The Complete Handbook of Fireplaces
A Professional's Guide to Selection, Installation, Maintenance, and Business
by Alumigogo Books
non-fiction
Technical reference for fireplace selection, installation, maintenance, and business - from venting physics to masonry repair.
About this book
Whether you are a hearth contractor sizing a high-efficiency insert for a 1920s masonry chimney, a property manager retrofitting gas log sets across 40 units, or a serious DIY owner replacing a cracked firebox, this handbook gives you the standards-based knowledge to make the right call. It treats fireplaces as engineered systems with specific heat outputs, draft requirements, and failure modes - not as décor. Coverage spans wood, gas, electric, pellet, and ethanol units, with full chapters on venting configurations, clearance codes, and troubleshooting common performance problems.
Beyond installation and maintenance, the handbook reaches into the commercial side: how to evaluate brands across budget, mid, and premium tiers, how to price installation and repair services, and what to know before starting a fireplace-related business. The final chapters look at regulatory trends and the expert resources you should bookmark. No fluff, no lifestyle photography - just the specifications and procedures you need to do the job correctly, safely, and profitably.
Reader Reviews
Jennifer Williams
★★★★★This is the reference I wish I had five years ago. As a contractor who installs gas inserts, I read Chapter 1 on draft and combustion physics and immediately understood why two of my installs had spillage issues - the house was creating negative pressure I hadn't accounted for. The handbook gives you actual numbers, not vague advice. It's dry, but it's accurate, and it's already saved me on a tricky retrofit where the b-vent was undersized. The chapter on troubleshooting is worth the price alone. The business chapter felt a bit thin on profit margins, but the technical content is truly top-tier for the trade.