When the weather is cold, the fireplace, wood or pellets stove could be reliable sources of additional heat. However, despite the constant supply of warmth and comfort, fireplaces can be a hazard. The following fire safety tips will help keep you and your home and everything safe during winter.
Ensure that the Chimney, Fireplaces, and Wood Stoves are Clean
Ensure that the fireplace, chimney, wood, or pellet stove are inspected and cleaned by a licensed chimney specialist. The maintenance procedures should be done annually to ensure that they are functioning safely and are efficient.
The area around the heath should be clear of debris, decorations, or any other flammable material. Be sure to read the manufacturer’s guide on venting and operation if you will be using a pellet stove, insert or wood burning.
Be Sure to Keep the Fires Burning, Safely
Ensure that the flue is open before lighting your fire as it helps vent the fireplace adequately. Also, do not close the damper until the fire is out.
Use only a match or commercial firelighter when starting a fire. Avoid using flammable liquids to start a fire.
Open any glass door around the fireplace while the fire burns. This ensures that the fire receives enough air to complete combustion and reduce creosote deposits in the chimney.
Open all the metal mesh screens around the fireplace to help keep the embers in the fireplace. On top of that, only use dry wood in the fireplace. Wet wood increases creosote deposits and can increase the risk of chimney fires. What’s more?
Avoid burning plastic as it releases toxic chemicals that can damage the fireplace, wood stove, or chimney.
You should not burn Christmas trees around fireplaces. The sparks from the needles can increase the likelihood of chimney fire. Additionally, avoid burning cardboard, trash, or wrapping paper in your fireplace.
Avoid living the fireplace unattended. You should extinguish the fire before leaving the house of going to bed.
Let the ashes cool before throwing them away. Note that ashes can take a couple of days before cooling off completely. Avoid emptying the ashes directly into a trash can. Be sure to cover the ashes at least 10 feet away from your premises or any other building.
During winter, the need to stay safe needs no emphasis. Take some time to test the smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Installing a smoke detector in your home is one of the most effective ways to keep home fires under control before they cause damage to your property. Besides, installing fire detectors can help lower your homeowner’s insurance premiums.
…Don’t Forget to Safeguard your Tools
Even as you try to minimize the effects of fire in your home, you shouldn’t forget to keep your tools in a safe place. The last thing that you want is to spend money on new tools to fix damages caused by home fires. And, you don’t have to lot to keep your tools safe.
You can, for instance, invest in a high-quality tool chest for storage. That way, you can rest assured that you’ll have something to work with when the fire strikes. Any unit worth your attention should have a robust and fire-resistant design.
Of course, it has to be portable and compact enough. In other words, you shouldn’t have a problem moving your tool chest from point A to B. Choose one that’s big enough to fit your tools. The long and short of it is that you should take the safety of your tools very seriously if you want to have something to enable you to do quick repairs in case of a fire.
The Bottom Line
Any serious homeowner should take reasonable measures to keep his/her living space safe from fire. So, ensure that you have your homeowner’s insurance policy in place. On top of that, update it now and then to make sure it covers the real value of your home.
Also, invest in tools that can enable you to bring down the fire as quickly as possible. You should mount at least two fire extinguishers in your house to help you keep things in control in case of emergencies.
