Wood Burning Fireplace Maintenance
Many households use wood fireplaces – it is economical and easy to use and maintain. During cold seasons wood fire provides the much-needed warmth but may not function optimally if not correctly maintained. Here is how to maintain a wood burning fireplace to enhance safety and efficiency.
Probably you know how to use a wood burning fireplace, right? But do you understand how to clean a wood burning fireplace?
Quick Tips For Fireplace Maintenance
Here are 12 quick tips for wood burning fireplace maintenance.
1. Install Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors
While the fireplace is a reliable source of warmth and ambient light in homes, it also presents potential health hazards from smoke and carbon dioxide. Carbon monoxide gas is odorless and colorless, making it deadly because it is hard to detect. Usually, a well-constructed chimney is safe to use, but chimneys and vent systems can get clogged, leading to carbon monoxide poisoning.
Smoke in a wood burning fireplace is common, posing health hazards. Typically, smoke should exit over the chimney, but you may find it back-drafting to your room…a problem usually caused by a blocked vent due to excess dirt, debris, or birds.
It’s best to install smoke and carbon dioxide detectors for your safety and your family’s safety. The detectors should be well maintained and tested regularly.
2. Remove Creosote Buildup and Soot
Creosote is one of the by-products of burning wood. It is caused by using wood that is not dried or appropriately stored, causing brown or black residues. These residues accumulate inside the fireplace and inner walls of the chimney.
As a result, you will experience difficulty setting up your fire. Though not visible from outside, it causes chimney obstruction and fires. Soot is another by-product of burning wood. It is harmful and ugly. It is similar to creosote, but softer sticks to a broader area and a big fire risk.
Both the soot and creosote buildup causes the chimney duct to block if left for long. You are better off sweeping them as soon as they start to form a layer.
3. Clean Fireplace Interior
Whereas a timber burning fireplace makes a room warm and cozy, its by-products are messy and need cleaning. While cleaning the fireplace interior improves efficiency, the aesthetic value of the fireplace is preserved and enhanced. Wear gloves and a dust mask when sweeping the interior of the fireplace.
4. Inspect Damper
A damper is critical for the proper functioning of a fireplace. It is opened when the fire is burning and closed when the fire is out. Make sure that it can open and close fully. You should also remove debris and buildups that can interfere with it.
5. Remove Old Ashes Out of the Fireplace
Ash always accumulates fast in the fireplace and interferes with efficiency. Here is how to keep a wood burning fireplace going safely. Whenever ash reaches the grate’s bottom, remove it because it will interfere with airflow.
However, do not remove all the ashes but leave them about 1 inch thick. Ashes are rich in nutrients so that you can sprinkle them on your garden. However, exercise precaution because you can easily get burned by hot ash.
Before removal, ensure the ash is cold. Hardwood has hot embers that can burn for long after the fire has gone off; hence remove ashes after about 24 hours.
6. Inspect the Chimney and Cap it
A functioning chimney is essential for a fireplace to work efficiently. Regardless of chimney type – masonry or metal type – it is crucial to inspect it regularly. Check for dents, cracks, rusts, which is an indication of more significant problems.
Always ensure your chimney has a cover or cap. Caps primarily cover and beautify the chimney. It also has a screen on its side, which acts as a spark arrester. Besides, a cap prevents water, animals, and debris, obstructing chimneys from getting into it.
Do not forget to trim branches closer or overlaying the chimney. It is a source of dry leaves that easily gets into chimneys, causing blockages and fires.
7. Use the Appropriate Firewood
All woods burn, but not all are suitable for your fireplace. Seasoned hardwoods like Marp, Oak, and Birch are the best, while softwood like cider and pine are terrible for your fireplace.
Seasoned firewood typically consists of wood that has been dried properly and has less than 20% moisture content. Ideally, wood should be dried between 6-12 months before using in the fireplace. Logs and larger pieces of wood should split to enable them to dry faster and burn easily.
Hardwood is the best for the fireplace but expensive to acquire. Compared to softwood, they produce more heat for a long. Furthermore, they have less soot and creosote than the softwoods, thus reduced fireplace maintenance. Overall, hardwood is much better and safer.
8. Before You Use the Fireplace, Please Test it
Always ensure that you test the fireplace before you start using it. To check if it’s functioning properly as intended, light a few pieces of wood, then check if smoke is exiting out of the chimney. Should you notice smoke entering your room, then troubleshoot and correct the problem.
Problems could arise from blocked chimney duct, wet wood, closed damper or creosote, or smoke buildup.
9. Install a Blower and Fireplace Screen
Installing a blower and screen helps make the fireplace safer, easier to maintain, and highly efficient.
Fireplace screen is helpful in two ways…
First, it prevents sparks and embers from spilling into your room.
Second, it protects children and pets from getting too close to the fireplace.
How to clean fireplace screen is not a big deal. In most cases, a newspaper or damp paper towel is all you need. Dip the dampened paper towel or newspaper into ash and use it to scrap soot from the glass. For tough dirt, use fine sandpaper.
Installing a fan or blower increases the efficiency of a fireplace. This is because it helps to distribute heat evenly throughout your room.
10. Tackle Fireplace Maintenance Problems As Arise
An efficient way to maintain a fireplace is to troubleshoot and handle any problem that arises regularly. For instance, a small crack in the chimney indicates a much bigger or mushrooming problem.
Problems to lookout while troubleshooting includes:
- Smoke filling your room instead of escaping through the chimney.
- White stain associated with too much moisture caused is a sign of leakage. This can result in mold infestation or more damage to the chimney wall.
- Rust
- Chipping bricks due to aging. This is rectified by using sealants.
11. Consider Home Safety Precautions
While you enjoy the warm heat during cold seasons, safety in the house should not take backstage.
Here are useful tips to help safeguard the safety of your home:
- Place combustible materials such as furniture and carpets further away from the hearth. And if you prefer to use a rug in front of a fireplace, ensure that it is not flammable.
- Use correct tools while cleaning a wood burning hearth.
- Always put off the fire whenever there is no one around or when going to sleep.
12. Contact a Professional Chimney Sweep
Some problems are pretty apparent in the fireplace, but some need a professional to spot and rectify. After one year or before moving to a different home, it is best to call a professional chimney sweep to inspect and clean.
Bottom Line
The wood burning fireplace adds warmth and beauty to our homes. But for optimal performance and safety, it is essential to maintain it regularly.
