First and foremost be sure your fire extinguisher is nearby. Now, open the damper and be sure it's open all the way. If you've never used the fireplace, first test the draft with one newspaper at a time until you have successfully lit 10 pieces.

If there are two fireplaces, be sure the damper of the fireplace not in use is closed. Now roll up 7-10 pieces of newspaper and stuff them below the grate.

Take 3 more pieces of rolled up newspaper and lay them on top of the kindling. The kindling should be no more then 1 inch in diameter, and no large pieces should be on the grate at the start.

Our # 1 tip is to crack the window on the same level, or below, as the fireplace. Basement windows work best. When you open the window, make sure you feel the cold air blowing in.

Now let's start the fire. Hold 2 or 3 burning pieces of newspaper up to the damper, then drop them on the grate and light the newspaper below the grate.

Smelly fireplaces commonly occur when the weather is damp and humid, or a low pressure system has moved into the region, or anytime the weather is coming from an easterly direction. These problems occur most often in the late fall and the early spring when the temperature difference between the outside air and the inside air is not as great as it would be in the winter months. If you use the fireplace moderately, you are going to have this problem.

            Some solutions we can offer to help with the problem are as follows: make sure your chimney has been cleaned recently. If so, then try using windows to reverse the pressure coming down the chimney. The best windows are the one's on the side of the house that the wind is coming from, usually easterly. If there are no easterly windows, try the windows that seem to have the most pressure or wind coming in them. Basement windows are always loaded with pressure. You only need to crack the window a quarter of an inch, and then give it several hours to see if it makes a difference. If that doesn't help, continue trying windows, until you've found the one that works best. You're trying to relieve the pressure in your home, and it's a good way to bring fresh air into your home during low pressure systems. This is when most homes have the highest levels of indoor pollution, so cracking a window helps to keep the air in the home fresh.

            Lastly, for a guaranteed solution to these problems we can install an exhausto Fan on your chimney. The approximate cost varies, depending upon electrical requirements. On average the cost runs somewhere between $2,000 - $2,500 including electrical.

A basement fireplace often gets smoky when using the upstairs fireplace. This is a very common problem in homes built after the 1960's with exterior chimneys. Raised ranches, capes and colonials are the homes that most often have this problem.

What is actually happening is that the fireplace flue in the basement is vacuuming smoke from on top of the chimney and bringing it down to the basement.

To try to alleviate this problem, first make sure your basement fireplace damper is closed. The best solution is to crack a window in the basement about a quarter of an inch, while using the upstairs fireplace. What is happening is that the upstairs fireplace is searching for "make up air" once you open that damper. If you crack the window in the basement, the hope is that the upstairs fireplace will get it's "make up air" through the window, rather than the leaky damper downstairs. If you are not going to be using the fireplace downstairs, you can put a temporary seal on the top to stop the smoke from coming down the chimney and into the room.

Top sealing dampers work about 50% of the time, but are not guaranteed to solve the problem. Chimney caps can often make the problem worse. Another option is to try extending the upstairs fireplace flue tile on the top of the chimney another 12 to 24 inches.

• Chimney Fires: Prevention and Response
• Ash Pits, to clean or not to clean? (recommendations)
• 3rd Degree Creosote / Shiny Creosote Glazing
• Why do chimney liners begin to break down?
• What is the best way to fix the lining of a chimney flue?

A chimney flue is the passageway for toxic gases to escape out of the home. Cracks, holes or obstructions in a chimney flue can cause dangerous carbon monoxide fumes or soot to leak into your home. This is why the National Fire Protection Association recommends that oil and gas furnace flues be inspected yearly to insure proper draft, venting of soot and fumes and to insure there is no obstruction in the flue.

Your furnace is exhausted into your chimney, if this passageway becomes obstructed with debris from the chimney, carbon monoxide and soot will be exhausted into your living quarters creating a very dangerous situation.

The debris that accumulates in your chimney is from the ongoing breakdown and decay of the inside passageway for your furnace chimney. This passageway is constructed of terracotta tiles, 24 inches tall by 8x8 inches wide, which form a column to exhaust the gases. Over time the exhaust which is laced with sulfur and water, attacks the skin of these terra cotta tiles and this begins an ongoing shedding process. The shedding debris begins to accumulate at the base of the chimney or in the turns of the column. This shedding and accumulations process requires yearly monitoring of the column and its condition. Failure to do so puts your furnace chimney at risk for the possibility of a carbon monoxide blockage.

As your chimney ages the liner which is 5/8 of an inch thick can become so decayed that partial and full sections of tile can collapse and cause obstructions. This level of deterioration not only causes obstructions but will leave your tile exhaust column with holes and cracks that may allow gases to leak into the living quarters. At this point you may need to have the liner replaced with stainless steel.

Your chimney technician monitors this aging process and will be able to show you when the time has come. Their receipt will report on the level of deterioration of your terra cotta tile. This is one of the most important parts of the technician’s job. If your chimney was built prior to 1900, there is no column of tile. This is called an unlined chimney and should be relined with a stainless steel liner.

Rain leaking into the fireplace or out through a basement cleanout door is a very common problem. The installation of a chimney cap is the first line of defense and solves 90% of the water problems (and chimney caps add the additional benefit of animal protection). However, some water problems can be persistent and the cap may not be the solution.

There are two helpful considerations to consider as well. First, have your chimney technician report on the condition of the chimney crown before installing the chimney cap. The crown is the slab of cement the chimney mason installs over the bricks on the top of your chimney when the chimney is constructed. This crown can have hairline cracks that allow the penetration of water. These cracks can be sealed with a product called Crownseal, and may be included in the cap installation for an additional fee. This product may also be applied after the cap installation. Secondly, yet another line of defense against water penetration is to have the chimney waterproofed with a product called Chimney Saver. This product is very similar to the products you use for sealing decks.

Unfortunately we have seen water problems continue even after all the efforts have been applied. But such efforts are always worth a try though, considering that tearing the chimney down as the last resort in extreme circumstances.

If the water you’re seeing is coming through the ceiling and running down the wall or chimney inside your home then you have a different problem and may not be related to the chimney structure. In this case you may need a roofer or chimney mason to check the roof and flashing that abuts the chimney.