Fireplace season is just around the corner! Bart Fireside wants to make sure you are ready by sharing with you some safety tips for your wood-burning fireplace. Following these tips will help you use your fireplace more safely and efficiently.
Have your fireplace and chimney professionally cleaned and inspected.
Before you light the first fire of the season, be sure your system is clean and safe by scheduling a chimney sweeping and inspection in the late summer or early fall.
Only burn seasoned firewood.
Seasoned firewood is wood that has been cut and stored to fully dry out for at least six months. If you do not cut your own wood, find a trusted and reputable firewood dealer in your area who sells seasoned firewood. Firewood that has been dried will burn cleaner and longer. You will also have fewer deposits of creosote in your chimney if you use seasoned wood.
Build your fire slowly, and add more wood as it heats.
You also want to ensure the damper is completely open to increase the draw in the early stages. A hot fire also pushes smoke from the combustion process through the chimney and out safely.
When you are not using your fireplace, keep the damper closed.
Keeping the damper closed while the fireplace is not being used will keep the heated indoor air from escaping out of the chimney. This will not only keep you warmer but also save you money on your heating bills.
Replace a damaged damper with a bad seal.
Like the tip above, replacing a poorly sealing damper with a new one will save you money on your heating bills.
Keep bifold glass doors open.
To allow more heat to get into the room, you can keep the bifold glass doors open during a fire. However, according to HouseLogic, if you have a wood fireplace and stove with a circulating fan, you will want to keep these doors closed to prevent any unneccessary heat loss.
Install alarm detectors in your home.
You will want to install both smoke and carbon monoxide detectors by your fireplace and all bedrooms as well as on every level of your home. Test these alarms each month during fireplace season to be sure the batteries are working correctly.
Want to know more safe wood burning tips? Contact us at Bart Fireside to learn more ways to use your fireplace more safely and efficiently.
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