Friday, 29 November 2013

8 Tips for Fireplace Safety

When was the last time you had your chimney inspected?  If you can’t remember when you last had it checked than you are in need of some serious fireplace safety school.Taking time to keep your fireplace healthy will help reduce the risk of ignition while still allowing you to enjoy your nights next to open fire.A poorly-maintained fireplace can be a recipe for disasterputting you and family in harm’s way. Below are some important fireplace tips to keeping you & your family safe all season long:

Sweep It Out– Just like you, your fireplace and chimney needs their yearly physicals by a certified chimney sweep.  If you do only one thing, you must hire a professional Chicago sweep to complete a thorough yearly chimney cleaning.  Get the process completed before each heating season to remove all the damaging soot and buildup that has accumulated over the past year.

Check It Out – While your sweep is on site have them also inspect your chimney for damage or any needed repairs.  This includes the flue, chimney cap, gas line, and any other working part of the chimney.  The contractor can also check for loose bricks, cracked mortar, and damage or deterioration to the structure – all serious signs of needed repairs for your fireplace.

Don’t Forget to Cap It– A good quality cap on your chimney will prevents animals, debris, and rain and snow from entering into your chimney.  This wire-mesh device that fits over the opening of our chimney should be well-fitting and in good working order.  During your annual Chicago chimney cleaning, ask the technician to also inspect the caps.

Start It Right – Avoid flammable liquids when starting your fire.  Rather utilize your survival skills and use log placement as a way to get the blaze going.

Burn the Right Wood – Did you know that certain types of wood you burn can create more creosote in the home?  You should avoid resinous softwoods such as pine.  These types of wood create more creosote than others and thus creating more buildup in the flue.  As always, you only want to use dry, clean wood to reduce the amount of smoke in the home.

Burn the Right Amount – Small fires are ideal for creating less smoke and therefore less damaging, clogging creosote.  Smaller blazesalso prevent your fire from getting too hot and damaging the chimney.

Guard It – A mesh metal screen or protective glass doors are both great options to keeping scorching ambers from shooting into your living space.  Use these safety guards to keep your family safe and protect your furniture and living room from damaging burns.

Monitor It– With many state and local regulations in place, you should have working smoke and carbon monoxide detectors near the area of the fire.  These will help alert you if there is a gas leak or too much smoke in the air.

Follow these fireplace safety tips closely and often to keep your home a healthy environment for family, guests, and pets alike. If you have a hard time remembering, schedule a reminder in your smartphone or ask your professional Chicago chimney partner to email or call when your next chimney cleaning is due.  As always keep an eye out for warning signs that there may be problems such as soot in the living space or too much smoke when the fire is started.


The chimney cleaning is an significant task that must be carried out on a timely basis to keep the house safe and hygienic. In order to get the best services for chimney cleaning in Chicago, get in touch with Lindemann Chimney Service.

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