Nick is a writer with nearly a decade of experience in the home improvement industry. Now one of Forbes Home’s in-house writers, he previously wrote for Forbes Home as a freelance writer. He has ...

Rosanne is an interior design and home improvement writer with 8 years of experience. During that time she has worked with numerous businesses and publications. Rosanne has been with Forbes Home for ...

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 ...

What sits quietly on top of a chimney yet carries a big job in keeping a home safe, dry, and comfortable? A small metal guard called a chimney cap works harder than it looks. When that little ...

Q: Our house has an unusual chimney made with irregular stones. The existing cap is in poor shape. What’s the best way to install a cap on a masonry chimney? A: The chimney cap I’d build would be a ...

Jeff Somers is a freelancer who has been writing about writing, books, personal finance, and home maintenance since 2012. When not writing, Jeff spends his free time fixing up his old house. He has ...

Rob Robillard is a general contractor and editor of AConcordCarpenter.com. Q. What is the proper installation for a squirrel-protector cap for a residential chimney? I’ve been told that our cap is too ...

Rust on a chimney comes from its metal components, not from the bricks. Metal parts like the cap and flashing rust with moisture, staining the brick. To prevent chimney rust, clean the brick, maintain ...