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Creating A Beautiful Home and Garden

When I purchased a home a few years ago, I had no idea what kind of workload I would be faced with. In addition to trying to figure out how to keep the place clean, I was also left with the challenge of tidying up the yard and keeping things trimmed. It was a little overwhelming, but I knew that I could do it with a little hard work and dedication. I started reading a lot of books and blogs about creating gorgeous things for your home and yard, and it was a great creative outlet. This blog is all about exciting, fun ways to make your home and yard even more beautiful.

Creating A Beautiful Home and Garden

How To Prepare Your Chimney For The Upcoming Winter

by Alyssa Perkins

When the summer dwindles, this is the time to start thinking about any preparations you need to make for the winter. For households with a fireplace, having your chimney serviced will not only improve the efficiency of your heating, but it can also reduce the risk of chimney fires.

Inspection

You should anticipate having your chimney inspected before each upcoming season you plan to use the fireplace. A major part of the inspection is checking the integrity of the chimney. Your service professional will determine if the chimney remains structurally sound and if any repairs need to be made before the upcoming season. Damage that creates instability can happen over time, especially if you have an older home or if you had severe weather throughout the warmer months, such as high winds or a hurricane. Your service professional will want to make sure there are no obstructions, such as animals that might be nesting in your chimney when it is not in use. Adding or replacing the chimney cap can usually alleviate any issues with animals or debris blocking the chimney.

Cleaning

A thorough cleaning will need to be done at least once per season. For people who use their chimney frequently throughout the cooler months, they may find their chimney should be swept more often. During the sweeping process, the service professional will use a large brush to sweep the chimney from the top-down and bottom-up. This process helps remove buildup from inside the chimney that can cause a fire if left behind. Cleaning may also involve the removal of other debris and animals. Other parts of the chimney and adjoining hearth and firebox will be included in the cleaning process, depending on the exact type of fireplace.

Maintenance

Everyone will need to approach the maintenance of their fireplace differently. For example, if you have a gas or wood-burning fireplace with a gas starter, you will also need to have a technician come in at regular intervals to check the gas components of your fireplace. This will reduce the risk of gas leaks or other hazards that may occur if the gas lines are not maintained. For wood-burning fireplaces, there are specialty logs that you can burn every few weeks to minimize buildup in your chimney. Additionally, you may want to consider the benefits of using fire logs instead of wood. If you use your fireplace for cooking or roasting marshmallows, you can also opt for roasting logs over wood. These specialty logs burn cleaner and may keep your chimney cleaner, which can slow the accumulation of buildup inside the chimney.

Each year, as the summer comes to an end, this is the perfect time to start thinking about preparations for the cooler months. One way to prepare is to address your chimney and fireplace so you are ready for even the coldest of temperatures. Contact a chimney services provider in your area for more information.

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