Tips to Keep Your Fireplace Safe for the Holidays
The holidays are a perfect time to gather around your fireplace and enjoy the company of family and friends. You may think of crackling fires and drinking warm beverages while you exchange stories, but there is something else that you should consider for holiday fires: safety. So, read on for some helpful tips to keep your fireplace safe for the holidays.
Check the Batteries in Your Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors for the Holidays
One thing that should be done annually is to change the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. You don’t want them to fail if a spark hops from the fireplace and lands on a rug or a Christmas tree. Placing fresh batteries in your loved ones will be safe from fires and toxic fumes. If you don’t have smoke or carbon monoxide detectors, you should purchase one immediately. Make sure to place them fifteen feet from your fireplace so they are close enough to detect an issue, but not so close they are constantly going off from normal smoke levels.
Have Your Chimney Serviced Before Holiday Gatherings
As with the smoke and carbon monoxide detectors above, cleaning your chimney before a holiday gathering is vital to your family’s safety. You may not be aware, but every time you burn logs in your fireplace, a sticky, highly flammable substance known as creosote will coat the inside of your chimney. As time goes by and your chimney is not cleaned, there is a buildup of creosote, which is the number one cause of chimney fires in the United States and Canada. Having a professional and reputable chimney sweep service clean your chimney can prevent dangerous chimney fires.
Place a Screen in Front of Your Fireplace at Holiday Gatherings
As we mentioned earlier, embers can be launched from your fireplace and set things like rugs or Christmas trees on fire. You should always keep your furniture and holiday decorations a safe distance from your fireplace; if not, you could have a blaze in seconds after an ember escapes, even with items placed a safe distance from the fireplace. What, then, is the solution for hot embers jumping from the fire to your living room? Placing a screen in front of your fire will catch any embers before they can do damage. It also serves the dual purpose of keeping items you don’t want to get out the fireplace.
Don’t Burn Anything but Wood in Your Fireplace
Using your fireplace as an incinerator during the holidays may be tempting to get rid of things like your Christmas tree or wrapping paper, but you should never, ever burn a Christmas tree in your house; it can set it on fire in the blink of an eye. Burning wrapping paper is just as bad of an idea; it can float out of your fireplace and onto curtains, your sofa, or even the tree.
Keep a Fire Extinguisher Handy
As you can clearly tell, there are some hazards associated with using your fireplace during the holidays, and that is why having a fire extinguisher in the same room as your fireplace is a great idea. If you have one, but it’s getting older, purchase a new one to be ready for fires.
To Sum Up
While these fireplace safety tips are great for the holidays, they are true year-round. So, to ensure you have a happy holiday season and beyond, consider following these helpful safety tips.
Felgemacher Masonry Can Get Your Chimney Ready for the Holidays
If you are in the greater Buffalo, NY, Rochester, NY, or Charlotte, NC, areas and want to ensure that your chimney is ready and safe for the holidays, get in touch today. We will be happy to discuss having your chimney swept.
