Home fires can cause severe damage if left unattended. Fireplaces in the house can lead to significant damage and injuries. In such cases, it is always better to stay prepared with a few safety tips about fireplace maintenance in your home.
Besides, it would help if you had your home inspected by Inspection préachat MCM to ensure utmost safety and protection from potential harm. Home inspections are known to increase the value and security of a house. If you are planning to purchase or sell a house, a home inspection for fireplace maintenance will be necessary.
Safety tips for fireplace maintenance in a house:
- Ashes
Cleaning the ashes after every use is necessary to ensure the fire does not ruin your home. You must remove ashes from the firebox if you have a wood-burning stove in your kitchen and dispose of the ashes after the ashes have become cold and the fire is entirely out.
It will be advisable not to use vacuum cleaners to remove ashes as they can cause damage to the vacuum or blow ashes into the atmosphere of the home. However, you can use a special ash vacuum to handle hot coals and ashes.
- Chimney
Frequently sweeping your chimney can be an ideal step toward preventing fires in your home. It would help if you cleaned your chimney at least twice a year and removed soot and debris. A blocked and unclean vent is one of the leading causes of house fires. It will be best to eliminate the creosote buildup in the chimney.
You can also hire a professional from Inspection préachat MCM and ask them to inspect your home and chimney. Also, you can try adding a chimney cap to keep animals, debris, fallen branches, etc., out of your chimney.
- Fireplace
Knowing how your fireplace works can effectively allow you to understand how a fire can occur. Several parts of a fireplace include the chimney, hearth, firebox, etc. It would be helpful if you understood how the fireplace and its features work, as it could prevent house fires significantly.
- Wood
Burning suitable wood can also increase the safety of your fireplace. One should use split wood stored under cover for a few months. Seasoned woods like oak, maple, and ash should be used for burning in the fireplace.
- Damper
Moving the fireplace damper can also be another safety measure to ensure house fires do not take place. You should be able to close and open the damper freely without any debris interrupting it. If the damper does not open fully or freely, the smoke can enter the room instead of exiting through the flue.
