Common Sense Fireplace Safety for Homeowners
Fireplaces are a luxury item that is very desirable with homeowners. This is why we are seeing more and more people building homes with fireplaces in them or adding them as part of a renovation project. However, while they are wonderful to curl up beside on a cold winter’s night and are great for heating your home, they can also be a danger and serious fire hazard if not maintained properly.
Fireplace safety is no joke and should not be taken lightly. Therefore, if you have one in your home, you need to take responsibility and become educated about what needs to be done to keep your fireplace safe.
The first thing that all homeowners need to do is have their fireplace inspected by a professional chimney cleaner before they use it for the first time in the season. You never know what could have gotten into your chimney over the summer. Make sure it is inspected and cleaned first before you use it.
A second consideration that you need to do is install a carbon monoxide detector. If you already have one, check it to make sure it is working correctly. The detector will alert you if your fireplace is emitting too much carbon monoxide and it can literally save your life.
A third thing and something that you need to pay extra attention to is making sure that you clean out your fireplace regularly. Ashes and debris can build up and be a potential fire hazard. Removing this will prevent any unforeseeable spark ups that could catch you off guard.
Once you get your fire going, you need to take care of it. This means that you always need to keep an eye on it. Make sure that there is nothing close to your fireplace that could catch on fire. It means making sure that your fire is completely out before you leave it unattended. All this may seem like common sense; however there are still hundreds of home fires caused by fireplace management mistakes.