Having a house with a wood stove fireplace can be both warm and nice during the winter season. However, they also require quite a bit of maintenance which can be done by using chimney cleaning services. But you don’t need to worry, we are here to make your life easier, follow us!

Cleaning the Interior

Chimney contractors will inform you that overtime due to burning wood, the interior of the chimneys can become clogged with dust, dirt and ash. Cleaning it up will become a regular part of your job as it will not only help the place in looking presentable but also help the wood burn efficiently. In addition to that, the building up of Creosote and other materials can pose a problem for your family as well, as fine particles can be transmitted through air and inhaling them constantly will lead to a serious risk of air-borne diseases. Always make sure to cover yourself with protective mask when cleaning to prevent inhaling dust particles.

Install Heat Proof Glass Doors and Blower or Fan

Installing heat proof chimney glass doors is going to give your family that extra layer of protection. While the installation of a blower or fan will help circulate the heat. When it comes to wood burning, nothing can be taken for granted. People often assume the worst-case scenario if anything goes wrong but you cannot tell much about the devastating scenarios that could sneak up on you. In that case, heat proof glass has been proven to protect your house as well as those you care about. They will prevent sparks or logs tumbling out of the fireplace and causing considerable damage to the house. In case of its absence, sparks are free to float anywhere in the area and they can land on furniture, carpet, rugs and clothes etc. In the worst case, the logs can easily roll onto someone and cause serious burns.

Watch for Smoke

An efficient burning fireplace should not be spreading smoke into your house. If you happen to observe otherwise, it means something is seriously wrong and either needs to be fixed or needs cleaning. Amongst many reasons of smoke coming into your house, wrong practice of burning wood and a clogged chimney maybe the primary ones. Therefore, make sure your alarm bells are sensitive to these things and force you to act immediately.

Burn the Right Wood

Even though hardwood is the best wood type for fireplaces, wood burning is still both a skill that needs to be learned. There is both cheap and expensive wood out there but the price will not necessarily determine the quality. You need to be aware of the right type of wood to burn along with how to burn it. Good quality wood with bad burning practices will be of no good. Trees like oak and birch are some excellent wood types that burn hotter and longer. Therefore, if you happen to be someone who is least interested in such things, laziness will not going to work in this case.

Check the Cap

Chimneys normally have caps installed on them to prevent things from getting in such as animals. With time they can also get clogged, therefore you need to get them checked. It is necessary for free airflow and preventing smoke from coming back inside. If it is ignored, the smoke can spread inside the house and pose a risk to everything in the surrounding. You may want to choose a good cleaning service for this purpose.

Remove Creosote

An incomplete burning or combustion of wood creates a dark, hard, flammable crust like substance known as Creosote. Woods that have not been properly dried and stored can lead to building of Creosote. Therefore, then again proper burning practices will help you drying the woods properly and storing them as well. As already mentioned, it is a flammable substance and you would not want your chimney catching fire. If anything, do not consider it a liability, consider its removal a necessity.

Annual Inspection

Hire a professional cleaner to have your chimney and all other things related to wood burning inspected annually. You need your fireplace to be ready for the season especially winters and for that chimney contractors Upper Marlboro are at your disposal. Considering the safety of your house as well as your family members would be the wisest choice.