At Mercer County Chimney Services, we get asked many questions about fireplace and chimney maintenance and safety. However, one question that comes up more and more often is whether it’s safe to mount your TV over your wood burning or gas fireplace or insert. In this article, we look at the pros and cons of... Read more

Is your fireplace old, inefficient, and tired-looking? If so, you’ve probably considered replacing it, but we’re here to tell you to hold that thought because there are good reasons to consider upgrading it instead. Here are some reasons to upgrade your fireplace instead of replacing it: It’s Cheaper to Upgrade The cost of everything is... Read more

Many people think tuckpointing and repointing are the same thing, but while they’re similar masonry techniques, there are situations where one is preferable to the other. What’s the Difference Between Tuckpointing and Repointing? Tuckpointing and repointing are masonry repair techniques used to replace the damaged or missing mortar between bricks, stones, or other masonry components.... Read more

Your chimney may seem simple, but it’s made up of many parts. If one of those parts gets damaged, it can affect the entire system and put your home and family at risk. In this post, we look specifically at chimney flashing, what it is, why it’s so important, and how to prevent damage. What... Read more

Many people think that because their chimney is made from brick and mortar, it’s impervious to the elements because we see chimneys that have been standing for hundreds of years. However, nothing could be further from the truth. Winter weather is especially detrimental to your chimney, so you must stay on top of routine maintenance... Read more

Have you ever looked at a page of companies with no real idea who to trust? If you’ve ever been taken advantage of by scams and schemes it can be even more difficult to believe that a company will do the job they’ve promised to. Unfortunately, there’s no guarantee that you won’t ever be scammed... Read more

Chimneys can be relatively easy to maintain but they do have their share of troubles. One common issue is blockages. The mouth of the chimney is left open to the elements if not covered by a Chimney cap and crown. This can make it vulnerable to leaves, branches, animals, their nests and even garbage blown... Read more

Nothing can ruin a perfectly good evening like dark smoke billowing from your chimney. Dark smoke coming from your wood burning fireplace or insert can make it impossible to use without knowing the cause and fixing it immediately. There are a variety of reasons why this could be happening. Firewood Greenwood or wood that has... Read more

Winter is almost here, and if you’re a fireplace owner, you probably anticipate lighting that first fire of the season. However, with so many people discussing the importance of indoor air quality, you may wonder if and how your fireplace affects it. In this post, we look at the science of how your fireplace impacts... Read more

If you’ve owned a chimney for any length of time you’ve probably begun to realize that there is a lot more to chimney maintenance than sweeping out your firebox. One of the biggest enemies of every chimney is water and water damage. Knowledge of how to stay ahead of water damage and how to recover... Read more