2015

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Lancaster, CA Midtown Chimney Sweeps Franchise Lands $12k Chimney Sweep

Lancaster, CA Midtown Chimney Sweeps Franchising is proud to announce the recent success of our Lancaster, California franchisee, Tikar Carroll. The Lancaster, California team was able to land the largest commercial chimney sweeping contract to date within the franchise infrastructure. This $12k chimney sweep job is being completed over a series of weekends this fall as the weather cools down.

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The Best Thing about Firewood…and Fall

What is the relative value of different kinds of Firewood? No blog about firewood would be complete without some practical reference to BTUs! Firewood is any combustible flora or plant matter that is convenient and useful to burn in a fireplace or wood stove for heating purposes. In the American novel of the westward expansion of the mid to late 1800's by Laura Ingalls Wilder, Little House on the Prarie, we read about the Long Winter. During this prolonged cold season there became a shortage of firewood. Due to the nature of the Mid West, straw was available and used for fuel to create heat in the little clapboard structure the family lived in. Evenings were spent twisting straw and braiding it into thin cords that would be fed into the wood stove. Thankfully, due to modern technology, all EPA Phase II stoves burn cord wood with around 60%-80% efficiency. It makes me wish I could transport one of these efficient wood stoves back into Laura Ingalls Wilder's little house during the long winter and help her family stay warm!

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9 Signs of Chimney Fire and Why they Ignite

9 Signs that a Professional Chimney Sweep looks for to Identify if a Chimney Fire has Occurred: “Puffy” or “honey combed” creosote Warped metal of the damper, metal smoke chamber connector pipe or factory-built metal chimney Cracked or collapsed flue tiles, or tiles with large chunks missing Discolored and/or distorted rain cap Heat-damaged TV antenna attached to the chimney Creosote flakes and pieces found on the roof or ground Roofing material damaged from hot creosote Cracks in exterior masonry Evidence of smoke escaping through mortar joints of masonry or tile liners

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3 Lessons Learned from a Lucky Chimney Sweep

A client last week asked one of our Midtown Chimney Sweeps franchisees for a few bristles cut from his chimney sweep brush. The sooty bristles are a symbol of good luck. There is a rich tradition of good fortune intrinsically tied to our careers of soot removal. We reviewed the 1964 film “Mary Poppins” with all-star cast favorites Dick Van Dyke and Julie Andrews. We gleaned three things to share with you. If you find these helpful, please share this post! Did you know that it's good luck to see a chimney sweep on your wedding day, shake his hand or be kissed by him? 3 Lessons Learned from a Lucky Chimney Sweep.

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3 Tips for New Home Owners with a Fireplace

Over 50% of all homes in the USA have fireplaces. Chances are, when you buy a home, the fireplace plays a part in the decision of which home you buy. Statistics say that 58% of hearth owners consider their fireplace, wood or pellet stove or insert to be a major design feature in their home. Now that you have a fireplace of your own, learn 3 tips for new home owners with a fireplace, and get a start on the chimney inspection process! 3 Tips for New Home owners with a fireplace

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Why Real Estate Agents Need to Know about Fireplaces

Fireplaces sell homes. Or dramatically help buyers decide on one home over another. Just look at almost any real estate photo shoot- the advertisement that wants the home to feel cozy and safe will feature the fireplace. Or any company that wants to tell the consumer that their products are safe and enduring will use a picture of a fireplace. Or at least feature it in the background. And yet, many real estate agents are still nervous about talking about the very fireplaces that help them increase the home's sale price. This may be due to the high number of Millenials entering the real estate profession and may be exposing a need for more education. Midtown Chimney Sweeps has put together a list of reasons why real estate agents need to know about fireplaces. Midtown offers free one hour courses to real estate broker's office in California, Colorado, and Iowa.

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5 Things that Make a Good Home-Based Business

Dirty Jobs Can Yield High Returns Sometimes the most unlikely business models are the most successful. Take trash collection, carpet cleaning, or chimney sweeping for example. Nobody wants to do them, but they actually pay very well. Some of these home-service business opportunities may have tremendous growth opportunities in the "dirty jobs" section of America because customers want quality and professionalism in these areas of home service, and cannot find it. Figure that one out and you are already an entrepreneuerial-minded business person on your way to the top. Here is a list of 5 things you can do to make a good home-based business in America today.

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