The warmer months of summer are gone, and the colder months of fall and winter are approaching quickly. That means it’s time to break out the blankets, cook up some warm and hearty soups, and turn on the fireplace. However, after almost a year of not using your fireplace, you may need to check it over and give it a good cleaning. Read on to learn how you can get your fireplace ready for the holidays.
Remember Safety
When the holidays roll around, you can’t simply turn on your fireplace and expect everything to be okay. It may burn cleanly and have no issues, but unless you perform routine maintenance throughout the year, you can’t guarantee that all will be well. Before using your fireplace for the first time this season, conduct regular safety checks around the home. Are your smoke detectors working correctly? Do you have a carbon monoxide detector? Do you have a screen protecting your home from stray embers? Safety precautions are essential in keeping the fireplace’s potential for danger at bay.
Get Your Fireplace Cleaned
Before you start burning any wood, you should clean the fireplace area and the chimney. You may have a lot of leftover ash in the fireplace that can get blown around and potentially spread lit embers into your home. In addition to cleaning the fireplace area, you must also clean the chimney. After years of use, your chimney is likely full of creosote, and it could even have animal nests. A dirty chimney plays a significant role in fireplace disasters around the holidays, so be sure to give your chimney and the flue a good cleaning. If you can’t get in there yourself, consider hiring a professional chimney cleaner to help.
Don’t Forget To Decorate
In addition to prepping the space and ensuring everything is safe, you can’t forget to decorate! A fireplace is a wonderful spot where everyone can gather during the holidays. To make those moments feel even cozier, you should put up some decorations. A Christmas tree is a great addition to the space, but you should never put it too close to the fireplace.
Similarly, you can hang things on the mantle above the fireplace so long as they don’t hang too low; you don’t want them to become too hot and potentially catch flame. Try and keep the decorations simple. A fireplace can do a lot for a room, but a fireplace accompanied by some decorations can boost the atmosphere even more.
When the winter season rolls around, get your fireplace ready for the holidays and go through this checklist to ensure you’re ready to heat your home. Without properly cleaning or checking your smoke detectors, your fireplace could create some issues and damage your home. Check your fireplace now so that you can enjoy the holidays when they roll around. And if you’re without a fireplace for the holidays, come over to Haven Spa Pool & Hearth! We are the perfect fireplace store where you can find the right way to heat up your home over the holidays!
