With chilly nights ahead, fireplaces offer a cozy and beautiful respite, but Southern California is unique in regard to trends, wood-burning restrictions and retrofit and replacement regulations.

Begin by chiseling the mortar on the top line of brick. It might be a little tough to remove the first brick, but once you pry it out, the others should follow more easily. Remove one brick at a time.

But the more you use your fireplace, Forte says “the more dust, dirt, ash, and soot can build up over time.” So naturally, you want to keep your fireplace brick looking good.

If you’re in need of chimney repair contractors, we have advice for how to find the best chimney repair services near you.

Q. My wife and I purchased a home approximately three years ago. Last year we were told after a fireplace and chimney inspection that the chimney top was leaning out four inches compared to the bot… ...

Bay Area homeowners are eligible to seek rebates from $750 to $12,000 per home to replace wood-burning fireplaces and stoves with gas or electric heating devices such as fireplace inserts, heat ...

Replacing fireplace brick isn't easy but worth it. By Bill Burnett and Kevin Burnett Feb 3, 2010. Q: I'd like to remove my fireplace brick, but it goes all the way up from the hearth to the ceiling.