John LeBaron's (jlb) Blog

The short answer is that you should recommend a chimney inspection every time.However, there are a few specific items you can look for that should prompt a chimney inspection: A missing spark arrester. This is needed for fire safety and may be indicative of other issues. If a proper spark arreste...

I finally got a new video posted up on my websites home page. It's a sampling of some unsafe chimneys that I have found during my inspections and shows what type of problems a chimney may have. Please check it out and let me know what you think! www.ChimneyCheck.com John Lebaron, Chimney Check Pr...

Earthquakes damage buildings in many different ways, some obvious and many not so obvious.  As an example, cracks in walls and ceilings can seem outwardly to be minor, but there can be hidden damage that takes a trained eye and sometimes destructive testing to ascertain the full extent of the dam...

Hey Active Rainers, I've had a website for awhile but it was just a temporary, tiny site. My new and very IMPROVED website finally went live! It's ben a long time coming but it's finally up and available for viewing.  Please check it out if you get a chance and let me know what you think. www.Chi...

I have a fireplace and I like the beauty and warm glow of the flames from a burning fire. And, like most of the items I own and use I just want it to work when I need it. That's simple, right? Well, actually I've learned that a fireplace takes more care and maintenance than most of the other syst...

According to the U. S. Fire Administration (USFA) 36% of residential home fires are due to creosote buildup (a tar-like substance that sticks to the walls of a chimney when wood is burned) in chimneys and stovepipes. That adds up to 26,000 fires, 137,000 million dollars in property damage and 60 ...

INSPECT AND CLEAN YOUR CHIMNEY REGULARLY Have a chimney inspector do a safety inspection on the chimneys at least once a year. Your chimney could have a problem you cannot see.CHECK FOR CREOSOTE AND SOOT BUILD-UP.Creosote can form quickly and is a major cause of chimney fires. Check chimney and f...