Fireplace Safety Tips for Your Home
You’re grateful for the warmth that your home’s fireplace provides you and your family, especially during the coldest months. Fireplaces relax you with their warm, cozy fires while simultaneously providing you with energy bill savings. Are you taking care of your fireplace the same way it takes care of you? Giving your fireplace routine maintenance and following safety precautions is essential so that a house fire doesn’t break out. Follow these fireplace safety suggestions to keep you and your family safe and to make the most out of your fireplace.
What Safety Measures Can I Take When Using My Fireplace?
Do not use your fireplace as a furnace since fireplaces should only be used for short-duration fires that burn no longer than five hours. Keep the glass open to allow cool air to be drawn up to cool the chimney, but keep the screen closed to prevent sparks from jumping onto your body or carpet. Never leave your children unattended when the fireplace is in use. Even if you’re monitoring the children, never allow kids to play near a fire. Do not allow children to play with fire tools.
Crack a window open when using your fireplace to prevent your room from becoming smoky. The air that comes in through your window will go up to your chimney. Before starting a fire, open the glass doors and pull aside the screen’s curtains. Place the kindling, newspaper, and logs inside. Next, open the damper and your windows by a few inches. Check to make sure that smoke will go up to the chimney properly by lighting a match and quickly blowing it out. Observe the smoke to see whether it’s going up and out.
What Maintenance Can I Do to Keep My Fireplace Safe?
Glass doors will develop tough stains from the flames and heat, so keep them clean. To clean your glass doors, wait for the doors to cool down and scrape off any thick gunk deposits with a razor blade. Add a pump of liquid dishwashing detergent to a bucket of warm water or add vinegar to a gallon of water. Sponge or spray the cleaner on, and then wipe it away with a lint-free item such as a newspaper.
Fireplace coals will remain hot enough to start a fire for up to three days, so always wait at least a week before removing the ashes. At that point, you’ll want to close the damper to prevent cold air in the flue from stirring up excess dust when you’re removing ashes. Wear a dust mask and open your windows to prevent negative air pressure. Use a shovel to scoop ashes into a metal container. Store this container far away from combustible materials and surfaces. Never use a vacuum to sweep up ashes because live coals may be lingering in ash piles. Clean your firebox (the area where the logs burn) at least once a week during the months that you’re actively using your fireplace, or when ash builds up.
Upkeep your fireplace to avoid devastating destruction to your home. In the event that your fireplace becomes hazardous to your home and causes damage, you’ll need your insurance claim resolved as soon as possible for fair settlement value. Before you file a claim, you’ll need the assistance of a public adjuster.
Contact Hudson Douglas Public Adjusters and our experts will help you assess the type of claim you need to file, determine the amount of damage done, and help you comprehend your coverage.
