Journal

Notes from the field.

Practical, honest guides on fireplaces, chimneys, masonry and outdoor living in Houston — from the crew at Artex Masonry & Fireplace. A new article publishes every Monday.

Gas or Wood Burning Fireplace for a Houston Home

Fireplaces

Sep 22, 2026 5 min read

Gas or Wood Burning Fireplace for a Houston Home

One of them is the fire you imagined. The other is the fire you will actually have. The right answer depends on how your household really behaves.

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Outdoor Fireplace vs. Fire Pit: Which One Fits Your Houston Yard

Outdoor Living

Sep 18, 2026 6 min read

Outdoor Fireplace vs. Fire Pit: Which One Fits Your Houston Yard

Both look good in a photo. Only one usually works in the yard you actually have.

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Chimney

Sep 13, 2026 5 min read

Chimney Inspection Before Your First Fire

A chimney that drafted fine in January can fail by October. The camera goes up the flue before the first fire, not after the first problem.

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Fireplace Installers in Houston: 7 Questions to Ask Before You Hire

Fireplaces

Sep 9, 2026 6 min read

Fireplace Installers in Houston: 7 Questions to Ask Before You Hire

Most of the money in a fireplace job is spent behind the wall, where you cannot see it. These questions get it out in the open before you sign.

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Installing a gas fireplace in Houston: vented vs ventless, permits, cost and timeline

Fireplace Installation

Sep 1, 2026 8 min read

Installing a gas fireplace in Houston: vented vs ventless, permits, cost and timeline

What actually happens when a gas fireplace goes into a Houston home — the vented and ventless decision, gas line and venting work, permitting, and how long the job takes.

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How often a Houston chimney really needs sweeping — and what an inspection covers

Chimney Repair

Aug 3, 2026 7 min read

How often a Houston chimney really needs sweeping — and what an inspection covers

Annual inspection, sweeping by usage, and the three inspection levels explained in plain language.

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The annual chimney inspection checklist every Houston homeowner should run

Chimney Repair

Jul 20, 2026 6 min read

The annual chimney inspection checklist every Houston homeowner should run

Ten minutes with a flashlight and a pair of binoculars can save you a full chimney rebuild.

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Chimney crown vs. chimney cap: the two parts Houston homeowners keep mixing up

Chimney Repair

Jul 6, 2026 6 min read

Chimney crown vs. chimney cap: the two parts Houston homeowners keep mixing up

Two different components, two different failure modes, two very different repair bills.

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Converting an old wood firebox to sealed direct-vent gas, start to finish

Fireplaces

Jun 22, 2026 7 min read

Converting an old wood firebox to sealed direct-vent gas, start to finish

The most common fireplace project we run in Houston — what's involved, what it costs you in downtime, and when to replace instead of adapt.

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Gas, wood or masonry: comparing fireplace types for a Houston home

Fireplaces

Jun 8, 2026 7 min read

Gas, wood or masonry: comparing fireplace types for a Houston home

Venting, gas availability, structural load and how often you'll actually light it decide this, not taste.

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Fireplaces

May 25, 2026 7 min read

A Houston homeowner's buying guide to fireplaces: budget, timeline and what drives cost

What actually moves the number on a fireplace estimate, and how to sequence the decisions in the right order.

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Your chimney crown is probably why your ceiling is stained

Chimney Repair

May 11, 2026 6 min read

Your chimney crown is probably why your ceiling is stained

The crown is the concrete slab at the top of the chimney. When it fails, the water shows up everywhere except the crown.

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What tuckpointing actually is — and when Houston brick needs it

Masonry Repair

Apr 27, 2026 6 min read

What tuckpointing actually is — and when Houston brick needs it

If you can scrape the mortar out of your joints with a screwdriver, the weather has already won.

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Stair-step cracks in Houston brick: cosmetic or structural?

Masonry Repair

Apr 13, 2026 7 min read

Stair-step cracks in Houston brick: cosmetic or structural?

Gulf Coast clay moves several inches a year. Here's how to read what your brick veneer is telling you.

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Stone veneer in Houston: what it costs you and what it returns

Custom Masonry

Mar 30, 2026 6 min read

Stone veneer in Houston: what it costs you and what it returns

A refaced front elevation is the highest-return masonry project we do — when it is installed with a real drainage plane.

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Designing an outdoor kitchen you'll actually use every week in Houston

Outdoor Living

Mar 16, 2026 7 min read

Designing an outdoor kitchen you'll actually use every week in Houston

Wind direction, shade and a tight work triangle separate a showpiece from a habit.

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Ready to get cozy?

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