Black Moose Blog

Packed with information to keep your chimney, and entire home, healthy, safe and soot free

Chimney Sweeps In Movies: How Do they Compare to Reality?

“Chim chiminey, chim chiminey, chim chim cher-ee…” Can you picture Dick Van Dyke as he sings and dances his way across the rooftops of London exalting…
Choosing the Proper Firewood For Your Fireplace

Selecting the right wood to burn in your home is important to your overall chimney health. Subtle changes like the woods moisture, how it was stored and…
Chimney Sweep Frequently Asked Questions

Chimney sweeping is a service that not everyone has experience with. And besides Mary Poppins, not many people even know what happens when a chimney sweep occurs.…
What’s the Difference between Chimney Flues & Dampers?

There’s a lot of terminology surrounding fireplace and chimney systems, and often it’s hard to know the real difference between one component and another. Chimney flues and…
Common Problems with Chimneys in Historic Homes

A chimney that receives regular maintenance should give many years of safe and efficient service. But once a chimney passes into “old age,” i.e., 50 or 75…
Top 5 Reasons to Install A Fireplace

Winter is a fun time of year, and many people look forward to ice skating in the park, snow skiing in the mountains, and enjoying their favorite…
Is a Damper and a Flue the Same Thing?

While the chimney may seem like a simple structure, it compromises several integral components explicitly designed to reduce the risk of fire and exposure to dangerous gases,…
Fun Tech-Free Fireplace Activities for the Whole Family

What’s it like to live without cell phones and computers and Facebook and text messages? Here are some ways to find out and maybe have some fun…
Downdrafts & Smoke Backup Causes

Fireplace/chimney systems are pretty basic until something goes wrong. When you’re experiencing smoke backing up into your home, you may not have a clue why it’s happening.…
Chimney Dangers and How to Prevent Them

Falling snowflakes against pillows of smoke billowing out of chimneys are a common sight on cold days and nights while millions of families enjoy the warmth and…
Seen and Unseen Issues Caused by a Faulty Chimney

You may have already figured out that you have a faulty chimney, based on obvious signs, but there are also unseen issues that can occur. A faulty…
Get Your Fireplace Ready For The Holiday Season

Thanksgiving and Christmas are holidays to look forward to, and giving priority to fireplace safety can help prevent potential disaster from stifling the joys of the season.…