Do Creosote Logs Work?

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Have You Ever Wondered If Those CSL Logs Work?

Many of our St. Louis tuckpointing and chimney cleaning customers have asked us about the effectiveness of those advertised creosote logs, and their effectiveness in reducing or eliminating dangerous creosote buildup in their chimneys.

The simple answer is, yes. A recognized chimney cleaning industry organization, The Chimney Institute of America, say they do, but there’s more to the story. Sole reliance on a creosote log to clean your chimney thoroughly is not wise. A creosote log is not enough to ensure a safe season of using and enjoying your fireplace. While a creosote log helps remove some creosote, there’s still creosote left behind.

Creosote, as many homeowners already know, is a dangerous sticky, flammable substance that attaches to your chimney’s walls and chimney flue. While creosote chimney logs can help, they’re no substitute for a professional chimney inspection and thorough cleaning. While the log can help dehydrate the creosote and make it fall off easier, only a professional chimney inspection and cleaning can remove creosote to optimum levels.

Creosote is not the only concern when it comes to your St. Louis chimney or fireplace. Animals, debris, bird nests, missing mortar, damaged flue liners, damaged or missing chimney caps, loose bricks, etc. can also lead to dangerous and costly chimney issues if they’re left unchecked.

Don’t take chances with your home or your family’s safety, book a professional chimney inspector and chimney sweep for true peace of mind.

The professional tuck pointers, chimney repair pros, and chimney sweeps at Massey Tuckpointing & Masonry have been serving St. Louis and the St. Louis Metro customers for decades.  We know how to make sure your chimney is in optimum condition and working safely.

Call Massey Tuckpointing & Masonry and schedule your professional St. Louis chimney inspection and cleaning. We are ready to serve you.

Happy Thanksgiving from Massey Tuckpointing

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Happy Thanksgiving from Massey Tuckpointing
Happy Thanksgiving from your trusted St. Louis tuck pointers and masons, Massey Tuckpointing & Masonry.

We want to take this opportunity to wish all of our customers, our hardworking employees, family, friends, and St. Louis neighbors, a Happy Thanksgiving. 

We will be back in the office this Friday and ready to help you with all your chimney cleaning, masonry, chimney repair, and St. Louis tuckpointing needs.

“Lifesavers!”–D. Cowser

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“Lifesavers! – Needed last min tuckpointing on my chimney to pass a local presale inspection. Massey was able to fit me in with little notice, and they came out and did a quality job. When I needed extra copies of lien waivers and receipts for the title company, they came through at a moments notice. Spring was wonderful to deal with and always got back to me when she said she would (which is rare with contractors these days). THANK YOU MASSEY!!!!!”–D. Cowser

“Thoroughly impressed…”-W. Zimet

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“Although I chose another contractor to re-build my chimney, I was thoroughly impressed with Robert from Massey Tuckpointing’s knowledge and presentation and have already made this known to friends who may need masonry work”–W. Zimet
 

We Cannot Say Enough Good Things About Massey–R. McCann

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“We cannot say enough good things about Massey Tuckpointing and Masonry. They recently provided tuckpointing services for our home and did a great job. Fair price, responsive in their communication and very easy to work with. In addition, shortly thereafter we found ourselves selling our home. The team at Massey were extremely accommodating in getting someone out to help us make some repairs on very short notice. We would highly recommend their services to anyone.”–R. McCann

Chimney Rebuild

Avoid Chimney Fires: Book Your chimney Inspection & Cleaning

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Winter Is on the Way

It’s that time of the year—a time when the leaves turn beautiful colors, carved pumpkins abound, ghouls and goblins lurk, and there’s a crisp chill hanging in the darkness of night.

It’s time to enjoy the warmth and beautiful light of a crackling fire.

Before you Light My Fire

Before you light that first fire to take the chill off, ask yourself this question: “When was the last time I had my chimney inspected and cleaned?” If you can’t remember, or it’s been a year or more, stop!

There is an average of 25,000 chimney fires in the US every year! Don’t be part of that statistic. Keep your family and home safe from chimney fires by scheduling a chimney inspection and professional cleaning.

Creosote: Dangerous Build Up

With each use of your fireplace, a sticky substance called creosote sticks to the inside of your chimney and chimney flue liner. Each time you use your fireplace, creosote slowly builds up and can increase the possibility of experiencing a dangerous, costly chimney fire.

What You Don’t Know Can Hurt You

Sometimes, chimney fires are subtler and go undetected. They may cause cumulative damage that isn’t typically apparent to the average homeowner. Extreme heat and temperatures of as high as 2,000 degrees can be generated by these fires.

Massey Tuckpointing & Masonry: Providing Peace of Mind

At Massey Tuckpointing, your St. Louis tuckpointing pros, we know what to look for and how to properly and thoroughly inspect your chimney, flue liner, mortar, and other components of your fireplace and chimney system. We also are certified and trained in the art of chimney sweeping and attend continuing education to ensure our chimney sweeps and masons are the best they can be and deliver a superior level of service.

Paying Attention to The Details

Here are some of the things we do during an inspection:

  • Inspect for cracks and missing mortar on the exterior of your chimney masonry
  • Check for missing flue tiles
  • Inspect chimney cap and check for cracks, deterioration in the seal or composition of the cap
  • Check the surrounding roofing around the chimney and identify any damage or issues
  • Inspect the damper and make sure it’s in proper working order
  • Use our chimney cam to thoroughly inspect the entire stack for corrosion, cracks, missing mortar and more.

If There’s an Issue, You’ll Know

If our St. Louis chimney inspectors and sweeps find an issue or multiple issues with your flue liner, chimney cap, mortar, damper or any other element of your chimney and fireplace, we’ll find it, document it, and inform you of all issues and needed repairs.

Clean Bill of Health

If our chimney inspection doesn’t reveal any issues, we get busy thoroughly and professionally sweeping your chimney and getting you ready to enjoy your fireplace all season long.

chimney repair
St. Louis tuckpointing and chimney repair

Stay safe and enjoy the warmth of a toasty, cozy and romantic fire.

Massey Tuckpointing, your trusted, family-owned, and trained masons, tuckpointers, and chimney sweep experts are ready to serve you and your tuckpointing needs.

 

 

Happy Labor Day.

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Massey Tuckpointing, your tuck pointing, and masonry pros want to wish all our customers, employees and family members a safe and fun-filled Labor Day. Stay safe.  We look forward to speaking with you on Tuesday.

chimney repair

The Massey Tuckpointing Difference.

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chimney repair
St. Louis tuckpointing and chimney repair

Don’t neglect your St. Louis chimney or tuckpointing.

Few homeowners enjoy spending their hard-earned dollars on home repairs or maintenance. Unfortunately, neglecting your home’s tuckpointing and chimney issues can cost you even more in the long run. Crumbling tuckpointing or a deteriorating chimney not only look bad, reduce curb appeal, and make your home look unkept, they can pose dangers to you, your family, and your guests.

Loose bricks or a crumbling chimney can fall on you, your family, visitors, or pets. Also, a damaged chimney can also affect your home’s ventilation and prevent the safe use of your fireplace during the winter. Finally, a damaged chimney and roof flashing can also cause leaks and costly interior damage, especially if neglected.

Hiring a professional, skilled, trusted, and experienced St. Louis tuckpointing company is more important than ever. Unfortunately, there are inexperienced contractors that dabble in tuck pointing and chimney repair, and their work can leave a lot to be desired. Our professional tuckpointers and chimney repair experts, take continuing education in the building arts, including tuckpointing. We don’t believe in cutting corners or doing a half-hearted job on your St. Louis home or business. In fact, some of our current St. Louis tuckpointing customers have hired us to fix poorly-performed tuckpointing and masonry work done by companies that cut corners and weren’t committed to delivering superior work.

At Massey Tuckpointing, a family-owned company with deep St. Louis roots, we want to be your St. Louis tuckpointing company for life.  We offer, easy-to-understand, accurate, and complete bids. No tricks. No cutting corners. No low bids with expensive surprises at the end. We also maintain great communications and deliver timely service. We don’t hire subcontractors and all our employees are U.S. citizens.

If you’re noticing crumbling, missing, or cracked bricks or mortar now is the time to have it checked out and fixed. Don’t put off tuckpointing and chimney work another year. St. Louis weather and time can take their toll.

Call your St. Louis tuckpointing pros at Massey Tuckpointing and Masonry, and we’ll get your work done fast and on budget.