Chimney Care Company's Blog

Stay Safe Over the Holidays

With the busy-ness of the holidays, we sometimes forget that there can be holiday disasters as well. Because this is such a happy time of year, it’s important to take special care to keep your home and family safe. If you own a fireplace, there are some safety tips that you can follow that will have your family and friends enjoying the fun and togetherness of the holidays with no worries. Of course, one of the most important things that you can do is make sure that your chimney and fireplace have been inspected and cleaned before the holiday season. If you haven’t had that done, give Chimney Care Co. a call and see if we can fit you into our holiday schedule. But there are other things that you can do to make sure that you have a safe, happy holiday as well.

Make Sure You Have Wood That’s Been Properly Cured

One of the things that you can do to make that your wood-burning experience goes well is to make sure that the wood you’re burning has been properly cured. When you cut a tree for firewood, a lot of moisture remains in the wood and it remains there for many months. That’s why it’s so important to use wood that’s been cut for at least six months, and even longer is better. Once you’ve cut your wood, you’ll want to split it and stack it, allowing air to circulate between the wood so it will dry out. If you cut your own wood, it’s easy to know how long your wood has been cured, but if you buy your wood, it’s not as clear. There are some things that you can do to make sure that your wood has been properly cured. First, check out the color of the wood. The lighter and grayer the wood, the longer it has cured. More cured wood will have less of a woody smell, and it will be lighter weight. There may also be cracks in the wood, especially around the edges, and when you clap two pieces together, it will ring rather than sound dull and thunky. As you burn wood, any remaining moisture will be released in the form of smoke. If your wood has been properly cured, it means that you’ll have less creosote buildup in your chimney, which means less chance of a chimney fire. Less smoke also means that your room will be less smoky, and that means a more enjoyable burning experience. A smoke-filled room can lead to irritated eyes and a hacking cough, as well as a scratchy throat.

Scope Out Your Room

Another thing you’ll want to do is scope out the layout of your room. Make sure that any pillows, cushions, or other furniture aren’t too close to the fireplace. The same is true for toys, magazines, books, or curtains. If any of these are too close to the fireplace, they might catch a random spark or ember and start on fire. At Christmas time, you’ll want to be especially careful of where you place your tree and gifts. A real tree can get dry, even if you water it faithfully every day, and a dry tree is a flammable tree. Presents wrapped in cardboard boxes and wrapping paper are flammable as well. Make sure your Christmas tree is far enough away from your fireplace to avoid it catching a spark and starting on fire. It’s also important to have a working fire extinguisher close to the fireplace, just in case a fire starts.

Make Sure Equipment is in Working Order

Speaking of fire extinguishers, just one by the fireplace isn’t enough. You should have working fire extinguishers by the fireplace, in the kitchen, and on each floor of the house as well as in the shop and laundry room. But there’s other equipment that should be in working order as well. You should also have working smoke detectors outside of each bedroom and on each floor of the home, as well as in the kitchen and garage. Another tool is a carbon monoxide detector. You should have one of these on each floor of the house as well, but avoid putting these in humid areas or too close to a fuel-burning appliance. Make sure to test the batteries at least once a month, and change them every six months.

Keeping Your Home Safe While You’re Away

If you’re traveling during the holidays, or just going to lots of parties at night, there are some safety tips to follow as well. If you love to have your lights on, put them on a timer so that they aren’t on all night. Never leave a candle burning when you’re not around to supervise. If you’re away frequently, you might want to invest in a home security system. Another thing many people might not consider if traveling for the holidays is to avoid the temptation to post a lot about your trip on social media until you get back. If no one knows you’re gone, they won’t be tempted to try to break in and take some of your valued possessions.

Have a Happy Holiday!

All of us at Chimney Care Co. are proud and happy to have spent 2019 taking care of all our friends and neighbors in the greater Cincinnati area. We want to make sure that you all stay safe and happy through this holiday season, so be sure to follow these safety tips. Merry Christmas!

How to Select the Right Firewood

A burning question for many homeowners with fireplaces is which type of wood they should be using. There is no simple answer to this question, however, as the options available to you are quite numerous. Nevertheless, Chimney Care Company is here to help you make a more informed decision when the time comes. Our long-term customers know we’ll take care of them and you can rest assured that we’ll take care of you as well.

There are two basic types of firewood available to those with a wood-burning fireplace: softwood and hardwood.

QUICKER IGNITING FIRES WITH SOFTWOODS

Softwoods—pines, spruces and firs—start burning easily. Typically, these woods have less potential BTU [British Thermal Unit] energy than their hardwood counterparts. Softwoods also produce a much more significant amount of smoke. The one true advantage softwood has is that it lights very quickly because it’s less dense; this quality makes it an excellent choice for kindling for any fire; using it for anything beyond that is like sending your money straight up the chimney.

LONGER BURNING FIRES WITH HARDWOODS

Hardwoods—oaks, maples and cedars—on the other hand, don’t start burning quite as easily but burn for a long time, which makes them ideal for prolonged burns. Per square inch, when compared to softwoods, they have much more BTU potential than other types of wood and, therefore, burn hotter and more steadily for extended periods.

BETTER BURNING FIRES MARRY THE TWO TYPES OF WOOD

The easiest and best fire is built by using a mixture of both softwoods and hardwoods. A bed of ashes underneath the grate produces steady heat and aids in igniting new fuel as it‘s added. This will ensure that the fire will continue burning as long as small amounts of wood are added at regular intervals. As a matter of fact, more efficient wood burning results from burning small loads of wood with sufficient air than from burning large loads of wood with minimal air.

MORE EFFICIENT FIRES WITH SEASONED WOOD

It’s also important to season your firewood, whether it’s hard or soft, as all of it contains moisture. Seasoning takes place when the moisture content in the wood reaches equilibrium with that of the surrounding air. A common method of seasoning wood is simply stacking it outdoors in a spot that allows for good air circulation and is dry, sunny and open for approximately six months out of the year. Seasoning in this manner will produce wood that is dry enough to support efficient combustion and has a higher heating value than unseasoned wood.

For the most part, it is far more important that your firewood is dry and seasoned; the particular type of wood you’re burning is merely a secondary concern. Having both softwood and hardwood on hand is a good idea. You can use the softer woods for kindling and for fires during cooler months when only a small amount of heat output is desired and save the harder woods for the coldest months. Keeping these things in mind will make you a much happier homeowner and will make the cold months of the year much more enjoyable for you and your family.

Call Chimney Care Company today to have our professional chimney technicians take care of your fireplace.