That new high-efficiency furnace you’re installing might come at a high price: a buildup of carbon monoxide around the water heater or condensation in the chimney. The source of the problem is what ...

Q: We bought a Queen Anne 10 years ago, but have never used the chimneys because the chimney sweep said pigeons had been pecking at the mortar. There is no chimney liner. I have been up on the roof ...

Q: Not long ago you answered a question from a reader about fireplace chimneys. You talked at length about dampers but you did not mention the need for a chimney liner. My house is 1906 vintage, and a ...

I have to replace the lining in the chiminey from the boiler in the basement, all the way up to the roof of a 4 storey brownstone. I’ve had two estimates, one at $6000 and one at $2000. This includes ...

“That’s too much — no one else even mentioned we’d need an expensive liner — you trying to rip us off here?” Chimneys — you can’t live with them and you can’t live without them — or at least you ...

Jim Smart owns Smart Sweep Chimney Service. He and his son Jesse are certified professional chimney sweeps. Together, this ...