5 Facile Steps to Effective Fireplace Maintenance
People who still have wood burning fireplaces in their homes tend to love them, and wouldn’t give up the warmth and coziness of a wood fire for anything in the world. But to ensure that your fireplace and your home stay safe, it’s important to take regular maintenance steps to keep your fireplace clean and in good working order.
So here are five easy steps that you can use to keep your fireplace maintained throughout the year.
1. Use Your Windows
While opening a window isn’t necessarily a maintenance tip specifically for your fireplace, it is a tip that will help you keep your home clean, fresh-smelling, and smoke-free.
Not only will this be good for your furniture and walls, but also for the health of your family. Moreover, opening a window when your fire is blazing will provide the fire with a source of fresh air, this will stop the fire from stealing warm air from inside your home.
Note: If you have a damper inside your fireplace, you should also use this to control air flow to the fire. It is still a good idea to crack a window, however, and you should choose a window that is close to the fire.
2. Keep the Chimney Safe
One of the easiest ways to keep your fireplace, your home, and your family safe is to ensure that your chimney is swept by a professional annually.
This will remove creosote buildup that can lead to chimney fires. And if you ever notice the creosote layer inside your chimney getting thicker than one-eighth inch, you should call a chimney sweep then as well. While you can attempt this on your own, the job requires special tools, special safety equipment, and a special knowledge of fireplaces and their components.
3. Get a Chimney Cap
The main role of a chimney cap is to stop things from getting in that shouldn’t, including animals, moisture, and other debris, while also preventing sparks and embers from escaping.
What happens if an animal gets in there? If an animal were to get inside your chimney and become trapped, it could die. And if that happens, you’ll have maggots, decomposition, and a terrible smell.
Moreover, if any animals use your chimney as an access point into your house, you could end up with rodents and birds inside.
4. Take Care of Regular Cleaning
In winter, grab a stiff-bristled brush and scrub the inside of your firebox once a week. Vacuum up any soot and ash that fall. And when the ash bed reaches the level of 
the grate, clean it out to open up the airways. It’s always a good idea to leave an inch of ash in the bottom though.
When you’re done using the fireplace for the winter, clean it one last time, and leave it clean for the duration of the summer.
5. Keep the Hearth Clean
Every month or two, when you’re cleaning the firebox, grab a cloth and a bucket of soapy water and scrub the slate hearth. Then rinse it with a clean towel and water, pat it dry, and use a soft cloth to buff it with lemon oil.
Caring for your fireplace will prevent damage and ensure efficient fires. Not only will this help make your home toasty and inviting during the chillier nights in winter, but it will also help keep your family safe from harm.
For help with any fireplace repair or heating needs, call the Albuquerque, NM experts at Daniels Heating and Air, LLC at (505) 898-8860
