At Old World Stoneworks, we’re excited about lighting that first fire of the season. But because we’re professionals, we know the importance of slowing down and make sure our fireplace is properly prepped before igniting any logs. Here is how to prep your fireplace for the first fire of the season.
How To Prep Your Fireplace For the First Fire of the Season
Tips for Fireplace Safety with First Season’s Fire:
- Before your fire: Hire a chimney sweep annually to inspect your chimney for damage and clean out any accumulated dust or soot to prevent a chimney fire. A technician will vacuum out accumulated soot and dust and inspect your chimney for damage.
- Before your fire: Check your gaskets. The gasket sealing the fireplace door needs to fit properly, or your fire can draw in too much oxygen causing a dangerously large fire and an unsafe first seasons fire.
- Before your fire: Clean the blower. Since these rarely have a filter, you’ll need to carefully clean it to prevent soot buildup.
- Before your fire: You must open your chimney flue before lighting a fire. This way, smoke can exit your house. Any sign of smoke exiting the firebox and into your home is a sign your fireplace isn’t properly prepped.
- Before your fire: Test your carbon monoxide alarm and smoke alarm. Accidents can happen and having safety systems functioning properly saves lives.
- Before your fire: Set up your fireplace screen. This protects your home from embers and can be a beautiful addition to your hearth. A good fireplace screen is especially important if you have pets and small children who like to relax or play around the fireplace.
- Before your fire: Keep a metal container by your hearth to remove and store hot ashes. Embers and ashes can stay hot for a long time, so be careful with them.
- During your fire: If you have children, teach them fire safety from a young age. When they’re old enough, you can show them how to safely prep and build a fire.
- During your fire: Don’t leave your fire unattended. Left to its own devices, a fire can get out of hand. Be sure to supervise your fire – and pets and small children – to keep your home happy and safe all season long.
Choose Your Fireplace
Cold winter days are best complemented by a well-kept, cast stone fireplace mantel. If your fireplace needs a facelift before this seasons first fire, call your friends at Old World Stoneworks today and reread our How To Prep Your Fireplace for the First Fire of the Season, to keep your fires safe. Browse our extensive collection and choose the mantel for your family this winter.
Our Tuscan Cast Stone Fireplace Mantel is the perfect fireplace for this seasons fires!