It's time to give your fireplace a checkup. Getting it ready for cold weather is important for safety and for personal comfort. All home heating systems require regular maintenance to function safely and efficiently.
Have the chimney cleaned by a professional. Chimney sweeps use a high-powered vacuum so no dust or soot enters the house. They clean the entire chimney, check the flue and check the attic for any areas that need repair.
Arrange a good source of fuel. Delivery of one or two cords of seasoned wood may take the fireplace through the heating season. Never use green wood, which will produce more smoke than heat and will cause deposits to build up inside the chimney.
Synthetic logs can be pretty and easy to use, but be sure to follow the instructions on the package.
Open the fireplace flue before starting a fire. It will allow fresh air for the fire and allow smoke to go up the chimney instead of into the room.
Close the fireplace screen to keep sparks from flying out of the fire.
Educate everyone in the home so they will not discard anything into the fire, which could cause toxic fumes. And paper could cause an instant hot fire with flying particles.
Close the flue when the fire goes out to avoid heat loss and to keep debris, birds and animals out the house.
Have a metal container for removing hot ashes. Embers and ashes can stay hot for a long time. Place the metal container of ashes some distance from the house so they don't ignite and set something ablaze.
