The idea of having a fireplace in your front room is one that appeals to a lot of people, but the reality of maintaining one is not as easy as it looks. But, luckily for you, this guide will help you out!
Decorate
Keeping your fireplace in good condition isn’t all about the boring stuff. The first thing you should do is make it look great. How you choose to design it is totally up to you, but you should make it the centrepiece of your room.
A simple open fireplace can look great so you might not need to do too much decorating. A home can be given a cozy and authentic feel be leaving the fire open and having a simple fireguard in front of it. Remember, you’ll also need somewhere to store your wood though.
Clean It
The most important factor in maintaining a fireplace is keeping it clean at all times. You should be keeping it clean on a day to day basis, as well as sometimes giving it a deeper, more thorough clean too.
Make sure you sweep up the area around the fire after every time you use it. And when you need to clean it more thoroughly, you can either do it yourself or hire a professional chimney sweep to do it. If you do it yourself, make sure you lay some sheets down on the floor to catch the mess.
Know Your Damper
If you don’t even know what a damper is, now is the time to learn. The damper can be found inside the flute of your fireplace, and it regulates the amount of air going into the fireplace.
The way your damper is set will affect the fire, so it’s important to get it right. When you start a fire the damper should be open, and when it’s burnt out, you should remember to close it. An open damper will let out warm air.
Get Problems Seen to Quickly
There are some fireplace problems that only an expert can fix. So, if you don’t know a great deal about fireplaces, call an expert if anything unusual happens with your fireplace. It’s better to be safe than sorry where fires and fireplaces are concerned!
It’s not much trouble to get in touch with an HVAC expert. They’ll be able to diagnose and solve the problem without causing any damage to your fireplace or property.
Choose Good Wood
It’s vital to pick the right wood when you’re starting a fire. The wrong firewood could leave you waiting for a long time for the fire to start if it starts at all! It’s not a good idea to just pick up wood from the ground and use it because it will probably be damp.
When you’re buying wood, make sure it has been cured. If the wood is cured, it just means it has been left for a year or so in a dry place. This is the kind of wood that will burn best when you put it on a fire.
Maintaining your fireplace doesn’t have to be a lot of hard work. And, hopefully, this guide will make things that little bit easier for you!
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