How To Properly Prepare Your Fireplace for Fall

Do I have to prepare my fireplace for Fall? The answer to this question is yes. While fireplaces are an excellent way to heat your home in the cooler seasons, you want to ensure that you have it prepared before you light it up for the first time. Several issues, such as cleaning up soot and creosote, must be taken care of first before you light it up.

Preparing Your Fireplace for Fall

How do I prepare my fireplace for Fall? Here are some things you can implement into your cleaning list.

Prepare Home

Before lighting your fireplace for the first time, make sure that you prepare your house. You should clear any clutter from around the fireplace first. Clutter naturally builds up around the fireplace when it is not being used. Ensure that furniture and rugs are a safe distance away.

Also, inspect the fireplace gasket. It may need to be replaced if it looks damaged. Lastly, replace the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide alarms.

Check Your Chimney

Be sure to check your chimney cap since rain, birds, and debris might be sitting in there. You may end up discovering a bird’s nest inside. Trim trees near the chimney, and inspect for chimney damage. If necessary, hire a chimney sweep to clean your chimney at least once a year, even if no repairs are needed. Debris, soot, and other debris can put you at risk of a chimney fire. You will also want to make sure that you check the damper function.

Prepare Your Firewood

If you have a wood-burning fireplace, you will want to make sure that you have seasoned, dense wood, such as oak, to burn. Softwoods, like pine, produce more creosote which can build up in your chimney and cause more issues later on. Always use denser wood that has been stored and split for at least six months in a dry place.

Be sure that you prepare the firewood, and test the moisture. Before even using your firewood, it should be properly dried out. You can purchase a wood moisture meter for this reason. If the wood has moisture above 20%, it may not burn properly.

Clean Fireplace

Finally, you want to make sure that you clean the fireplace blower. Some fireplaces have blowers to distribute warm air throughout the room. If your fireplace has one, you should consider taking the time to clean it thoroughly before the cold weather sets in.

Schedule Annual Inspection

You should definitely have a professional inspect your gas or wood-burning fireplace at least once every year. They can check for gas leaks, worn parts, and other issues that may create a safety issue later on in the season. They can provide you with an inspection report of all issues that need to be replaced or repaired to help you avoid issues and costly repair bills later on.

Categorised in: Fireplaces

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