Common Chimney Maintenance Tips You Should Know for These Coming Holidays
The fireplace is a central gathering spot for families and friends during the holidays to help keep themselves warm in the cold winter. As the fireplace takes center stage in your holiday celebrations, you should ensure that you put safety first. The American Red Cross reports that nearly 47,000 fires occur during the winter holidays, which have risen 10% since 2000.
Therefore, you must add checking and maintaining your fireplace and chimney to your holiday preparations. You can only ensure complete holiday fun by protecting your family and home from fire hazards.
Chimney Maintenance Tips for the Holiday Season
This holiday season, do more than decorate your fireplace. Schedule maintenance and a checkup for your fireplace and chimney to ensure you can celebrate the holidays with peace of mind, knowing that you and your family will be safe. Take note of these additional maintenance tips during the holidays, on top of the regular checkup on the fireplace and chimney.
1. Clean and Inspect the Chimney
As mentioned, you should perform an additional check and inspection of your chimney and fireplace before the holiday season. You're all set if you have scheduled an annual inspection and cleaning of your chimney. If not, the pre-holiday season is the best time to schedule one. The chimney inspection aims to identify any potential hazards on the chimney, such as soot and creosote. These substances can present a fire hazard and compromise the integrity of the fireplace and chimney structure over time.
When doing the chimney inspection, check the interior and exterior. Look for any signs of chipped masonry joints or visible cracks. Check if the structure is leaning, too. If you have an exposed chimney, it makes it all the more important to do regular inspections.
Therefore, pre-holiday checking and cleaning of the fireplace and chimney will avoid serious hazards. It also ensures that the entire structure is in good condition before you light them up during the holidays.
2. Install Safety Detection Devices
Install detection devices in your home, such as smoke and carbon dioxide detectors, as part of your fireplace safety effort. If you have one installed, it is time to inspect and ensure they are working.
A smoke and carbon dioxide detector in good working order will alert your family in case of any fire hazards. It is also a good idea to have a fire extinguisher at home.
If you haven't already installed these devices, you can call a professional to install them in your home.
3. Invest in a Chimney Cap
A chimney cap is a significant investment to protect your chimney and fireplace from damage. When your chimney is exposed without a cap, it becomes vulnerable to damage from wildlife and weather conditions. For example, snow and rain can be highly damaging to the chimney. Meanwhile, wildlife can damage the chimney and pests can find entry into your home.
Install a chimney cap with a mesh screen. It will help protect your chimney from the elements or unwanted damage.
4. Waterproof Your Chimney
Fire hazards are not the only thing you should watch out for when using the fireplace and chimney during the holiday season. You must also be wary of excess moisture from the outside going into your home. Moisture is a significant issue with chimneys because it can weaken the structural integrity and cause mold formation.
It is crucial to waterproof your chimney to prevent excess moisture. It is a dilemma because you want smoke to escape through the hole in the chimney so you shouldn’t cover it up.
If you have a prefabricated chimney, you can buy them with chase covers. If not, you can purchase and install them separately. Choose ones made from aluminum, stainless steel, or copper materials, as they won't rust. But if you have a masonry chimney, you can install a crown to prevent unwanted elements from entering your home.
5. Consider the Type of Fireplace You Have
The care and maintenance required for a gas log fireplace and chimney differ from that of wood burning ones. Therefore, you should consider the type of fireplace and chimney you have when performing maintenance to maximize the benefits.
It’s also a noteworthy point to consider if you are still in the process of building a fireplace for your home. Consider the maintenance requirements and the efficiency when choosing the type of fireplace to install.
6. Decorate Your Fireplace Wisely
Decorating your home for the holidays is exciting. Some homeowners like to go all-out when decorating to add a festive spirit to their homes. Specifically, a beautifully decorated mantle is the centerpiece of your holiday decorations, together with the Christmas tree.
However, you must be extra careful in choosing what and how to decorate your fireplace to ensure it isn’t a fire hazard. It would help if you placed the Christmas tree at least three feet away from the fireplace. You should also keep stockings, gift boxes, and other flammable items away from the fireplace, especially when the fire is lit. And the most important thing to remember is never to burn anything in the fireplace.
7. Keep an Eye on the Fire
Do not leave your fireplace burning unattended. If you are going to leave the room, make sure to put the fire out completely. Watch out for the ashes. Some ashes can still ignite a fire, so you must ensure that the fire has completely died before leaving the fireplace behind.
Installing a screen or door in front of the fireplace is also a good practice. It will prevent any sparks from coming into contact with flammable items in your home, such as your carpet or furniture. Never underestimate the potential of a tiny spark to ignite a fire, so you must be extra cautious and prevent this from happening. If you install a screen or door in front of the fireplace, refrain from closing it while there is a burning fire as an added fire safety measure.