Chestnut
Hill Chimney Chestnut
Hill Chimney
And, of course, the better the quality of product you use, the better it works. The "box store" do it yourself kits for metal chimneys will only contain a chimney fire for 10 minutes. The metal chimney brand we use contains a fire for 30. That 20 minutes can be the difference between saving your house or not. It's difficult for the Fire Department to get to your house and put out a fire in less than 10 minutes. Yes the better pipe costs more, but not as much as the potential damage to your home.
Soot is corrosive and damaging to your chimney, removing it now prolongs the life of your chimney, prevents that "nasty smell" during humid/rainy summer days, and ensures that when Fall rolls around your chimney is safe and ready to go when you want it. All pellet stove manufacturers require a professional cleaning at the end of the season to prevent remaining pellets in the system from damaging your stove, as well as to check overall systems function and parts.
Additionally now is the time to start any repairs or upgrades to your home heating system, when you don't need it running constantly. National Fire Code states that any changes you make to your heating system (even swapping out one oil burner for another) requires that your chimney be cleaned and inspected. And if you are looking to upgrade to a more efficient wood or pellet stove, or start using wood or pellets to reduce oil use we can help you with that as well.
If you are looking for anything to do with wood, pellet or gas heat (stoves, fireplaces or inserts), or their chimneys and flue systems call us! We can start from scratch or repair/replace what is already there.
Technology in the industry has advanced, new wood stoves produce more useable heat more safely than ever before, and we have a pellet stove that can burn any type of pellet!
We are legally licensed for installing and servicing gas hearth products in both Maine and New Hampshire.
Wood or gas units can heat your home safely without electricity.
Former customers of Lilac City Hearth & Fireplaces in Rochester NH we can help! Click here Lilac City Help
We are not your typical stove shop, in fact we don't own a stove shop. We come out to your home and do a site inspection and consultation with you. We will help you determine what can be installed into your home, that will accomplish your goals. We can do the entire job, from design to finish including the carpentry, installation of liner or metal chimney or venting, hearth, stone/brick or tile walls and floor protection, so that your home is warm, stays safe, and looks beautiful. Not sure of what type of fuel you want to burn (wood vs. pellet vs. gas?) then try our Which Fuel? page or Which Fuel Is Greenest?
Very often traditional stove shops have a wide variety of display units, but the sales people do not install or maintain these types of units, so although they know what you like the looks of, they don't know what will physically work in your home, whether you have clearance issues that need to be fixed (especially hidden clearance to combustible problems), the best placement for the chimney/venting, the specific requirements of that chimney and venting....so they sell you a stove that "looks good", hand you a business card of someone that can install it cheap and deposit your money.
We have been installing and maintaining stoves, inserts,
fireplaces and chimneys for over 21 years. We know from experience that one size never fits all, and we treat you as an individual. We only use the best products on our installations to ensure that your home and family are safe and that your system will last and provide warmth in your home for years to come. We want your appliance to work the way you want, look the way you want and be something that you enjoy having in your home - whether you want something purely as a back up heat source, or a fireplace to gather family and friends around on cold winter evenings, or something that is a functional primary heat source but still fits in with your decorating style (traditional or modern). We can help you find what you need that really fits into your home, your lifestyle and is installed correctly to keep your family safe.
The picture next to our name above is a gas fireplace and stone work, the picture to the right is of a pellet stove, with stone facing, media shelves and a flat screen TV above it (both are our installs)
Interesting installations that we have completed recently:
The first is the conversion of wood to gas in the fireplaces at "Wentworth By The Sea" in New Castle, NH. What an honor to help upgrade the units in their dining room and lobby. The hotel is truly one of the last "Grand Hotels".
To the left, in contrast, is a very clean, modern feel gas fireplace, the unit was installed on a "blank wall" we built the fireplace for the gas unit from scratch. The owner was very pleased with the outcome and recent guests were confused, they couldn't remember how it looked before because the unit blended in so well.
So even if you don't have a fireplace system to start with, we can still help you get the room that you have always dreamed of. This gas unit makes the room warm and inviting and is an excellent secondary heat source as well, especially during power outages.
The second unit, shown above and right, is a renovation of an old outdated "heatilator" style fireplace that had a wood insert installed, transformed into a new gas fireplace with tiles instead of bricks (the homeowner had always hated the appearance of the bricks but didn't think anything could be done about it).
The homeowner is a widow in her 70s that didn't want to be hauling logs, cleaning up ashes and having difficulties lighting fires. She wanted something that looked nice in her living room, provided an easy to start, no mess fire for ambiance when she had friends or family over, and a back up heat source when the power goes out (almost all gas fireplaces work without power).
The before picture was taken after the wooden mantel, brick hearth and insert had been removed, the mantel was the same color as the floor, she repainted green it to match the room better, we added the trim down the sides to complete the frame and cover the edges where the tile met the wallpaper. The insert was black and stuck out even further into a small living room making one whole corner of the room appear "heavy" and dark. Now it looks much "lighter", cleaner and does not protrude into the room. All her objectives were accomplished.
Below are pictures of a fireplace with a tiled surround with a completely different feel (again, our work), a picture of the traditional looking Cast Iron Stoves by Hampton (Regency) available in colors, a line of very contemporary gas fireplaces (in addition to clean picture frame style lines they look as if the flames are dancing on river rocks or colored glass) one of which we just sold to a customer in Bermuda, Archgard's Chalet Wood Insert with optional gold door and fan inset and arched forged iron surround. Whatever your style or needs we can help you get the look, and the safe heat source, that you want. Never assume that because you don't have a fireplace or chimney to start with, or have one that you hate, that we can't fix it. It's your home, it should look and feel the way you want.
Lately we have had people calling asking how long we maintain quotes on file. That answer is actually in 2 parts: Quoted prices are good for 30 days unless otherwise specified. However we try to keep quotes on file forever. So if you called us for a quote years ago, yes we still know who you are, what you wanted then and will be happy to continue right where we left off. Or even if you had someone else do the work (yes it happens) but aren't satisfied with the results we can help you fix what is wrong and make it right (that happens more often than people realize). Don't be afraid to call us back, whether its been a few weeks or years, we still value you as a customer and are happy to have the opportunity to serve you.
For samples of our work see our Gallery of Good Ideas, for our brands click on the brand names: Regency (which includes Hampton and Greenfire), Archgard, Vistaflame, Ahrens
Mark Jones, owner of Chestnut Hill Chimney & Hearth, is a licensed New Hampshire Gas Fitter AND a licensed Gas Appliance Connection and Service Technician in Maine, which means that he can install and service gas appliances in both NH & ME (both states have laws which require these licenses for anyone who works on or installs any gas appliance). Mark also teaches the NFI certification classes on a local and national level, as well as classes for fire departments, building inspectors, insurance agents, and homeowners. He conducts fire investigations for insurance or legal claims, and has helped investigate chimney frauds in both New Hampshire and Maine. Both Mark and David are NFI Certified Master Hearth Professionals which encompasses individual certifications for wood, gas and pellet appliances.