Patrick Buell

What does it do? A smoke chamber is located directly above the firebox, it's a part of the fireplace that the average person may never look at but it's one of the most important.  This unsung hero of your chimney stops smoke from entering your home and harming your...

Contrary to popular belief, there's not just one type of mortar for chimneys. The most common type (as well as the tone of the oldest) being fireclay mortar which is a normal cement mortar mixed with dried organic material. Followed up in popularity by a refractory...

  When working in the chimney industry as long as we have you amass a large reputation. Here at SootAway, we pride ourselves on our customer's safety, honest pricing, and the quality of our work. What other companies seem to forget over the years is that...

1600's - 1800's Chimney sweeping is a practice that dates as far back as the early 1600’s. Chimney sweeping and maintenance became in high demand more than ever after The Great Fire of London in 1666 due to more regulations being put into place. One of which was...

Soot Away Chimney Sweeps Water, Smoke & Animal Problems Solved, Cleaning & All Repairs Spring has arrived and everything is coming to life. Everyone seems to go to work on their house, yard, gardens, etc. At SootAway we know the chimney area is the dirtiest,...

OK.   You've heard the birds in your chimney. It's been a tight month, and so you've just avoided having your chimney swept.   The birds are gone, and you no longer hear sounds. What's next? You assume the problem is gone because you don't hear any-more sounds,...

If you live along the Gulf Coast you know that we get a lot of rain. In fact, we get more rain than anyplace in the country. Rain is a big deal when it comes to fireplaces and chimneys. Fireplaces, Chimneys, and Leaks In basic terms, the problem with fireplace and...

Look, we get it. You're planning your summer vacation, working long hours to make that vacation a reality, and you're even working on some home improvement projects (looking at you Dad). The last thing that is on your mind is having your chimney serviced. It's summer....

A flue is a pipe in a chimney for directing gases from a fireplace to outside the home. Fireplaces can be the biggest source of energy consumption when the flue is not used correctly. This usually happens when the flue is left open too wide after the fire has started....