If the winter entices you to light your fireplace, make sure that you know a few of these fireplace safety tips.
With the winter in full swing and natural gas prices on the rise, you may be tempted to light your fireplace this winter. It's a pretty good way to save some money and allows you to wrap yourself in a blanket and read a good book. But a live fire in your house can be dangerous. Here are a few tips and tricks to make sure that your fireplace only keeps you warm and doesn't burn down your house or worse.
Fireplace Safety Tips
Hire a Chimney Sweep
Burning organic material creates soot and creosote€”carcinogenic carbon-based byproducts that you don't want in your chimney. They can start to build up and clog your chimney. This can stop the flow of smoke upwards and send it back down into your home. A chimney sweep can clear this material out, allowing for safe burning.
Hardwoods Only
Dense wood, like oak, that's been split and stored in a dry place for at least six months is the best wood to burn. This is because green woods like pine produce more creosote, the chemical mentioned above.
Cap the Chimney
Your chimney needs to have a proper cap for a few reasons. The first being it keeps the elements out, and also keeps the birds, squirrels, and other critters from falling in your home, which could cause even more unwanted damage to your house.
Getting the right insurance coverage shouldn't be a task you have to worry about, so
contact Little & Sons Insurance Services. Our dedicated team can help you get the right
homeowners insurance. We serve Banning, Beaumont, Calimesa, Redlands, and the surrounding California area and can help you protect yourself against the risks you face.
