fireplace maintenance

Proper maintenance of your fireplace is incredibly important.  The best way to prevent needing constant maintenance is by investing in the right accessories from the offset.  Not only can chimney caps be a fun way to express your design preferences, but they have several technical benefits to ensure that your fireplace is long-lasting and free of damage.  Here, we’re going to outline a couple of the reasons why investing in a chimney cap is so beneficial for the health of your fireplace.

Prevents Blockages

Keeping your chimney clear is very important for the safe and proper escape of air from your fireplace.  If there is a blockage that prevents air from escaping, that air has to go somewhere, and the only place for it to go is into the rest of your home.  A smokey house is not a pleasant house, and blockages like debris build up or a small animal choosing to make your chimney into its new home can really create some issues.  A chimney cap will prevent unwanted access to your chimney, as well as allow for the escape of smoke and debris when necessary.

Less Moisture

If you have the luxury of your own fireplace, you most likely know that dry wood and dry conditions in general are ideal for creating a roaring fire.  This means that you want as little moisture in your firebox and chimney as possible, which can be difficult if you have a chimney without a cap.  Just like how the rest of your roof is susceptible to harsh weather condition

We advise everybody to invest in a chimney liner, but does it matter what type?  Yes!  As with any product, the better and more reliable the material is the better, and there are certainly varying degrees to which you can count on a chimney liner to do its job depending on what material yours is made of.  Stainless steel is heralded as a strong, stain-resistant material, and its benefits certainly extend to your chimney liner.

What is a Chimney Liner?

A chimney liner, or flue lining, is a lining for your chimney that aids in the filtering out of particulates, as well as serving to protect the sides of your chimney from heat and corrosion.  Not only is having a chimney liner highly recommended, but a lot of fire safety codes actually mandate that you use a chimney liner.

Why Stainless Steel?

Though chimney liners can come in a variety of materials, such as clay, ceramic, or metal, stainless steel is going to be your best bet for a durable, long-lasting, and effective chimney liner.  Other chimney lining materials are going to work just fine, but the strong chemical bonds present in stainless steel makes it resistant to change from the heat of your fireplace.  In order for a chemical reaction to happen between any number of substances, heat is usually a main element of catalyzing a reaction.  Because the molecules of stainless steel are so solid and tightly packed, they are more resistant to heat, and thus more durable, than other substances.

Because it isn’t a delicate or fragile item, we don’t often think about the ways in which we need to take care of our fireplace.  We assume that because a fireplace is able to withstand the heat of a fire, it means that it isn’t in need of maintenance, and that just isn’t true.  Maintaining your fireplace, like maintaining any part of your home, is necessary to avoid unexpected and unforeseen repair costs.  Here are some tips so that you can avoid frequent fireplace repair.

Keep An Eye On Your Damper

We’ve talked before about the purpose of a chimney damper, but we’ll go over it quickly here.  A chimney damper serves to control the amount of air that can flow in and out of your fireplace.  Making sure that you keep your damper open during a fire is important for your safety and health, as that could cause the room to fill with the smoke that should be escaping through your chimney.  Making sure that you keep your damper closed when you aren’t using your fireplace is equally important for preventing outside air, whether that air is hot or cold, from getting into your house and affecting its temperature.  Checking your damper frequently also means generally checking for a clear chimney.  If there is significant debris build up, or if small animals have decided to use your chimney as a home, you should hire a professional service to clean it out for you as soon as possible.

Burn the Right Stuff

Not all burning materials are created equal, an

Many homeowners are wondering this winter how to heat a home during the wintertime using their fireplace. It is really an energy-saving option when it can be done efficiently. In a previous post it was discussed what kinds of wood are good for burning, and many areas of North America are plentiful with forested areas that are full of trees. However, it is important to be sure that it is legal to cut down trees in the area.

Whether bought at the local grocery store or chopped down in the local woods, firewood is able to heat a home when the proper methods are used. Even gas fireplaces are able to heat a home when a couple measures are taken to ensure that more heat is staying in the home than is escaping through the chimney.

Ensure the Fire Heats the Home

Install a Chimney Liner

The chimney liners of Fireside Chimney Supplies are able to prevent the creosote that builds up from causing a chimney fire. The best way to ensure that the fireplace is able to continue heating the home is to keep the chimney in good shape. The chimney liner is a great way to improve an aging chimney or one that is in need of repair from corrosive gasses eating away at it. Chimney liners can also prevent so much heat from leaving the house right up the chimney. As it has been discussed before, a chimney liner can increase the heating efficiency of a fireplace anywhere from 10% to 40%!

Use Seasoned Wood

For wood-burning fireplaces, using properly aged and seasoned wood is a great way to ensure the fire gives off a proper amount of heat. Green wood, or wood has not had enough time since it was cut to dry out properly, is going to produce more smoke than heat, and the fire produced will not heat a home as efficiently as drier wood.

Open the Damper

The fireplace of the chimney is located inside the throat of the chimney, just above the fireplace. It is designed to seal the fireplace shut when it is not in use. When the fire is going,

Everyone loves to have a fireplace in their home. Whether it's to add that extra bit of warmth to your home during the holidays (literally and figuratively), or simply for aesthetics, a home will always benefit from having some type of fireplace installed. When you venture into an older home, you'll see a different type of fireplace than you would in a current model home, but the only main difference is the maintenance.