When caring for a fireplace or wood stove, sometimes it is easy to forget about the chimney, we have written a few chimney articles in the past:
How to Decide on a Chimney Brush
How to Prevent a Flue Fire
Wood Stove Chimney Connection
But today we are bringing you a few extra chimney tips and facts along with a few for fireplaces:
Chimneys need protection from rain and from critters like birds and rodents that sometimes claim a chimney as their home. The best way to protect your chimney from these things is to install a chimney cap.
Know what size fireplace grate you should have: the grate should be no wider than the width of the back wall of the fireplace, it should sit about 2 inches away from the back wall and it should not be positioned too close to the front either or else it will cause your fireplace to smoke.
Do not allow any water to pool beside your chimney or foundation, this can cause water damage to your home.
If you paint your fireplace be sure to use a high temperature paint that is recommended for fireplace use. Some paints will let off noxious fumes when they are heated, so to be safe ask before making a paint purchase to use on your fireplace.
To keep your fireplace safe, please use a fireplace screen, this will help prevent sparks from flying out into the room and it can help keep loose clothing from being sucked into the fire. This is a feature that every fireplace should have.
Your chimney needs to be swept every year to remove creosote build up. Creosote is highly flammable and is the main cause of chimney fires.
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