Welcome to Bill On Fire, an informative online video series by Chimney Company owner Bill Bassels. The Bill On Fire series includes videos of the services that we provide, problems that occur, and interesting aspects of the job that we encounter. It is designed to be informative, not instructional, showing you areas of the industry that you would normally not be able to see.


Please remember, work shown here is performed by supervised, licensed, and certified professionals. DO NOT attempt anything you see here yourself. So sit back, enjoy, and thanks for watching Bill On Fire.

SMOKE CHAMBER

EPISODE #52
Unlined chimneys can often create smoke issues inside the home.

EPISODE #44
This homes chimney liner was installed improperly causing smoke issues inside the house.

EPISODE #21
Here is an example of another smoke chamber being parged on an exterior wall.

EPISODE #4
In this episode Bill parges the inside of a smoke chamber to fill in the voids.

CONCRETE CAPS

EPISODE #47
See why improper installation of a concrete cap can lead to chimney deterioration.

EPISODE #13
Check out this enormous concrete cap and the end result over time.

EPISODE #5
Installing precast concrete caps.

CLEANING & INSPECTIONS

NEW! EPISODE #62
Sometimes chimneys are difficult or even impossible to clean due to the design of thier flue.

NEW! EPISODE #63
This customer ordered the Chimney Company Value Pack and got a much needed inspection.

FLASHING & EAVESTROUGHS

NEW! EPISODE #60
This unused chimney is sealed up with stainless steel flashing to prevent leaking.

EPISODE #7
Bill describes what chimney flashing is and illustrates a poor eavestrough design.

SMOKE PROBLEMS

NEW! EPISODE #69
See how an unlined chimney can cause smoke to leak into a home.

NEW! EPISODE #68
Testing a chimney to pinpoint the cause of smoke leaking into the basement.

EPISODE #58
An unlined chimney causes smoke to filter into this homes basement.

EPISODE #56
Gaps in the flue cause this chimney to leak smoke.

EPISODE #52
Unlined chimneys can often create smoke issues inside the home.

EPISODE #46
See how we fix this home owners issues with leaking smoke.

EPISODE #44
This homes chimney liner was installed improperly causing smoke issues inside the house.

DETERIORATION & REBUILDS

NEW! EPISODE #61
See how improper construction led to this chimney needing a rebuild.

EPISODE #59
This older chimney is starting to deteriorate and needs a proper rebuild.

EPISODE #50
See how small rain caps and lack of airspace can be devastating to a chimney.

EPISODE #40
If you have an old home, there is a good chance you may need to have your chimney rebuilt.

EPISODE #39
Over time chimneys can deteriorate and become unsafe, Bill explains how and why.

EPISODE #38
See a completed chimney rebuild in a typical east york neighorhood.

EPISODE #26
Here is an excellent example of why partial rebuilds are not normally recommended.

EPISODE #15
This rebuild shows various unique problems that we encountered in this chimney and how we solved them.

EPISODE #12
In this episode Bill shows why unlined chimneys are a serious problem and how we corrected this one.

EPISODE #1
Bill explains the effects a pointed chimney has on bricks and mortar and why it should be avoided.

CREOSOTE

EPISODE #16
During this rebuild see the effects of excessive creosote and the damage it caused.

CHIMNEY FIRES

EPISODE #51
In some cases improper construction can even lead to chimney fires.

WALLS, BRICKWORK, & SILLS

EPISODE #36
In this episode we come across a very unique brick wall repair.

EPISODE #33
In this episode we repair damaged bricks at ground level on a garage.

EPISODE #31
Installation of stone sills.

EPISODE #24
Watch as we install a stone sill and explain why it is superior to a brick one.

EPISODE #18
Watch as the Chimney Company crew repairs a shifting foundation wall caused by improper grading.

SCAFFOLD SET UPS

EPISODE #49
See how Bill sets up the scaffold at this difficult location.

EPISODE #37
Here we show the interesting scaffold set up from episode #36.

EPISODE #23
Here is an example of a multi-leveled scaffold set-up.

ANIMALS

NEW! EPISODE #67
Animals can cause more damage to a chimney than most people realize.

EPISODE #34
Here is an example of how animals can sometimes seek shelter in chimneys.

LINERS

NEW! EPISODE #70
This gas liner has deteriorated badly and must be replaced.

NEW! EPISODE #69
See how an unlined chimney can cause smoke to leak into a home.

NEW! EPISODE #65
See why lining a fireplace flue is important.

EPISODE #58
An unlined chimney causes smoke to filter into this homes basement.

EPISODE #43
See why proper installation of a chimney liner above the concrete cap is just as important as below.

EPISODE #32
Here we have to install a flex liner due to an offset in the chimney.

EPISODE #28
Here is an example of why installing a stainless steel liner may not always be the most logical solution.

EPISODE #25
See the damaged caused to a pre-fab chimney as a result of improper air-space requirements.

EPISODE #22
In this episode you will see an example of a certified stainless steel rigid liner prior to installation.

EPISODE #15
This rebuild shows various unique problems that we encountered in this chimney and how we solved them.

EPISODE #12
In this episode Bill shows why unlined chimneys are a serious problem and how we corrected this one.

EPISODE #11
Watch as Bill explains why this rebuild needs a new chimney flue liner.

EPISODE #10
See why metal liners on top of clay flues must be properly flashed.

EPISODE #3
This stainless steel liner is sealed to the chimney crown and attached to the smoke chamber.

EPISODE #2
Watch Bill and his team as they install a rigid steel chimney liner into this rebuild.

ADDRESSING IMPROPER CONSTRUCTION

NEW! EPISODE #66
See how proper construction has kept this chimney in pristine condition for over a decade.

NEW! EPISODE #64
This chimney is in absolute ruin due to improper construction.

NEW! EPISODE #61
See how improper construction led to this chimney needing a rebuild.

EPISODE #57
Parging chimneys never has a good outcome, see an example here.

EPISODE #55
Once again we see the devastating effects of corbelling on a chimney.

EPISODE #54
In this case we see improper materials being used in chimney construction.

EPISODE #53
Improper construction has led the clay tile on this chimney to crack.

EPISODE #51
In some cases improper construction can even lead to chimney fires.

EPISODE #50
See how small rain caps and lack of airspace can be devastating to a chimney.

EPISODE #48
The Chimney Company is called in to rectify what may be the worst job we've seen.

EPISODE #47
See why improper installation of a concrete cap can lead to chimney deterioration.

EPISODE #46
See how we fix this home owners issues with leaking smoke.

EPISODE #45
This chimney was extended when the house went from a bungalow to a two story, but wasn't build correctly.

EPISODE #44
This homes chimney liner was installed improperly causing smoke issues inside the house.

EPISODE #43
See why proper installation of a chimney liner above the concrete cap is just as important as below.

EPISODE #42
Here we do a complete chimney rebuild to fix some of the common mistakes that we find throughout the city.

EPISODE #41
Once again we see how cutting corners can lead to major deterioration.

EPISODE #35
During the rebuild of this chimney we discovered a damaged flue.

EPISODE #30
This Brick wall was damaged by a an improper venting installation.

EPISODE #29
This client was experiencing major smoke issues inside their home.

EPISODE #27
Here is an extreme example of a chimney spalling due to improper construction.

EPISODE #25
See the damaged caused to a pre-fab chimney as a result of improper air-space requirements.

EPISODE #20
This episode clearly shows why exterior bricks should never be covered with stone facing.

EPISODE #19
Here we show common chimney problems on a typical downtown home.

EPISODE #17
Upon inspection of this chimney we discovered major structural problems.

EPISODE #14
Here we show why we believe our expertise should be called upon for chimney inspections.

EPISODE #13
Check out this enormous concrete cap and the end result over time.

EPISODE #10
See why metal liners on top of clay flues must be properly flashed.

EPISODE #9
This episode shows clearly why a brick chimney should not be corbelled.

EPISODE #8
This video shows a brick chimney that was parged and explains why it should be avoided.

EPISODE #6
Here we explain why this chimney requires a complete rebuild from the roofline up.