How to fully enjoy the use of your fireplace this season.
Sitting around your fireplace with your friends and family is one of the best ways to stay warm during the winter. However, before you start lighting any fires, it is important to make sure that your fireplace, chimney, and home insurance policy are ready for a full season of fires.
The best way to get your chimney and fireplace ready for winter is to hire a professional chimney sweep. Chimney sweeps will not only clean out the dust and soot that has built up in your chimney, but they will also get rid of creosote, which is an oily, sticky, combustible substance that is made when wood does not burn completely. Creosote deposits that are not completely cleaned can easily start a fire in your chimney.
You may also want to get your chimney and heating equipment inspected by a professional before the cold temperatures set in. An inspector will take a look at your chimney from the inside of your fireplace and from the top of the chimney, looking for any debris that may be blocking the opening.
When lighting your next fire this winter, keep these fire safety tips to keep your home and family safe.
- Never overload your fireplace with logs. Smaller fires will not create as much smoke, meaning they will produce less creosote.
- Place the logs at the back of your fireplace on a metal grate. Use kindling to light the fire, not flammable liquids.
- Use a glass door or metal screen to prevent embers from floating out of your fireplace and into your home.
Before lighting any fires at your house, take a look at your home insurance policy to ensure that you have the protection that you deserve. Contact North Central Insurance in Elk River, Minnesota for all of your homeowners insurance coverage needs.
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