When you bought your home, you were so excited that you had a chimney and fireplace. The idea of nights in front of the fire with family and friends, enjoying the quiet time was unmatched.
The most frustrating thing is when you are about to light a fire and the room fills with smoke. What’s a homeowner to do? There are some simple things that can help you burn a safe and efficient fire. Let us take a look at some of the tips to help you out.
Have Your Chimney CleanedIt is recommended to have your chimney swept at least once a year! This way creosote won’t build up and cause inefficient burning and release toxic fumes into your home. Professional Chimney Sweeping also reduces the risk of a chimney fire, plus most home insurance requires it!
Be sure when buying wood, it is dry. If you are cutting your own wood, let it sit and cure for at least 6 months. This will help reduce creosote buildup and help prevent chimney and firebox damage.
Learn how to stoke your fire: Your technician at Ye Olde Brit would be happy to give you some tips as to keeping your fire burning.
Be sure to close the damper when you are not using the fireplace. This will save you money by not having warm air escape up your chimney. Is the damper sealed properly? Be sure that heat isn’t escaping up the chimney through the damper. A properly sealed damper should prevent heat from escaping when closed. You may want to invest in a top-mount damper that can work as a rain cap.
A chimney cap will prevent rain and snow from getting into the chimney, causing a damp firebox. A cap will also prevent debris and small animals from getting in your chimney. This can cause a blockage and prevent smoke from escaping up the chimney as it should. If your chimney cap is rusted or missing then it is time to have a new one installed!
Consider installing tempered glass doors. These are very efficient in safety, keeping embers in the fireplace and not on your living room floor. The doors also work very well with heat conduction and distributing the heat to your home.
If you follow these tips, you should have no problems enjoying your fireplace year after year. Maintenance and awareness of the different parts of the chimney will go a long way.
Always use a professional like Ye Olde Brit when needing repairs, cleanings, and maintenance on your chimney. Our professionals are here to help. We can book an appointment that works well with your schedule. Call us at Ye Olde Brit at 909-880-2120 today for an appointment for your yearly chimney sweep. That will get you started in the right direction for a year of enjoyable fires.
Chimney problems are no fun. Fortunately, nearly all types of damage and malfunction a chimney may experience can be resolved when you put our team of experienced chimney repair technicians on the job. Ye Olde Brit Chimney Sweep provides a full menu of chimney repair services in San Bernardino CA and surrounding areas, Rancho Cucamonga CA, and Redlands CA, Palm Springs CA, Riverside CA, Beaumont CA and many other local communities in the Inland Empire.
Please Choose a Certified Chimney Sweep!
We hold the designation of Certified Chimney Professional (CCP)
We are GSCSG (Golden State Chimney Sweep Guild) Certified
We’re also proud members of the National Chimney Sweep Guild (NCSG)
Trust a State Licensed Contractor (#775386)
We’re here to help with all your chimney repair