Properly preparing your fireplace for winter will go a long way towards minimizing your risk of home fire.
Although it doesn’t get particularly cold here in Southern California, there’s still something so nice about cozying up around the fire. Enjoying a fire in your fireplace makes it feel like the holidays even if you're not be using the blaze to fend off sub-zero temperatures! Before you light that fire, though, you need to make sure your fireplace is up to the task. Extinguish your risk of fire hazards by using this guide for preparing your fireplace for winter.
The first thing you need to do to get your fireplace ready for winter use is to have a professional come check it out. You can find a certified chimney sweep to clean and inspect your chimney so it’s ready by using the
Chimney Safety Institute of America. When your sweep is there, ask him or her if your chimney cap has any damage. Replacing your cap as needed keeps debris and animals out of your chimney, so it’s important!
Now that your chimney’s ready for us, you need something to burn in it. Choose hardwoods that are thoroughly dried to avoid the production of creosote. This combustion by-product can build up in your chimney and is actually flammable itself! Build only as large a fire as you need. Too large of a fire will not only create a lot of smoke, it can even crack your chimney.
While your fire is burning, keep a metal grate in front of your fire and clear flammable materials well away. Then, enjoy!
The whole point of curling up by the fire is relaxing and enjoying its warmth. So you can do that without ever having to worry about fire compromising your family’s quality of life,
contact Fuller Insurance Agency. We’ll provide you with the best
homeowners insurance policy to protect your house in Chino Hills, Long Beach, Los Angeles, or one of the neighboring California cities.
