3 important tips for your fireplace and lessons that I have learned

3 important tips for your fireplace and lessons that I have learned

When I think of trying to get cozy on a cold blustery day I immediately think of a fire in the fireplace. The warmth, the glow, the crackle, it immediately puts me in ‘snuggle don’t want to get off the couch’ kinda mode.  So it’s no secret that our fireplaces around Duke Manor Farm run on overdrive during the winter season. Today on this months Cozy Living Series I want to share 3 important tips for your fireplace and lessons that I have learned with ours. 

3 important tips for your fireplace and lessons that I have learned

Welcome to the monthly Cozy Living series.   If you missed last month’s creating cozy inside when it’s cold outside you can catch it here.  This monthly series is so inspiring to me. I love to see the various ways others make their homes and lives more cozy and memorable. I hope it inspires you to do the same in your own home. All of the links to the other bloggers will be below. Don’t forget to stop by and visit each one.

3 important tips for your fireplace and lessons that I have learned

I am by no means a fireplace expert, I just know what we have experienced, the lessons learned and what works for us when it comes to fires in the fireplace.

Only use seasoned wood in your indoor fire

3 important tips for your fireplace and lessons that I have learned

Most any wood that has been seasoned properly will burn well in your fireplace.  If your firewood has not been seasoned ( meaning dry and been sitting for a season or more ) it will not burn well. If the moisture level in the wood is too high, energy is consumed evaporating water instead of throwing heat out. In other words, hard to start and weak fire at best.

We generally cut and burn for the next season. Wood that has been seasoned properly will  weigh less than a new piece of wood of the same kind. The longer you wait to cut the dryer the wood will be. When buying firewood always ask when it was cut.

3 important tips for your fireplace and lessons that I have learned

Have your fireplace inspected and cleaned yearly

Based on how often and the type of wood used in your fire determines how often you need to have your fireplace cleaned.   When you burn wood you can cause a creosote buildup in your chimney. Creosote is a highly flammable substance that builds up inside your chimney or liner as a result of burning wood. It only takes  a small accumulation of creosote glazing to create the potential for a chimney fire. This I know. We had a chimney fire about 7 years ago as a result of not getting it cleaned. Like never.

Learn from my experience

We lived in our house for 8 years before having our fireplace/chimney cleaned. Eight years. Its a miracle we didn’t have a fire sooner.  I came into the family room one night to a bright neon like orange color in the firebox. The creosote build up in the flue was on fire (the pipe that sends all the heat/smoke up and out of the house). Luckily we acted quickly, nobody got hurt and the fire department extinguished it before the house burnt down. It was a very scary moment and sadly visions of my house burning down, is now my biggest recurring nightmare. To this day,  I still have a bit of anxiety when the fireplace is lit. We also have a wood burning stove and that one doesn’t bother me as much. The cost to repair our fireplace chimney was $5,000. The fee for getting it cleaned $100.00.

3 important tips for your fireplace and lessons that I have learned

 Don’t burn anything you shouldn’t and remove all ash frequently

Okay, this should be obvious and a no brainer. Unless it’s seasoned wood, kindle or a firestarter don’t burn it in your fireplace. The fire department made a second trip to our home recently because we ‘thought’ a bundle of sticks that I bought years ago that were smashed up ( used for seasonal decor) was perfectly fine to burn in the fireplace. WRONG! Apparently the sticks had a chemical on it to preserve them and once it got lit it ignited and basically blew up in the fireplace. Another scary and messy situation that could have easily been avoided….. if I had only written this blog post sooner.

 

 

Although we all love the warmth, the glow and the crackle of a nice toasty fire, we need to be safe and prevent our homes for being damaged. I hope these 3 tips and hearing about my own experiences will help with your fires this season and hope to keep you cozy in your own home this winter season.

Please visit the links below for more cozy living tips. 
Cozy Living Series - February

Finding Silver Pennies† :† Making It In The Mountains† :† Thoughts from Alice† :† Town and Country Living

 

Cozy Living Series - February

VinYet Etc.† :† AKA Design† :† Duke Manor Farm

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14 Comments

  1. Oh, wow, can’t believe the treated sticks blew up! Glad no bad damage was done. Great tips for fireplace safety. We have not burned one single fire this year. We have a crack on the floor of our fireplace and should get it fixed. We can burn a Dura Flame log or that type, but just haven’t burned one this year. Guess I’m lazy and don’t won’t to clean up the mess. It doesn’t make a good enough fire to enjoy.

  2. Great tips, Laura. We like to make fires occasionally but I can never go to sleep until I know the fire is out completely. I end up coming downstairs to check on it several times. Yet I do love having a fire roaring in the fireplace – so cozy! Enjoy your weekend!
    Shelley

  3. Wow! You had a scary experience! I’m glad you were all okay. You have one of my favorite fireplaces. It reminds me of my childhood living room. There was a vaulted ceiling like yours and the fireplace ran up the wall to the highest peak. The rocks stuck out just enough that we could scale the face of the fireplace all the way to the top. My brother used to hide money on top of the rocks sticking out at the very top. Anyway – thanks for that trip down memory lane. Love your room!!

  4. Oh my goodness, how scary! We’ve been here three years and to be honest, I haven’t thought of cleaning the chimney even once. Will definitely be looking into it now. Thank you for sharing!!!

  5. So good to know! We just moved into a home with three fireplaces over the summer and have yet to use one. I definitely needed these tips 🙂 And your home is amazing! Love your stone fireplace. Ours our brick all the way up to the ceiling and I am dying to paint them white and add a mantel to the one in the main living room.

  6. Oh my goodness, I had no idea that those faux sticks could cause such a scary thing – I’m so glad that it wasn’t worse. It’s one of my biggest fears too, so scary! Thank you for sharing these tips to keep us safe! xo

  7. I LOVE your fireplace soooooo much. That must have been so scary both times you had the fire department out. It definitely pays for yearly maintenance. Thank you for writing this post to inform everyone. x

  8. One of the things I miss about my house is a fireplace! We had gas logs so it was less maintenance, but I do love the smell and crackle of wood burning. Enjoy safely, Laura! xo Heidi

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