Taking Preventative Measures for Your Home’s Comfort and Safety

A fireplace can be a valuable asset to have in a home. It provides an alternative source of heat when the electricity and gas are out due to storms. It also lowers the amount of gas and electricity you have to use to keep your home warm.

When you plan on using your fireplace as much as possible this winter, you may want to have it inspected, maintained, and repaired before you light the first fire in it this season. You can hire professionals who are trained in cleaning, brick mason work, and chimney relining for this purpose today.

Cleaning Out and Lining the Chimney

You may not even be aware of what is in the chimney stack before you light a fire in the fireplace. After a long summer of sitting dormant, the chimney might have become home to several dozen bird or squirrel nests. It also may be full of twigs, leaves, and other debris that could all easily catch on fire.

Chances are you do not have a broom handle or shovel that is large or long enough to stick up the chimney’s stack to loosen all of the debris lodged in there. You also do not want to risk lighting a fire in an attempt to burn it all out. The fire could shoot out of the chimney stack and onto the roof. It also could spread across the hearth and into your home.

The contractors you can hire for this job will have the equipment needed to get rid of debris in the chimney. They also can put in a new liner so the fires you light this season will burn cleanly and more efficiently.

Before you light the season’s first fire in the fireplace, you have to make sure it is ready to be used safely. You may not be able to tell what is inside of the chimney on your own. However, you can hire professional contractors for this type of inspection and cleaning job. They will ensure the chimney is clean and safe to use for all of your fires this winter.