midwest, the best time to complete a fireplace cleaning, remodel, or inspection is during either the spring or fall months.
 

Consider a Gas Conversion:  If you are looking for an easy, hassle-free fireplace, you may want to consider converting your wood-burning fireplace to a gas-fueled unit.  This will create a simple way to start and end the fire along with some welcomed energy savings.
 

Draft the Budget: Just like any other project within the home, a fireplace remodel will benefit from a clearly defined budget.  Keep this balance sheet in check regularly by adding and subtracting as you go.
 

Define your Style: What is your personal style? Are you more contemporary, modern, or traditional? Defining your style will help you select materials and accessories that will make the space feel your own.
 

Add Storage: Completing a fireplace remodeling project is a great time to add some additional storage to your home. Built-in bookshelves or cabinet units are both great options for adding some real estate to the living area.

Safety First: Always follow building codes for the area while completing any renovation project. Also make sure that the fireplaces are installed correctly by a certified professional along with smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.
 

Highlight the Mantel: Adding finishing touches is important to a cohesive, complete look to a room. Create warmth by adding picture frames, vases, or other personal mementoes to your mantel.
 

Splash Some Color Gone are the days of beiges and browns around the fireplace area.  Make sure to mix color into your overall design.  Some popular current trends are black & white, yellow & gray, and blue & orange.  Color combinations can easily be tied into the mantel decor, a decorative screen, or artwork you have displayed above the fireplace.

Accessorize: Dont forget useful, practical accessories for a wood-burning stove such as ornamental screens, pokers, and other tools.  These not only help you better manager the fire, they can also tie in some decorative touches.

Are you ready to begin your Fireplace Remodeling project? Follow these 10 tips to create the fireplace you have been dreaming about.  Keeping style, budget, and sensibility in mind, adding warmth and comfort to your living space is as easy as updating this integral part of the home.

Lindemann Chimney Service is pleased to begin offering Fireplace Remodeling and refinishing, installation services to their customers.

Need to Know Tips for Backyard Renovations

Backyard renovations are a lot of work but can often give a huge return of investment in both increasing your Lake Forest home’s resale value and giving relaxation for your family.  Whether you are installing an outdoor kitchen your dated outdoor fireplace, backyard projects don’t have to break the budget.  Follow these tips for keeping money in your wallet whereas creating some luxury in the backyard. 

Contract with a Professional – This seems counter-intuitive but hiring a professional contractor for the work can really save you time and money in the long run. Having the right tools, knowing how much material is required, and getting to work right away are all significant to the bottom line.  When completing a big job at your Lake Forest home such an outdoor fireplace installation, their expertise will be imperative.

Move Plants Around – Rather than purchasing all new shrubbery and plants why not use what you have?  First take stock of the plants you adore and want to keep.  Then verify the best location for them – keeping them where they or moving them somewhere else.  

Double the Greenery – Along with transplanting plants you already own to dissimilar areas, you can also split some species of plants into two.  For instance, host as are a popular plant in the Midwest and can divide into halves and even third’s expanding your green space for free.

Used Materials – How can used materials possibly be found for an outdoor patio project?  It’s simpler than you think.  You can often find brick, wood, or other building materials on websites like Craig’s List or Buy, Sell, Trade boards.  Many homeowners buy more than what they require completing a project and often try to resell the materials to others at a great discount. 

Design your Own – Hiring a landscaping architect to design your lawn can cost more than just a couple dollars.  Try becoming your own landscaper by designing, planning, and purchasing items for your backyard.  Walk through your neighborhood for inspiration from the neighbors or research online potential design schemes.  You will also need to become knowledgeable on what plants work with full sun and within your region’s climate.

Add a Water Barrel – Water barrels capture rain and runoff water into a barrel storing it for homeowners to use for watering plants.  

So are you ready to begin your backyard renovation on the cheap?  Even if your budget is small, you can update your Lake Forest Outdoor Fireplace, a relaxing whirlpool spa, or a new garden patio.  Take time to save where you can, splurge a little here and there, and make the space truly one of a kind. 

 

8 Tips for Fireplace Safety

When was the last time you had your chimney inspected?  If you can’t remember when you last had it checked than you are in need of some serious fireplace safety school.Taking time to keep your fireplace healthy will help reduce the risk of ignition while still allowing you to enjoy your nights next to open fire.A poorly-maintained fireplace can be a recipe for disasterputting you and family in harm’s way. Below are some important fireplace tips to keeping you & your family safe all season long:

Sweep It Out– Just like you, your fireplace and chimney needs their yearly physicals by a certified chimney sweep.  If you do only one thing, you must hire a professional Chicago sweep to complete a thorough yearly chimney cleaning.  Get the process completed before each heating season to remove all the damaging soot and buildup that has accumulated over the past year.

Check It Out – While your sweep is on site have them also inspect your chimney for damage or any needed repairs.  This includes the flue, chimney cap, gas line, and any other working part of the chimney.  The contractor can also check for loose bricks, cracked mortar, and damage or deterioration to the structure – all serious signs of needed repairs for your fireplace.

Don’t Forget to Cap It– A good quality cap on your chimney will prevents animals, debris, and rain and snow from entering into your chimney.  This wire-mesh device that fits over the opening of our chimney should be well-fitting and in good working order.  During your annual Chicago chimney cleaning, ask the technician to also inspect the caps.

Start It Right – Avoid flammable liquids when starting your fire.  Rather utilize your survival skills and use log placement as a way to get the blaze going.

Burn the Right Wood – Did you know that certain types of wood you burn can create more creosote in the home?  You should avoid resinous softwoods such as pine.  These types of wood create more creosote than others and thus creating more buildup in the flue.  As always, you only want to use dry, clean wood to reduce the amount of smoke in the home.

Burn the Right Amount – Small fires are ideal for creating less smoke and therefore less damaging, clogging creosote.  Smaller blazesalso prevent your fire from getting too hot and damaging the chimney.

Guard It – A mesh metal screen or protective glass doors are both great options to keeping scorching ambers from shooting into your living space.  Use these safety guards to keep your family safe and protect your furniture and living room from damaging burns.

Monitor It– With many state and local regulations in place, you should have working smoke and carbon monoxide detectors near the area of the fire.  These will help alert you if there is a gas leak or too much smoke in the air.

Follow these fireplace safety tips closely and often to keep your home a healthy environment for family, guests, and pets alike. If you have a hard time remembering, schedule a reminder in your smartphone or ask your professional Chicago chimney partner to email or call when your next chimney cleaning is due.  As always keep an eye out for warning signs that there may be problems such as soot in the living space or too much smoke when the fire is started.

The chimney cleaning is an significant task that must be carried out on a timely basis to keep the house safe and hygienic. In order to get the best services for chimney cleaning in Chicago, get in touch with Lindemann Chimney Service.

Realizing The Glencoe chimney cleaning Practice

When you visualize certain processes and things that you are less acquainted having, often times people are likely to draw their own conclusions dependent on their individual perception of their particular venture. Even so, the perceived idea most likely are not 100% accurate, dependent on assumptions rather in comparison with proven facts. Identical applies to this chimney cleaning practice. Here is an account provider of how a normal Glencoe chimney cleaning service would buy sweeping a chimney if you do not have prior experience of witnessing a cleaning task.

Keeping it seeing that clean as possible Applying drop clothes
Any standard cleaning service would guarantee that they do not wreck havoc on the cleanliness in your home. This is easily accomplish getting a few small precautions before you start the job. Almost all good cleaning products and services use drop towels when starting some sort of cleaning job. These drop cloths are section of thick cloth in addition to play as receptors on the debris, soot, in addition to creosote. Some of the professional carrier's networks go a move further and add industrial cleaners during the cleaning process to be certain they do a clean job.

Originating in the top brushing the flues
Ideally the cleaning process starts on the top, the chimney sweep would range in price up to the top of the chimney and wash his way down beginning with the flues primary. It is important them to do a beneficial cleaning job, as the creosote that might be soft and spongy to begin with tends to harden within the inner surfaces on the chimney and flue rooms.

Starting the underside to top cleaning practice

After having done the highest to bottom cleaning, the direction on the brushed cleaning could change to underside to top. This makes certain that no space is always un-brushed and unclean from the entire passage. This is important because if the combustible creosote remains sticking within the walls it may cause a chimney flame.

Cleaning up this fireplace area

One more place to clean would be the fireplace area. On account of the variation on the heating systems / stoves utilised in the fireplaces, the cleaning strategy of this area typically depends on any type of heating system installed from the fireplace. However, in general almost any professional chimney sweep definitely clean the baffles on the stoves that may very well need cleaning after a whole lot debris falling on there.

Writing out an established fireplace chimney check up report

At the tip of the Glencoe chimney cleaning services, most of the carrier's networks issue out a report giving detail connected with cleaning services performed along with the current state on the particular chimney or fireplace as value the structural integrity and compliance with this fire safety laws.

Test Your Chimney Safety Knowledge

Are you smarter than the average Evanston area homeowner when it comes to chimney safety and repair?   Knowing the facts about keeping your flue clean and nontoxic is important to the overall health of your fireplace and well-being of your family, pets, and home.  If you are not sure where you and your fireplace safety knowledge stand, take this short quiz to find out if you are an Evanston chimney expert ready to start a repair or a totally clueless homeowner in need of some serious fireplace schooling.

1.      Which is a sign that a chimney fire has occurred?

a)      Puffy or “honey-combed” creosote 
b)      A rain cap that has been distorted/discolored 
c)      Cracks in the exterior masonry work 
d)     All of the above

2.      How often should have your wood-burning chimney swept?

a)      Every 5 years 
b)      Before you sell the home 
c)      Yearly 
d)     Every 2 year

3.      When is the best time to have your chimney swept?

a)      Winter 
b)      Spring 
c)      Summer 
d)     Fall

4.      What is creosote?

a)      A type of fuel you can use instead of wood 
b)      An aluminum protective covering for the chimney 
c)      A by-product of wood-burning fires consisting often of tarry smoke and soot
 

5.      Which is the best for limiting chimney build up?

a)      Small, hot fires 
b)      Long, cooler fires   
 

Answers

1. d) All of the above – Some other signs include finding outside the home creosote pieces around the roof and chimney area, having a damaged damper or roofing material, and cracked or missing flue tiles.

2. c) Yearly - This should be a no-brainer but, just in case you got it wrong, your chimney should be swept and inspected every single year.  During this annual check-up, your chimney partner can look for any signs of a chimney fire, clean out deadly creosote, and advise you on any needed repairs.

3. b) Spring - Although fall is often the busiest time for chimney contractors, most professionals will suggest having your chimney cleaned & inspected in the spring right after the burning season.  Creosote and buildup can create an awful smell in the home and this rancid stench is often exacerbated by the hot summer months.  During winter, especially in Midwestern towns like Evanston, the roof is too icy and slippery for a chimney repair or cleaning.  

4. c) A by-product of wood-burning fires consisting often of tarry smoke and soot - Creosote is the substance that, along with other factors, can create backup with the chimney which can in turn lead to a chimney fire.

5. a) Small, hot fires -  Keeping it short and warm, these fires are more able to drive the heat, smoke, and creosote out of the chimney and away from your home. Longer, cooler fires can allow the creosote to build-up in the flue.

How did you fair on this chimney safety quiz?   After taking this quiz, I hope you have learned more about your fireplace and chimney and how to keep both healthy and safe.  Please feel free to reference back to these questions as needed.   And, most importantly, don’t forget to schedule your Evanston chimney repair.

Safety Tips You Should Know When Using Evanston Outdoor Fireplace

Spring is here and it will soon be summer, so many of us are thinking about long balmy days in the backyard. One of the joys of summer is the outside. Whether or not you are a keen gardener, it's just good to be outside after being cooped up all those long winter months. Thoughts turn to inviting family and friends around for some food and drinks. It's time to dust off your outdoor fireplace, get some fuel in and start phoning.

People Hazards

Evanston outdoor fireplace

Evanston outdoor fireplace

                         Evanston outdoor fireplace

With any kind of open fire you have to be careful of many things. One the greatest hazards when using your outdoor fireplace is people. They can tend to get in the way when you are cooking and that can be potentially dangerous both to you and to them. Adults aren't so much of a problem, unless they are drinking, but children and animals are. Children don't look where they are going much of the time, especially when they are playing. Warn them to keep away from the fireplace and to be on the safe side ask someone to be responsible for watching over them. Animals such as dogs are also liable to get under your feet, so keep them away.

Precautions
In of the greatest dangers of fire is that it spreads so rapidly. When using your outdoor fireplace make sure that your barbecue doesn't turn into a bonfire or anything bigger! Take precautions and have some water standing by in case of accidents. A couple of buckets filled with water is a good idea. Most of us have a garden hose, so connecting that and having it ready is not a bad idea too, a few buckets may not be enough. There is also the option of buying an asbestos blanket and keeping that handy.

Use for the Correct Purpose

There is always the temptation to use Evanston Outdoor Fireplace to burn unwanted trash. Don't do it, they are not manufactured or built for that purpose. Most are too small anyway. They are primarily for cooking food and you wouldn't burn trash on your stove in the kitchen. It can be potentially dangerous to you and others, if you try to burn aerosol cans or other inflammable or explosive products. It's best to bag up your waste and leave it out for the trash man. Burning unsafe products can easily create a hazard that can quickly spin out of control.

Unattended Fireplaces

Evanston outdoor fireplace

                     Evanston outdoor fireplace

You must not, on any account, leave your outdoor fireplace unattended. At the end of the day when you are relaxing after a good time with friends or family remember that your fireplace is still potentially dangerous. There may only be embers of the fire left, but one gust of wind could easily ignite them again. As fuel burns it can also shift and a piece of wood or charcoal may drop out. It can possibly smoulder away until it sets light to something else without you noticing. Don't walk away and leave them to die out. Either stay until the fire is completely dead or douse it with water until you are sure it is out.

Would you like more information? Visit the professionals over at Evanston Outdoor Fireplace today!