It’s that time of year when you might be thinking of starting your first indoor fire – if you haven’t already gotten your fireplace or wood-burning stove going. I happen to have two wood-burning ...

correctionAn earlier version of this article incorrectly identified the National Fire Protection Association as the National Fire Protection Agency. The article has been corrected. It’s that time of ...

Our house has an unusual chimney made with irregular stones. The existing cap is in poor shape and I’m worried about damage. Each contractor I talk with has a different solution and none of them are ...

Each week, I receive quite a few emails from readers of this column. I treasure each one because they provide a window to ...

Removing clay pot. Photo/Supplied. Unreinforced masonry chimneys can be a significant risk to people’s safety and the strength of our homes, so Natural Hazards Commission Toka Tū Ake (NHC) is ...

Q: Our 1940 home has a brick fireplace and chimney. We had it inspected recently and were told by several people that it has a crack near the roofline and needs to be taken down and rebuilt. The ...

Where to start with chimneys? Probably here: A chimney is not just an elongated window, not just a portal from inside to outside with deep, brick sills. A chimney, in fact, is a machine for generating ...