First, you should clean the brick before you begin painting it. To do this, use a wire brush and soapy water to scrub down ...

Lee Wallender is a home improvement writer of nearly 20 years and specializes in home remodeling, repair and maintenance. Kristin is a lead editor at Forbes Home and has nearly a decade of ...

Don't risk an unsafe wood-burning fireplace! Learn how many fires you can have between cleanings and the tools and techniques ...

Mark is a seasoned green industry veteran and freelance writer based in Georgia. His work encompasses all things garden, landscape, home improvement, and DIY, with a focus on sustainability. Mark ...

There’s something special about a real, wood-burning fireplace: The scent, the crackling sounds, and watching the logs slowly burn down to glowing embers. But they’re also a hassle, and pretty dirty.

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Measure the area for the surround and the fireplace dimensions. Determine the exact top of the fireplace, because you’ll be setting a support slab across both sides of the surround to complete it. Dry ...

Fireplaces are indisputably cozy. They evoke fresh snow and hot cocoa, winter weekends spent holed up in rustic cabins, favorite stews simmering on the stove. While installing a real, wood-burning one ...

I have a fireplace, a cord of split, seasoned wood, and a cold family. So I make a lot of fires. But, for me, nothing about a fire is ever consistent—not the tinder or kindling or logs. So, I always ...

Before starting a fire, open the fireplace damper so smoke can properly exit through the chimney. Use kiln-dried firewood for the cleanest burn and least chimney build-up. Kindling lights quickly, but ...