Our Company Blog

Make the Fireplace the Center of Your Home This Holiday Season

The fireplace has long been a focal point of traditional holiday festivities. Gift-exchanges, holiday parties, dinners, and more have been situated at the hearth for many years. This could be because of the traditional folklore about Santa sliding down the chimney and enjoying milk and cookies next to the fireplace, or it could be that the family just loves the ambiance of fireside festivities. The fireplace is such a traditional backdrop for festivities that many television providers even have a fireplace channel for families without a fireplace!

Your Holiday Backdrop

You can have the perfect backdrop for your holiday festivities this season simply by using what you have. Odds are you have worked very hard to create the perfect fireplace in your home, so it really is the best backdrop for all of your parties, dinners, and Christmas movie nights with the family. With beautiful decorations and a clean hearth, your fireplace can also be the perfect backdrop for family photos.

At Chief Chimney Services we know the most important thing this season is family.

Because of our extensive training and experience we have some suggestions to keep your family safe and comfortable this season:

1.  Decorate the mantel safely. Your certified chimney sweep is able to tell you if chimney decorations are safe above your mantel. This can depend on the original construction of the chimney (if the correct materials were used), and whether or not there is damage to the flue liner, which can allow dangerous heat to affect decorations.
2. Don’t let your tree become a fire hazard. If you decorate with a Christmas tree it’s best to place it across the room from the fireplace opening, stove, or appliance. Positioned so that it won’t reach the flame in case of an accidental fall is the best place for it—especially if you have pets or small children that might pull the tree down.
3. Keep stockings, lights, and garland away from the fire. It’s common for decorations to be placed on the hearth itself, as well as stockings hanging from the mantel. This is acceptable, but stockings should be removed from the mantel while the fireplace is in use. Also garland and other decorations should be secured so that nothing falls into or near the fireplace opening.
4. Practice fire safety and set rules for children and guests in your home. Children should never be left alone while a fire is burning. Also, branches and needles from a live-cut Christmas tree should NEVER be put into the fireplace. These are often too light and can cause sparks and can possibly damage the chimney flue.

Stay Safe This Holiday Season

When you have your dream fireplace it makes sense to enjoy it through the holiday season. Make sure it’s ready to work for you! When your chimney is clean it will be more efficient and safe. Don’t put your family’s safety or comfort at risk by burning a fire in a dirty or damaged chimney. Chief Chimney Services has expert technicians available through the holiday season for chimney sweeps  and inspections.

Call us now and we can do our part to make your holidays merry and bright!

Build the Best Fire

Once you have a chimney and fireplace installed, it seems lighting the fire should be the easy part. Cave men did it, but there is definitely a learning curve involved, and many factors come to play that can make it extremely difficult to build the best fire.

The Most Efficient Fire

If you depend upon a fireplace, stove, or appliance to heat or supplement heat to your home, you want the fire to start almost as easily as flipping a switch. This convenience is only possible in gas appliances, so if you depend on wood heat, you should learn to build and start the best fire possible.

Most of us learned to build a fire from small to big—kindling on the bottom, logs on the top. While this works fine, there is a better way!

The top-down burn is basically a fire built upside-down, with the logs on bottom, and kindling on top. This allows for the flame and cinders to fall as they burn, igniting the rest of the fuel. Once you have mastered the top-down burn you will better be able to light a fire in a cold fireplace/chimney. You will also be able to start the fire quickly, and with less kindling.

The kind of fire you decide to build is only the start.

Consider these tips to help you build your best fire:

1. Proper fuel
   You should only burn properly seasoned wood in your wood fireplace or stove. Using wood that is seasoned raises the efficiency of your fire and chimney system. Using the proper wood also cuts down on smoke issues, creosote buildup, air pollution, and fire risk.
2.  Never use starter fuel
   Starter fuels like kerosene, gasoline, and lighter fluid are dangerous and should NEVER be used to ignite your fireplace fire. Use of these fuels can be unpredictable and can cause injury, fire, and death.
3. Use the system
   The chimney system is made up of many parts that work together. The damper, for instance, can assist while you light the fire, allowing oxygen to flow through the system. Making sure that these parts work properly is important to building the best fire.
4. Choose proper kindling
   When choosing kindling for your best fire you should avoid using light branches with pine needles or leaves to light your fire. Not only do they create thick smoke, but they’re also very light, so they often rise up the chimney while ignited. When debris rises up the chimney flame, the creosote in the flue can easily ignite.
5. Remember to schedule routine maintenance
   It’s important for homeowners to keep up with routine maintenance in order to build the best fire. It doesn’t matter how well you are at building a top-down burn if your chimney system is damaged. Your fire will lose efficiency, and flue fire risk will increase.

The Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA)  recommends annual chimney inspections and regular chimney sweeps. These service appointments are the best safety measures you can take for your chimney system. Schedule today, and get it done before the holidays.

Call Chief Chimney Services today at 631-863-2460 or schedule an appointment online for your convenience.