Post by : Admin
14-Feb-2020
Let’s get this out of the way: having a fireplace in your apartment can be tricky!
On the one hand, you have a practical source of heat that keeps energy bills down during the winter, and your home looking beautiful—classic even—all-year-round. But on the other hand, you have a high-maintenance feature in your small apartment that needs regular TLC. Not to mention the extensive clean-ups involved to prevent creosote build-up.
So how do you manage a fireplace in your Connecticut apartment? Here are some tips that will ensure you stay warm and safe, all-year-round!
Vital for home security, smoke alarms are a non-negotiable feature if you have a fireplace. So make sure they’re in working order.
Replace the batteries once a year and keep an eye out for any delayed alarms or glitches. Also, check once a month to see if there are any critters hiding in the crevices.
If you don’t have the budget for a fireplace door, a mesh screen should do just fine. For apartment safety, you want to be sure that there’s a barrier between the fire and the outside area.
With sparks and embers flying out from time to time, there’s a small chance that a piece of furniture might catch fire. So take every step possible to cover the front area of the fireplace.
Even with a fire screen, you’ll still want to make sure there are no rugs, furniture, wood, or paper—basically anything flammable—near or around the fireplace.
Located in the throat of the chimney, just over the firebox, a fireplace damper is a slate that seals your fireplace when it’s not in use. This prevents heated air from escaping.
The damper needs to be lifted and opened if you want to start a fire. It should only be closed when the fireplace isn’t being used; otherwise, the smoke and soot will have nowhere to go but out of the fireplace and into the apartment.
Anything that’s instantly flammable—such as gas or liquid fuel sources—is out of the question. You never know if the fumes will catch fire and explode.
Always use proper firewood and do not add any useless paper or wood to the fire. A fireplace is no place to burn your Christmas tree, since that would give off sparks, and can cause a fire.
In addition, if you burn any newspapers in the fire, you can only do so if there are no colored sections, otherwise that color will release toxins when it’s burned.
Not just for homes with a fireplace, but for any household, a fire extinguisher is necessary for your personal safety. If you don’t have a fire extinguisher of your own, ask the landlord to provide one. And make sure your fire extinguisher is refilled once every six years.
If you’re located in Simsbury, Bloomfield, Burlington, Avon or any of our listed locations, get in touch with Creative Masonry & Chimney.
Operating in numerous cities in the state, Creative Masonry & Chimney is a leading chimney and fireplace installation, repair, and maintenance company. For further information, contact us at (860) 225-9178.
