7 Fireplace Safety Tips for Winter

If you own a fireplace, you already know the many benefits it brings you during the cold season. When maintained properly and operated with safe practices, a fireplace will do its job well for many years while people in the home safely enjoy it. Because safety with fireplaces is so important, here are seven fireplace safety tips to keep in mind this winter.

Burn dry wood

Wood logs that have been allowed to dry out for six months to a year burn efficiently and produce hotter fires and much less smoke than unseasoned logs. When wet wood burns, a huge amount of smoke goes up the chimney and forms the flammable substance known as creosote. The more creosote in your flue, the more chance of a chimney fire.

Annual chimney sweeping

If you run a wood-burning fireplace, you’re going to produce some smoke, no matter what kind of logs you use. This is why every fire-safety agency in the U.S. recommends annual chimney sweeping (cleaning) to remove built-up creosote and reduce the possibility of a chimney fire.

Chimney obstruction removal

Another reason for regular chimney cleaning is to remove any debris that has found its way into the structure. Falling leaves, broken twigs and branches, small-animal nests and possibly small dead animals like squirrels and birds can create an obstruction that hampers smoke drafting. When this happens, smoke and dangerous carbon monoxide can back up into the room.

Crack a window

If every window in your home is closed tightly when the fireplace is in use, there may not be enough interior air to flow through the firebox and create the optimal conditions for an efficient fire. Fires that burn sluggishly tend to produce more smoke and less heat. Additionally, without a constant force to push smoke up and out of the chimney, there’s a greater likelihood of backdrafts.

Check smoke detectors and CO monitors

You should never use a fireplace (no matter what kind it is) without working smoke detectors throughout the home and, if the fireplace produces a flame, carbon monoxide (CO) monitors installed in appropriate locations. A smoke alarm can wake you up in case of a fire. A CO monitor will alert you to the presence of this toxic gas that can be fatal to humans and pets.

Child and pet safety

If you have pets and young children, purchasing a fireplace safety screen may be a good idea. The screen will form a barrier between the firebox and accessible areas of the room and can prevent serious injury to curious kids and animals who wander too close to the flames. Also: teach all children who are old enough to understand that fireplaces are not play areas.

Schedule annual inspections

Along with having a certified chimney sweep clean your chimney, you also should schedule annual chimney inspections. Trained inspectors can quickly spot minor problems with the chimney structure or its components and recommend repairs to keep the problem from becoming dangerous and expensive to fix.

Chimney Specialists of Highland, WI, encourages everyone to practice good safety habits with their fireplaces. To increase your safety, we provide complete chimney cleaning, chimney inspections and chimney repair services. Call (608) 929-4887, and let us help keep your chimney running right all winter long.