Regardless of the type of fireplace you have, chimney contractors observe that it’s your responsibility to keep it in top shape. Here are tips on how to go about it:
Clean the interior of the chimney
Are you burning firewood in your chimney? Fireplaces that burn wood tend to build up a lot of dirt, ash, dust, and creosote. If you let these materials build up for a long time, you put your fireplace at the risk of catching fire.
Many of the deposited fine particles have been shown to be easily transmitted through the air; therefore, when you let them pile up in your home, they are likely to cause air-borne diseases.
At least once a year, inspect the fireplace and confirm whether it has a lot of dirt. If it has, you should get rid of it as soon as possible. In addition to keeping yourself and your family safe when you regularly clean the insides of the chimney, you also tend to leave it looking great.
The chimney also tends to function more efficiently; therefore, you save a lot on your energy in the long run.
You can clean the insides of the chimney by yourself but if you don’t have the skills, hire a professional to help you out.
Install a heatproof glass door
While fire provides you with warmth, it poses danger if you aren’t keen. For you to have an easy time containing embers and dust particles, consider installing a heatproof glass in your chimney.
When you operate your fireplace without the glass doors, cinders, and sparks are free to float and pop from the fireplace, landing on your furniture, clothing, and home furnishings. This puts your property at the risk of getting damaged.
Since the glass doors function as a barrier between your home and chimney, they greatly increase the efficiency of the fireplace.
You will find the glass doors in different companies going by different names. It’s up to you to research and find the one that is ideal for you.
Just like with the cleaning, you can install the glass door by yourself or hire a professional to help you out.
Be on the lookout for smoke
A properly functioning chimney shouldn’t produce any smoke; therefore, if yours is, you have a problem that you should address immediately. Your chimney can produce smoke due to many reasons. One of the reasons is if you are burning the wrong wood.
If you are burning wet wood, the wood might be producing a lot of smoke hence the smoke in the house.
You also might have gone for a long time without cleaning the chimney. A lot of soot and creosote is bound to accumulate in a poorly maintained chimney blocking the airways. As a result, smoke returns into the house.
When you are having this problem, check the nature of the wood that you are burning. Is it dry? If not, consider replacing it. You also should check the damper. It should be fully and wide open.
If you still can’t find the source of the problem, consider hiring a professional to help you with the inspection.
Get rid of creosote
Creosote is dark, hard, and has a crust like look. It comes about after an incomplete combustion of wood. When you go for a long time without cleaning the chimney, a lot of creosote can build up in the unit putting the chimney and the entire house at the risk of fire.
For your chimney to be safe and efficient, you should clean it at least once a year. All you need to do is to measure the size of deposited creosote. If it’s more than 1/8”, you should consider cleaning it.
Burn the right wood
Did you know that no two woods are the same? Some of the best woods that you should burn are seasoned wood. This is wood that has been air dried for at least six months. In addition to the wood burning with more warmth, it also tends to produce less creosote; therefore, you don’t have to hire a chimney sweep Bowie professional too regularly.
If you are burning wet wood, you should get rid of it as soon as possible as it not only produces little heat, it also makes your chimney dirty.
