There is something romantic about having a fireplace in your home — especially if it is true firewood driven fireplace. However, since firewood isn’t the cleanest fuel in the world, you have to know a couple of tricks that will not only help you get the best from the fireplace but also ensure that smoke and sparks don’t harm your house.
Keeping the chimney in its best condition is the first step to getting optimum performance from the fireplace. A good commercial masonry contractor Connecticut will help you take care of any damages and also handle the cleaning to avoid chimney clogging.
Here are the other things you can do to keep your home safe, clean and cozy whenever you have a fire going.
Don’t run it for so long
Your fireplace wasn’t designed to be a furnace. There is a limit to how much it can take. A decent sized flame that doesn’t leap out of confine running for around five hours is good enough.
However, bigger fires or letting the fireplace run strong for over five hours could bring around complications you cannot mitigate no matter how hard you try.
Open the glass, leave the screen closed
Normally, when out of use, most fireplaces stay tucked away behind a glass panel. This should slide open when you have the fire going to allow in fresh air for the combustion and also to drive the chimney’s exhaust capabilities.
Keeping the screen closed, on the other hand, ensure that any sparks or stray embers stay contained and don’t jump far into the living room.
For better airflow, you can always open a window or two when using the fireplace to improve air circulation. The air coming in through the window will go up the chimney carrying with it the smoke, soot and other byproducts of burning wood.
Have a nonflammable rug before the fireplace
No matter how careful you are, the chances of embers falling around the fireplace are very high. To minimize damage and the risk of a fire, it would be wise to purchase a nonflammable rug and put it in front of the fireplace. Your carpeting will stay safer for longer and at no time will you ever have to worry about nothing but heat spreading into your living room.
Wait before removing the ashes
After your fire has gone out, the chances are that the embers and charcoal residue will smolder for up to three days depending on what type of wood you used. This means that if you want to get rid of the ashes, you must treat them as hot stuff.
Don’t use cardboard or a vacuum cleaner. A metal shovel and a metal container or pan will be a safer way to get rid of the ashes.
A fireplace is as romantic as it is cozy. However, it must be handled correctly for it to retain that charm that transforms a house into a true home. All in all, remember that under no circumstances should you leave children in the room with a fire going without adult supervision.
