This winter, make sure to spend money on chimney repair companies because just when the winter season is about to hit you, you gear up and prepare your entire home for this chilling yet beautiful season.
You can start off with planning for a warmer temperature in your home which can be achieved through different methods. You can burn a stove or turn the heater on but the buzz of lighting a fireplace is beyond amazing! Make sure to make necessary amendments and cleaning before getting on with the process. Following are some of the steps you must follow to achieve a happy winter season!
Annual Chimney Inspection
Like any other feature, a very important step is chimney cleaning and maintenance but since it consumes very little space of our home, we fail to notice it and pay attention to other house apparels. You must always hire a professional to inspect the chimney and fireplace. Ask him to check the exterior as well as the interior of the chimney. The interior includes firebox, smoke chamber and damper, and the exterior covers the cap and crown of chimney.
Chimney Cleaning
Chimney cleaning is a very crucial task that you must not miss in your wake ever. Ask the inspector to clean the chimney so that there is no bird nest, soot or debris buildup on the cap that could potentially start a fire. Make sure to get rid of all the dirt by spot cleaning at least once in a year for a long-lasting chimney!
Maintenance
Once you are done with annual inspection don’t let the matter slip through just yet, always watch out for the imperfections that could throw problems your way. Look out for chimney leakage, it can damage your beautiful house structure through moisture. Make sure to inspect any area that has a wet or darkened spot indicating the presence of moisture in the walls or fireplace. Contact chimney repair companies instantly and choose the best option to repair your chimney and fireplace.
Proper Equipment
To keep your fireplace updated to today’s home décor, turn your attention to its hearth. That’s right, hearth does not only make your fireplace elegant and classy but it also prevents any sparks to hit your carpets or rugs. Many people don’t feel the need to use equipment for their fireplace but keeping proper equipment like shovel, tongs, poker and broom allows you reach in the firebox at a safe distance.
Proper Firewood
Before burning the firewood, dry it out for about 3-6 months. It has been discovered that firewood comprises of 45% water which produces heavily smoked fire and I am dead sure that is not what you would have planned for winters, right? Drying it out will make it a little darker but with less weight and this is exactly what you need. If your wood shows any signs of moisture, get it replaced by any of the chimney repair companies.
Proper Steps Towards Fire Safety
Despite all the inspection and maintenance, still prepare yourself for the worst-case scenario. If a fire breaks out, what is the first thing that could help you to get notified? Well, the answer is easy, a Smoke detector. Install a smoke detector in your house, in every single room, to be particular. These detectors must be replaced after every 6 months since they run on batteries and a dead-battery smoke detector is the last thing you would want to deal with.
Fire Escape Plan
It has been suggested that an escape plan is a very important step especially for families. In case the fire breaks out, you must always have an escape route which helps you to exit the house as soon as you can without getting in the way of erratic fire. Stay low to the floor and try to cover your mouth and nose to prevent smoke getting into lungs. Pick a safe and pre planned spot outside the house where you can gather afterwards.
All of these points bring us to only one conclusion i.e. always watch out for chimney cleaning annapolis and its repair. There is no person in this entire world that would put lives of his loved ones at risk therefore, if you agree to follow this one specific rule, believe me, you will be thanking us.