With the colder months just around the corner, there are few things cozier than spending chilly nights in front of a crackling fire or wood burning stove. It’s on these nights that it really pays to have great chimney care when it comes to your fireplace and wood burning stove.
For the most part, taking care of your chimney and fireplace is straightforward especially for experienced homeowners who are accustomed to using their fireplace or wood burning stove.
Just in case this is your first time owning a home with a wood stove or fireplace, we’ve put together some “best practices” that you can use to get the most out of your fireplace and to ensure that your fires are safe. Grab a cup of coffee or hot cocoa, pull your laptop over to the rocking chair by the fire, and follow these tips as you light a fire the right way, so that you get the most out of your fireplace.
Good Chimney Care Means Being Safe
To have the best in chimney care, be safe. Make sure that you have all of the tools that you’ll need within arm’s reach, so that you can manage your fire easily.
Here are a few safety tools that you should invest in:
Fireplace Tools and Holder
You can find fireplace tool sets with all of the basic tools that you’ll need to move wood, protect from burning embers and clean the ash, while minimizing hazards. Find a set that has a shovel (for ash), a poker (to help move wood around), tongs (for the same purpose), and a broom (to clean up any remaining ash). Most sets come with a hanging rack that can be placed near the fireplace for convenience.
Tempered Glass Shield or Mesh Screen
Burning and smoldering embers can be a hazard, which is why you want to keep them contained. For folks with wood stoves… keep scrolling.
For the most part, a well-built and maintained fireplace will keep its embers from flying out into your home. However, any back draft through the chimney or air moving through your house can send embers flying. Tempered glass doors or mesh screen helps to contain those embers which may end up starting a fire. Be sure to get a tempered glass shield or a mesh screen that fits the size and shape of your fireplace, and keep the screen in place when a fire is burning.
Fire Gloves
Chimney care starts with protecting you and your family. Protect your hands with a pair of fire gloves. These gloves are designed to handle high heat, so you can adjust the logs in your fire without worrying about embers scalding your hands. Fire gloves come in a variety of shapes and sizes. You can also get extra long gloves, since they provide protection going up your arms.
Ash Bucket
Ash builds up after every fire burns. So each time you have a fire you’ll be left with a pile of soot. Keep up with chimney care and have an ash bucket handy to scoop up all of the ash that remains after your fires. Be sure to let the embers, ash, and leftover wood cool to the touch before you dispose of any ash.
Black Goose Tip: Cool ash can be used in compost (be sure not to use too much!), as an ice melt for sidewalks in the winter, and more!
Andirons
Andirons (also known as firedogs) are those fireplace brackets that hold up the wood of a fire in the fireplace. This simple structure helps air circulate better, so that your fire burns with less smoke and hotter. In addition, andirons also help keep the fire in-place while wood rests on the brackets. Andirons come in all sorts of designs. Most wood stoves do not need Andirons.
Firewood Storage or Firewood Holder
One major aspect of chimney care is firewood storage. Get a firewood storage container or wood holder near your fire. This will help your firewood stay dry and be ready for when you want a fire. Just be sure to keep your wood holder well away from the fireplace itself, since loose embers are an obvious fire hazard. Firewood boxes, carriers and storage containers can be found in a wide variety of shapes and sizes.
Tile or Stone Hearth or a Hearth Rug
If you have hardwood or carpet flooring near your fireplace, then it’s liable to ignite, or it may be damaged by hot embers that settle on the surface, leaving their mark. You can invest in a hearth rug that is designed to safely catch any flying embers. These are flame resistant rugs, so they shouldn’t ignite thanks to those embers. Plus, you can find a variety of rugs in all sorts of designs, so you can match the aesthetic of your home.
Use the Right Wood
One of the most important aspects of chimney care is using cured and dried firewood that has been dried and cured properly. Take note, however, that you can’t use any wood that you find out there. You should be picky with the wood that you use in your fireplace, since certain types of wood can be toxic, and they can leave soot building up in your chimney (which can result in a chimney fire if you don’t have your chimney regularly inspected and swept!).
Conclusion
So, enjoy the warm fires during the colder months, safely. Call us at Black Goose Chimney Sweep for an inspection today.