Check your fireplace before you light the yuletide log

You've made your list and checked it twice, mailed your Christmas cards, and even finished your shopping.  Before you light the yuletide log, make sure you know how to do it safely.  According to one report, 14,000 house fires per year start in fireplaces.  Have you done all needed fireplace maintenance to keep your family and home safe this holiday season?

Care for your fireplace with these ten tips so Santa makes it down your chimney with ease:

1. Hire a certified professional.  Have your fireplace and wood stove inspected and cleaned by a certified chimney professional at least once per year or after approximately 80 fires.  Ask them to show you how to check the fireplace and chimney yourself as well.
   
   
2. Keep the area clear. Keep a nonflammable rug in front of the fireplace so that sparks do not melt or otherwise damage your carpeting.  Keep the area around your fireplace hearth free of debris and other flammable materials.
   
   
3. Use smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) detectors.  The American Society of Home Inspectors recommends using photoelectric smoke detectors over ionization smoke detectors. Photoelectric models can detect slow, smoldering fires.  Ionization models are better at detecting larger fires. The National Fire Protection Association recommends using one of each so you are better protected. Also using a carbon monoxide detector near your fireplace helps alert you to CO that might leak back into your home through vents.
   
   
4. Use a fireplace screen.  Always use a fireplace screen to protect people, pets, carpeting, and furniture from sparks and flying ash.
   
   
5. Always use fireplace tools to handle burning logs. Never use your hands.
   
   
6. Smart with a smaller fire.  Start using your fireplace with just a few logs of seasoned hardwoods like oak, hickory and ash that burns cleaner than softwoods like fir, pine or cedar. 
   
   
7. Keep a fire extinguisher nearby and in good working order.
   
   
8. Never start a fire using flammable liquids or burn cardboard boxes, trash, or debris in your fireplace.
   
   
9. Never leave a fire unattended—especially if there are children in the house.  Make sure to extinguish a fire before leaving the house or going to bed.
   
   
10. Dispose of ashes correctly.  Never use a vacuum to clean up ashes, because live coals may remain in those ashes. Soak hot ashes in water and empty them into a metal container with a lid outside of your home.

The Christmas season is normally reserved for fond, family memories.  Part of enjoying the Christmas season begins with knowing your family and your home are safe.  For a good portion of the year, fireplaces remain unused so it is easy to forget basic, safety tips.  Share this blog with your family and friends so everyone's holiday can be merry and bright.

Contact us at Sallie Davidson REALTORS® when you're ready to begin your search for a home in 2016.