6 Best Chimney Sweep Blogs for Professionals & Homeowners in 2022

You know the chimney sweep industry is alive and well in the 21st century when both professionals and homeowners are seeking out educational, yet engaging content about the best ways to clean and maintain residential chimneys.

This industry can be highly technical, which makes it particularly challenging for professionals to find quality sources on best practices, market trends, and new technologies online. And that difficulty is doubled for homeowners who want to learn more about chimney installation and maintenance—even if it’s just to hire the right chimney sweep shop to service their home.

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To make things a little easier, we’ve compiled our list of the 6 best chimney sweep blogs in 2022.

Wisdom from the Hearth

Wisdom from the Hearth is the official blog of the Chimney Safety Institute of America.

Since 1983, CSIA has been the industry leader in chimney and venting education, offering the most recognized credentials in the business. Their blog has useful content for both professional chimney sweeps and homeowners, and is one of the best online sources for industry news.

Thanks to their standing in the industry, CSIA is able to provide valuable information and insights that can’t be found elsewhere. For instance, this recent blog post took a critical look into their website traffic to identify exactly what the modern-day homeowner wants to know about their chimney and venting system—an interesting read for any chimney sweep business looking to better engage homeowners in their area.

Sweeping: The Journal of Chimney & Venting Technology

Sweeping is a monthly trade journal published by the National Chimney Sweep Guild.

The NCSG was founded in 1977 in response to the increased use of wood stoves during the global oil embargo crisis. As the only national trade association representing chimney sweep professionals in North America, the NCSG is uniquely qualified to identify critical trends within the industry.

If you’re an NCSG member, you probably already receive a copy of Sweeping in the mail every month. Still, nothing beats the convenience of accessing it online. The journal covers a broad range of topics relevant to chimney sweep professionals and business owners—including technical Q&As, business best practices, and interviews with fellow members.

Ask the Chimney Sweep

Ask the Chimney Sweep is maintained by the owner of American Chimney, Clay Lamb, who has been in the business since 1981.

The site is a massive archive of multimedia content. Apart from regular blog articles, Lamb also maintains an active YouTube channel and podcast. This comprehensive platform provides in-depth information on all aspects of chimney installation, repair, and maintenance.

While technically aimed at homeowners, the blog actually serves as an excellent case study in effective content marketing. Lamb’s enthusiasm for his trade comes through in every piece of content. And each blog post is accompanied by real in-field photos and videos. Lamb’s content is accessible to the average person who wants to understand the work that goes into keeping a chimney clean and safe.

Contractor Talk Forum

While the main Contractor Talk site is focused on the construction trades, this forum attracts a broad audience from all field service professions.

Common topics include sales and marketing strategies, the joys and frustrations of running a small business, and reviews of emerging software and technologies. There’s also a job board and equipment trading board for those looking for real-world ways to impact their business.

In addition, the masonry sub-forum often has discussions specifically relevant to chimney sweeps, such as how to improve chimney longevity and lengthy discussions on the pros and cons of the chimney sweep profession.

Smoke Signals

Run by the Connecticut-based company Northeastern Chimney, the Smoke Signals blog offers homeowners a comprehensive resource for anything related to chimneys, stoves, and fireplaces.

While the blog covers a variety of topics, the real highlight is the well-organized collection of guides for almost any specific issue a homeowner is likely to encounter. This blog has everything from how to care for your chimney in the winter to how to minimize creosote buildup in your flue. It even offers a detailed guide on why your chimney is covered in that mysterious white stuff, why you should care, and exactly what you should do about it.

The company also has an active social media presence on Facebook and Twitter, where homeowners can subscribe to receive their latest site updates.

Rockford Chimney Supply Blog

Rockford Chimney Supply is an e-commerce business that sells premium hearth products to both professionals and DIY homeowners. As such, their articles are generally relevant to both groups.

Rockford’s strong focus on DIY customers shows through in their outstanding how-to content. For instance, they have an excellent series of DIY videos that shows homeowners how to install and replace chimney parts on their own. These videos cover exactly what equipment the homeowner needs to purchase beforehand, then explains each step of the process in a clear, visual fashion.

Even with that guidance, buying the right parts for a specific venting system can be tricky for most homeowners, so Rockford has made this process as easy as possible through their detailed online measurement forms. Homeowners simply follow the measurement instructions, submit the form, and wait for a certified Rockford technician to send them a complete list of parts based on their exact specs.

For the DIY homeowner, Rockford’s blog is simply the best resource out there.